Chapter 1 The Criminal Justice System Criminology Exam Review 1 A set of agencies and processes established by governments to control crime and impose penalties to those who violate the law The criminal justice system is composed of police corrections and courts They investigate crime apprehend arrest suspects assist prosecution at trial keep the peace prevent crime provide social services and uphold constitutional protections They determine guilt or innocence adjudication sentencing interpret law set legal precedent and uphold constitutional protections Police Courts Corrections Carry out the sentences administered by the courts provide custody provide care for offenders uphold constitutional protections The Pickett Fence Model It is analogy that represents the fact although each agency has a separate autonomy there is an interrelationship between them The Criminal Justice Process 1 Entry into the system a Probable cause warrant arrest booking 2 Prosecution and pre trial services a First appearance i Advised of their legal rights and bail may be set b Preliminary hearing i court hearing before the judge where the prosecution must convince the judge that there is probable cause to accuse the defendant of a crime and that is was committed in that jurisdiction c Information indictment 3 Adjudication dismissal guilty or non guilty 4 Sentencing sanctions a The guilt of the defendant if determined through a trial plea bargaining or b At the arraignment hearing the charges are read and they have to plee a Set a punishment guided by the limits of the law b Defendant or prosecutor can appeal 5 Correction a Defendant is now the convicted and is transferred to a correctional authority to carry out the sanction Criminology vs criminal justice Criminology is rooted in sociology As an academic discipline criminology refers to the scientific study of crime in society Its purpose is to develop and test theories that explain crime as a social phenomena Criminal justice As an academic discipline criminal justice refers to the study of The processes involved in a system of justice People who perform these tasks Scope and nature of the system Public policy laws and regulations Due Process Model Emphasizes individual rights at all stages of justice system processing Notion that society would rather a guilty person goes free than convict an innocent person Focus is individual rights Crime Control Model Emphasizes efficient arrest and conviction of criminal offenders Often referred to as assembly line justice Focus is on public order Must be efficient Interests of community are favored over individual rights Concept Questions 1 Explain why public order crime control is necessary in our society a It is necessary for our society so that we can maintain balance and safety in our society without that society would not be able to function and would be in a constant state of chaos 2 What makes balancing public order and individual s rights so complex a Because we have conflicting rights and social values 3 How do the courts provide guidance in crime control and due process a Through the use of informal sanctions formal sanctions order maintenance and systems of social control 4 What are the categories of agencies that compromise the criminal justice system a The police courts and corrections 5 What is meant by the term picket fence model a It is analogy that represents the fact although each agency has a separate autonomy but there is an interrelationship between them 6 How is the power of criminal justice agencies controlled a Through a system of checks and balances 7 List the major processes a defendant faces in the criminal justice system a Entry into the system prosecution and pre trial services adjudication sentencing and sanctions and correction 8 Describe what takes place during the initial appearance a In the initial appearance the defendant is advised of their legal rights the magistrate has to determine whether the accused has legal representation and bail is set 9 How can a defendant challenge a conviction a Through appeals but it has to be based on alleged judicial errors not just because you think you aren t guilty 10 What type of punishment might a judge impose on a defendant a A judge can impose that they be put in a correctional facility probation or parole for early release from a correctional facility 11 Name 4 events that stirred interest in examining the effectiveness of the criminal justice system a The civil rights act of 1964 the Vietnam war President Johnsons war on crime and the War on Terror 12 How was the criminal justice system perceived as a failure a Because crime rates in the 1970 s increased tremendously and people were afraid to walk out of their houses at night they felt like there was no safety and police weren t being effective 13 What did the presidents crime commission legislate to offer funding to improve the criminal justice system a The omnibus crime control and safe streets act of 1968 Law enforcement assistance administration and the Law enforcement education program 14 Which amendment provides due process for anyone accused of a crime a The 14th 15 How are federal right granted to the states a Through incorporation 16 What are the primary sources of due process rights a The supreme court and the presumption of innocence 17 What are two academic disciplines that conduct research in the criminal justice field Chapter 3 UCR a Sociology and criminology Record of crime reported to law enforcement agencies UCR is split in two two parts of crimes part I includes o Murder rape robbery aggravated assault burglary larceny motor vehicle theft arson o Part II Simple assault forgery fraud embezzlement stolen prop prostitution sex offenses drug abuse violations and gambling and many more minor crimes Clearance rate refers to the percentage of crimes that are solved vs crimes that are unsolved o Solved does NOT mean the person has been arrested National Incident Based Reporting System Enhance the quality quantity and timeliness of crime data by law enforcement This system is incident driven not a summary It is the new methodology of the UCR program Includes if drugs or alcohol was involved Problems with the UCR Unreported crimes are not included Biased reporting Not reported to FBI Diff definitions of crime National Crime Victimization Survey NCVS Develop detailed info about the victims of a crime Provide systematic info about the dark figures of crime by estimating the number
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