Criminal Justice Trends

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The criminal justice system is a group of institutions that work together to protect a society, prevent and control crime, and maintain justice; enforcing the laws regulated by society. As the years have gone by and society has evolved; so have the criminal justice system and its methods to accomplish its role in society. This short analysis will evaluate the main facts that have been affecting the criminal justice system for decades and have influenced the evolution the justice system is enduring in a changing society (Muraski, 2009). Amongst the changes in the system, we will discuss the effect the changes have had on the citizens and how their perceptions have evolved as well. In the criminal justice system three major agencies can be identified, they are; the police, the courts, and the correctional institution. The police responsibilities are of that of keeping the peace, apprehension of criminals, combat and prevention of crime, and social services. Once officers have been involved and it is determined that a crime or any other infraction has been committed, then the case will move into the jurisdiction of the courts. The court system will then be responsible for the adjudication of the subject where then the correctional system will impose whatever punishment or treatment was deemed by the courts. Once the corrections systems have received an inmate, the punishment phase will commence, whether it is imprisonment, probation, or community based correction. The previously mentioned are the three mayor agencies that process a citizen who has committed a crime against the state law, as you can see, the process is similar to that of an assembly line one might find in a factory. All agencies are linked together as one for t... ... middle of paper ... ...stice system to be successful. Works Cited Cole, G. F., & Smith, C. E. (2008). Criminal Justice in America (5th ed.). : Thomson Learning. Muraski , R. & Roberts. A.R. 2009. Visions for Change: Crime and Justice in the Twenty-First Century, 5th ed. UpperSaddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall. Robinson, M. B. 2009. Justice Blind? Ideals and Realities of American Criminal Justice, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall. Roberts, J. V., & Hough, M. (2005). Understanding Public Attitudes to Criminal Justice . : McGraw-Hill SHAW G, BRANNAN K. THE POLLS--TRENDS CONFIDENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. Public Opinion Quarterly [serial online]. Spring2009 2009;73(1):199-220. Available from: SocINDEX with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 16, 2012. Victor, J.L. & Naughton, J. 2010. Annual Editions: Criminal Justice. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill.

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