The Criminal Justice System

Public policy plays a major role on the lives of citizens in the United States. It determines many aspects of education, welfare, health care, and even the criminal justice system. When it comes to the criminal justice system, some people may find it frightening due to its image as a ‘life-disrupting’ agency; however, others view it as an opportunity to get revenge or to correct a situation that seems wrong. No matter what the viewpoint is, the criminal justice system is an important part of society because it ties into everyone’s world in one way or another. Both the federal and state government are actively involved in public policy making. One of the most important elements of policy making is played by the role of the U.S. Supreme Court. With its 9 justices, the Court often makes crucial final decisions on many policy matters, including those effecting the criminal justice system. Most cases heard by the Supreme Court are appeals from lower courts around the country. This means that the highest court of the land has appellate jurisdiction; it “has the authority to review the decisions of lower courts to determine whether legal principles and court procedures were followed correctly” (Champagne and Harpham 279). Due to the vast number of cases filed with the Supreme Court each year, only a select few are chosen to be heard. Criminal justice

The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is one of the oldest interest groups advocating against the death penalty. As its name suggests, the main goal of this organization is to abolish the death penalty completely. They also aim to “support efforts to abolish the death penalty worldwide” (“About”). By actively campaigning, this group has achieved great strides towards accomplishing their goal; the District of Columbia along with 19 states have put an end to the use of the death penalty punishment