Verified Document

Criminal Justice System In The United States Essay

Criminal Justice System in the United States In today's world, it seems that crime simply cannot be fully stamped out. Yet, that is the essential goal of the field of criminal justice. In fact, criminal justice is the pursuit of investigating crimes, as well as trying and punishing those criminals who commit them. The very essence of criminal justice is the need to protect society from crime that may otherwise harm those within it. This is what makes criminal justice such a crucial element to today's modern world.

The definition of crime is not as cut and dry as many might think. Essentially, the modern dictionary states its definition "an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law" (Encyclopedia Britannica 2012). Crime is essentially an act of behavior that deviates from the pre-accepted norms of society. It is therefore punishable, which is handled primarily by the criminal justice structure that is put in place through our modern legal system. However the notion of crime is also more complex than that. The...

Thus, it is clear that the morality of a society can impact how a behavior is associated as a crime, and how severe that crime will then be labeled.
There are a number of components within the contemporary criminal justice system, and each process plays an important role within keeping the legal system a solid foundation for behavior and actions within the society. Essentially, the very first component of criminal justice is the act of investigation. Criminal justice pursues understanding how and why crimes were committed in order to more effectively punish the guilty. The age old tactic of investigation is now using innovative scientific techniques and technology like DNA testing. These investigations use "forensic science, which deals with the application of the physical and biological sciences, as well as social science, to the investigation of crime," (Johnson et al. 2008 p 310-311). Investigations then lead to the decision as to what parties are guilty of particular crimes. Next, there is the trial by…

Sources used in this document:
References

Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime

Johnson, Herbert A.; Wolfe, Nancy Travis; Jones, Mark. (2008). History of Criminal Justice. Elsevier Publishing.

McCloud, Mevelyn. (2010). The law isn't just about crime. Law, Crime & Justice. Web. http://mevelyn-mccloud.suite101.com/the-law-isnt-just-about-crime-a206133
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Criminal Justice System
Words: 1427 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Criminal justice system is comprised of elaborate pieces of a huge puzzle. The age of "Order," CSI, and various other TV programs has actually all however removed the genuine components of the puzzle that bring about the arrest of the suspect. Prior to being employed, one is enlightened on how this works; he ought to be warned of the jobs that everyone plays and at exactly what phase they are

Criminal Justice System Can Be Described As
Words: 796 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Criminal justice system can be described as a collection of state, federal and local agencies which are concerned about problems of crimes. Such agencies assist to process convicted offenders, defendants and suspects. They are also interdependent as the decision from one agency is capable of affecting the other agencies. Their primary framework of their system has been provided by the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government. The Legislature: Both federal

Criminal Justice System Define the
Words: 1325 Length: 3 Document Type: Thesis

In addition, victims may make a written victim impact statement and present their statement to the court. Corrections: Identify 2 to 3 correctional facilities in Louisiana. Provide information about the types of facilities they are (maximum or minimum security); the types of designs; whether they are private or public; their population statistics; and their type of crime statistics. The Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is the second largest prison within the state

Criminal Justice System
Words: 688 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Criminal Justice System The fourth amendment to the United States constitution is a constituent of the Bill of Rights which prohibits unreasonable seizures and searches and requires that any warrant presented has t be sanctioned and supported by a reasonable cause. They have to be supported by oath or affirmation and the place to be searched has to specify as well as the person or things that are to be seized.

Criminal Justice System the Judiciary of the
Words: 993 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Criminal Justice System The judiciary of the United States is created as a co-equal branch of government under the United States Constitution, along with the executive and legislative branches. It is the judiciary that oversees the country's criminal justice system of courts. The court system in the United States is a holdover from its colonial days and closely follows system laid out by English Common Law. This has given rise to the

Criminal Justice System: How Laws
Words: 772 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

' (Johnson, 2003; paraphrased) Congress's work is "initiated by the introduction of a proposal in one of four forms: 1) the bill; 2) the joint resolution; 3) the concurrent resolution; and 4) the simple resolution. (Johnson, 2003) There are two types of bills: 1) the public bill; and 2) the private bill. (Johnson, 2003) public bill is one that has an effect on the public in a general way while a private bill is one

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now