Criminal Justice Trends The trends of the past, present and future that outline the borders connecting the criminal justice system components and their links adjoining the society is, beyond doubt, an authentic relationship that the law and society have established. Criminal justice has been affected by various trends in the times gone by. This is because trends keep changing with the passage of time. Therefore, it is exceedingly important for the criminal justice system to try even harder if it wants to achieve success and go beyond such trends that give rise to innovative crimes. It is not easy for anyone to find out the connections linking the criminal justice system and trends of criminal activities as they are inconsistent. As a consequence, the criminal justice system is affected by the continuous changes in crime patterns and trends. However, in the contemporary world of today, the criminal justice system is trying its very best to fine-tune itself for protecting and serving the revolutionizing society.

There are a number of trends that have affected the criminal justice system and those trends are still affecting it in the present times. To begin with, the first trend is linked with sex and racial/ethnic barriers. Facts and figures in this regard reveal that the status of females and marginal groups in law enforcement agencies is rather small and stumpy as they face prejudice and biasness at work. Despite the fact that women are assessed as better patrol officers than their male counterparts, they are not given the opportunity to work as one because of their gender. The organizational resistance has slowed down the recruitment of female officers. In other cases, even if women are hired, they are not provided with uniforms or weapons. There has also been a failure in the development of child care programs for women serving as officers. Women also face discrimination, tokenism and discrepancy on a regular basis. Besides this, the incorporation of blacks and other minorities in America into policing is still a controversial issue.

Another significant trend in criminal justice system is the increasing stress on imprisonment (Marvell, 1995). As mandatory laws related to sentencing have caused an increase in the prison population, criminal justice system has been faced with the issue of adjusting and managing the prisoners inside the walls of the prison. Another impending trend is that of the politicization of issues related to criminal justice. This trend adversely affects the public opinion about offensive transgressions and penalty. It has become a general argument that this antidemocratic environment in the criminal justice system is rampant because "Americans tolerate the repressive state of criminal justice only because its burdens fall on racial minorities who have little political power" (Gruber, 2013).

Another trend is related to public rights vs. individual rights. It is the sole responsibility of the criminal justice system to hold up and maintain the fragile equilibrium between the rights of individual and the rights of public. It is not an untold secret that the multiculturalism in the American society has made this delicate balance a complex one. As far as this matter is concerned, it is evident that both public and political support have changed over time and people do not consider public rights more important than their individual rights. There has been an increasing support for the elimination of capital punishment. Similarly, death penalty reform movements are emerging increasingly.

One of the most alarming issue today in the criminal justice system is that the officers have not acquired proper higher education and literate people are still more or less missing in the law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, promises have been made on the federal level that educational standards in the criminal justice system will be increased with investing more capital. This is important as a higher number of highly educated workers would definitely make the prisons and prisoners in the society has increased dramatically. Instead of penitentiary procedures and seclusion, the criminal justice system is now focusing on the restoration and reintegration of prisoners in the society to alleviate the burden. As the society finds it difficult to accept criminals as a part of the communal life, alternate corrections make it possible for the passive offenders to work and continue living in the society as a part of it. This trend has, without a doubt, reduced prison population and maintenance costs.

Thus, trends that have encompassed the criminal justice system are continuing to have an impact on the operations and institutional developments. This influence justifies the fact that criminal justice system is really important and valuable for the changing society. The criminal justice system powers are designed in such a way that they are found in almost every part of the government. It is an indispensable responsibility of the governments worldwide to form a check-and-balance separation of powers to make sure that the governmental branches that are responsible for the creation, enforcement and interpretation of laws are not kept close intentionally ("Critical Criminal Justice Issues: Task Force Reports From the American Society of Criminology to Attorney General Janet Reno," 1994).

Criminal justice system is of immense value to the changing society of today as it has the capability of addressing the root causes of offensive behaviors and criminal activities. This system is the primary one that is helpful for making the wrongdoers understand the consequences of their behaviors and misconduct in addition to their influence on other members of the society. It is also a major organizational system that makes the sinful realize his/her responsibility for the compensation of the harms he/she caused to the innocent(s) and the society. One of the other major characteristic of criminal justice system that makes it really helpful for the offenders is that they are given the opportunity for proving their positive capacity and individuality to let them realize their good side. It does so by tackling the feelings of guilt and shame with a positive and optimistic approach instead of directing the wrongdoers into further negativity. The criminal justice system is one of the most important public-service organizations as it also includes victims, families and other related members of the society for the resolution of conflicts in a healthy way. This is done by exploring the responsibilities of the people who are related with the crime and criminal. As a consequence of all the mentioned responsibilities of the criminal justice system, it is crystal clear that the society can do away with criminal activities. The processes of the criminal justice system are there to provide a better survivor experience, reintegration of the wrongdoer in the community in an effective manner and the reduction of recidivism. All these positive elements may then lead to improved public safety.

If the criminal justice system and its components are not coordinated and lack management, it may also lead to detrimental consequences for the whole society. This can be understood by the hydraulic model which means that if one part of the criminal justice system is squeezed, a bulge may appear in some other part. For instance, if law enforcement agencies are given improper and unplanned resources, it may affect other parts of the system. Similarly, "increases in arrests can translate into backlogs in forensic evidence processing, delaying prosecutions, producing backlogs in jails and detention facilities, and causing disarray in court dockets" ("Setting a Course for the Future of the Criminal Justice System in Virginia: Environmental Scan," 2008).

Therefore, a criminal justice system that is properly coordinated is of immense importance for the contemporary society of today as it can be managed more appropriately. It mirrors the fact that a system that is managed with proper employees and resources can turn out to be an effective one for doing different things for controlling and reducing criminal activities in the society consequently improving the public safety. It also reflects the idea that if the system is not affected by the victimization of circumstances, it can very well control the crime trends and patterns in any given area. It is, therefore, exceedingly important for the criminal justice system to be better coordinated as it can lead to an improved identification, understanding and comprehension of criminal issues and problems in criminal justice. If law enforcement agencies and other units of government work hand in hand, the objectives and preferences of both can be understood more clearly. As a consequence, taxpayer money can be saved greatly.

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