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The Criminal Justice System
- 1. The Criminal Justice System Diana L. Ray
Notes de l'éditeur
- This presentation will tell you about the criminal justice system and how it works. I will define and identify the steps in the criminal justice system, crime trends, police officers, courts, communities, jails and prisons.
- Depending on which career one looks at, depends on the definition for what Criminal Justice really means. But even in most criminal justice careers, Criminal Justice means helping society, and enforcing the laws. Criminal Justice has variety of jobs and career opportunities, from becoming police officer to becoming one of the Presidents secret service agents. By choosing to take on a career in the criminal justice field one must have excellent people skills, as it involves many interactions with different kinds of people. This includes the worst of criminals to well known people. Security positions may include, security officer, police officer, corrections officer, homeland security, FBI, and secret service. Career choices in the court system would include; judge, attorney, court clerk, court reporter, and bailiff. Investigation includes many different ways to investigate. Career choices for this may include private investigator, crime scene investigator, criminalist, forensic scientist, and coroner.
- There are many different crime trends. Class and race crime focuses on the low income areas and the race and culture of these areas. The criminals that fall under this crime trend usually commit crimes to survive because of lack of income. Lower income families also fall victim to criminals because the majority of gangs are also in low income areas. Age and crime focuses on the younger generation. Most children commit crimes because either they are not taught by their parents or their friends pressure them into doing so. The geography of crime is a trend that tells us that most criminals like to be outside, so there is usually a higher rate of crime in warmer climates. There is basically nothing for a criminal do outside if no one is outside (Maryland Government., 2008). Violent crime may be the most troublesome. As I will show in the next slide.
- This graph shows the violent crime rate in Maryland and the United States as a whole. As one can see the crime has dropped some in the past four years. In most cases the violent crime trend follows the age crime trend. As there are more and more reports of younger people committing violent crimes that older individuals.
- Police officers and other law enforcement do their best to protect society from unwanted criminals. They enforce laws by arresting or ticketing those who break them. When needed they must provide or find certain services to help individuals that may need them. Some police officers even investigate crimes. When a crime has been committed police officers must arrest and/or issue a citation to the person committing the crime. The police officer will take them to the proper correctional facility to be booked. They must also write reports of the crime. If subpoenaed they must appear in court to testify.
- The individuals that work in the circuit court are many from the security guards at the front door to the judges. During the trial the judges role is to listen to the case presented. They also have many other responsibilities which include; deciding when to schedule trials and explaining the laws regarding a case to the jury during the trial period. The judge also determines guilt or innocence of a person and sentences the individual of the crime or crimes, if there is no jury. This brings me to the responsibilities of the jurors. They must listen to case than decide as a whole, if the individual is guilty or innocent, this is called deliberation. The attorneys role is to defend, either as the defense or the prosecutor. They both serve the same purpose to defend their client. They do this by presenting evidence to defend or convict the accused. Court reporters are very important in the courtroom. They must take notes during the trial and other proceedings. They have to be completely accurate when taking these notes. As everything that happens in the courtroom ,must be recorded (Baltimore County, Maryland., 2009).
- The judge hands down the sentence for the convicted. The main purpose of sentencing is to punish the criminal for their crime or crimes. Also to set the proper punishment that fits the crime. Some factors in sentencing that the judge considers would be; the evidence and circumstances of the crime. Also a main factor would be, the relevance of the law regarding the crime. The purpose of punishment is to teach the criminal that they must somehow pay for breaking the law, and to show others the consequences of choosing to commit a crime. Punishment also gives the victim a sense of relief and justice being done. Some forms of punishment may be incarceration, restitution, probation, rehabilitation, and community services.
- The Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center also known as the MCAC is a supermaximum security prison. This is a public prison and houses 511 prisoners, one in each cell. Inmates have no contact with other inmates, as they are in their cells 23 hours a day (Maryland State Archives., 2009).
- I telephoned this correctional facility to receive information. They are a public maximum security facility. They are able to house over a 1000 inmates the share a cell with one other, they also house up to 20 inmates in one large cell for individuals that need minimum security. There design is that of the telephone pole effect. The crime statistics for 2008 shows that the majority of their inmates were from drug charges, which totaled 1076 inmates. The least that they housed was criminals with murder charges, that total was seven.
- The population statistics for Washington County Detention Center are noted here. As one can see that the population continues to rise but it fluctuates occasionally.
- The Pre-Release and Reentry Services is located in Montgomery County, Maryland. This community facility provides services to individuals who have less than 12 months left to serve in a jail or prison. The purpose of this service is to rehabilitate the individual enough to return to the community. This facility may house up to 177 men and woman (Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Correction and Rehabilitation., 2008-2009). Community Corrections Center located in Cecil County, Maryland may house up to 64 men and women. Their purpose is pretty much the same as the previous facility stated. Inmates must be approved before being transported to this center (Cecil County Government., 2009).
- References I used.