Criminal Justice System Research Paper
Adam Thomas
April 26, 2012
Corrections- Prof. Lawrie
Corrections Essay
United States Correctional System
In the dictionary, crime is defined as the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction. As we look at the human history, we can see that wherever there is some sort of governing authority, crime has always been near by. Since the beginning of the human race, rules have been set and there have been punishments for breaking them. Even though over the years these rules and punishments have changed, the idea of crime and punishment has always remained constant. We as a society realized that we need certain rules and regulations to survive as a race. If people were to just do what ever …show more content…
The first part is policing. Usually after the crime is committed, the first contact an offender has with the Criminal Justice system is with the Police. The police are the ones responsible for making the arrest and bringing the offender into the police station and filing them through for booking. During the booking process the offender’s photograph and fingerprints are taken. When they are getting booked, this consists of personal information such as address, employment, and phone number, medical questions, and who to contact in an …show more content…
Under the 5th and 14th amendment, each individual is entitled to due process. With this, if an offender does not or cannot afford a lawyer, they are assigned a defense attorney to their case. In the United States we go by the rule that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. It is up to the prosecutor, or the people/party pressing the charges to find enough facts and evidence to convict the offender and find him guilty. Depending on the severity of the crime and how good of a lawyer you have, this process can expand over between several days to several months. In the end if you are found guilty the next step lies with the judge. The judge is responsible for coming up with the final sentence. Here they decide the punishment, again depending on the severity of the crime. Sentencing can vary from jail/prison time to community service and fines or anything the judge feels fit. The sentence must be within minimum or maximum limits set by statute. All misdemeanor offenses are punishable by fines, court costs, community service, and/or probation. Some misdemeanor offenses are also punishable by jail time or a driver's license suspension. All felonies are punishable by jail or prison time, depending on the number of years they have to
April 26, 2012
Corrections- Prof. Lawrie
Corrections Essay
United States Correctional System
In the dictionary, crime is defined as the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction. As we look at the human history, we can see that wherever there is some sort of governing authority, crime has always been near by. Since the beginning of the human race, rules have been set and there have been punishments for breaking them. Even though over the years these rules and punishments have changed, the idea of crime and punishment has always remained constant. We as a society realized that we need certain rules and regulations to survive as a race. If people were to just do what ever …show more content…
The first part is policing. Usually after the crime is committed, the first contact an offender has with the Criminal Justice system is with the Police. The police are the ones responsible for making the arrest and bringing the offender into the police station and filing them through for booking. During the booking process the offender’s photograph and fingerprints are taken. When they are getting booked, this consists of personal information such as address, employment, and phone number, medical questions, and who to contact in an …show more content…
Under the 5th and 14th amendment, each individual is entitled to due process. With this, if an offender does not or cannot afford a lawyer, they are assigned a defense attorney to their case. In the United States we go by the rule that an individual is innocent until proven guilty. It is up to the prosecutor, or the people/party pressing the charges to find enough facts and evidence to convict the offender and find him guilty. Depending on the severity of the crime and how good of a lawyer you have, this process can expand over between several days to several months. In the end if you are found guilty the next step lies with the judge. The judge is responsible for coming up with the final sentence. Here they decide the punishment, again depending on the severity of the crime. Sentencing can vary from jail/prison time to community service and fines or anything the judge feels fit. The sentence must be within minimum or maximum limits set by statute. All misdemeanor offenses are punishable by fines, court costs, community service, and/or probation. Some misdemeanor offenses are also punishable by jail time or a driver's license suspension. All felonies are punishable by jail or prison time, depending on the number of years they have to