The Criminal Justice System Of all of the agencies of social control (including families. schools, and churches) in contemporary societies, only the criminal justice system has the power to control crime and punish those who are convicted of criminal conduct, TIle criminal justice system refers to the more than 55,000 local. state, and federal agencies that enforce laws, adjudicate crimes, and treat…

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The Police TIle role of the police in the criminal justice system continues to expand. The police are responsible for crime control and maintenance of order. but local police departments now serve numerous other human service functions. including improving community relations. resolving family disputes. and helping people during emergencies. It should be remembered that not all “police officers” are employed by local police…

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The Courts Criminal courts determine the guilt or innocence of those persons accused of committing a crime. In theory. justice is determined in an adversarial Process in which the prosecutor (an attorney who represents the state) argues that the accused is guilty. and the defense attorney asserts that the accused is innocent. In reality. judges wield a great deal of discretion.…

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Punishment and Corrections  Punishment is any action designed to deprive a person of things of value. (including liberty) because of some offense the person is thought to have committed (Harlow and Kauzlarich. 2002). Historically. punishment has had four major goal: 1. Retribution is punishment that a person receives for infringing on thoughts of.others 2004). Retribution import a penalty on the offender and…

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The Death Penalty Historically, removal from, the group has been considered one of the ultimate forms of punishment. For many years, capital punishment, or the death penalty, has been used in the United States as an appropriate and justifiable response to very serious crimes. In 2008, 37 inmates were executed (as contrasted with 98 in 1999), and about 3,300 people awaited execution, having received…

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Deviance and Crime in the United States  Two pressing questions pertaining to deviance and crime will face us in the future: Is the solution to our “crime problem” more law and order? Is equal justice under the law possible? Although many people in the United States agree that crime is one of the most important problems in this country. they are divided…

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The Global Criminal economy Consider this scenario: Con men operating out of Amsterdam sell bogus U.S. securities by telephone to Germans; the operation is controlled by an Englishman residing in Monaco. with his profits in Panama. Which police force should investigate? In which jurisdiction should a prosecution be mounted? There may even be a question about whether a crime has been committed, although if…

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Race and Crime In 2007. whites (including Latinos as) accounted for almost 70 percent of all arrests. as shown in Compared with African Americans. arrest rates for whites were higher for nonviolent property crimes such as fraud and larceny-theft but were lower for violent crimes such as robbery. In 2007. whites accounted for almost 60 percent of all arrests for property crimes…

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Social Class and Crime Individuals from all social classes commit crimes; they simply commit different kinds of crimes. Persons from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be arrested for violent and property crimes. By contrast, persons from the upper part of the class structure generally commit white-collar or elite crimes, although only a very small proportion of these individuals will ever…

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Control Theory Social Bonding Control theories focus on another aspect of why some people do not engage in deviant behavior. According to the sociologist Walter Reckless (1967). society produces pushes and pulls that move people toward criminal behavior: however. some people “insulate” themselves from such pressures by having positive self esteem and good group cohesion. Reckless suggests that many people do not resort…

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