Chapter 1:

Criminal Justice Today

What is Crime?

Crime:1. Violates criminal law.

2. Is punishable by criminal sanctions.

What is Crime?Consensus Model: Society, though

diverse, shares the same moral value system.

Crimes violate this value system and are deemed harmful to society.

Conflict Model: Society is diverse and

constantly engaged in a power struggle.

Dominant groups in society codify their values into law.

What is Crime?An Integrated Definition: Punishable under criminal law as defined by a

society. Considered an offense against society as a whole,

not against the victim and his or her friends. Punished by statutorily determined sanctions that

bring about a loss of personal freedom.

What is Crime?Violent Crime: Murder Sexual assault/rape Assault/battery robbery

Property Crime: Burglary Larceny/theft Motor vehicle theft Arson

What is Crime?Public Order Crimes:

Behavior that has been

labeled criminal

because it is contrary to

shared social values,

customs and norms

(e.g. public

drunkenness).

White Collar Crimes:

Illegal acts committed

by an individual or

business entity using

some non-violent means

to obtain a personal or

business advantage

(e.g. embezzlement).

Video: Martha Stewart

(Click the image above to play video)

What is Crime?High Tech Crime:

Crimes directly related

to the increased use of

computers and

technology by society.

Organized Crime:

Illegal crimes by illegal

organizations, geared

towards satisfying the

public’s need for illegal

goods and services.

The Criminal Justice SystemThree General Goals of the Criminal Justice

System:

To control crime To prevent crime To provide and maintain justice

The Criminal Justice SystemBased on Federalism: Law Enforcement

Local, State and Federal Agencies Courts

Dual court system of State and Federal Courts Corrections

Incarceration, Probation and Community Corrections

The Criminal Justice SystemCriminal Justice as a

system: an orderly

progression of events

through a process

comprised of agencies

working together.

Herbert Packer compared

the idealized Criminal

Justice to an assembly-

line.

The Criminal Justice System

When members of the criminal justice system exercise discretion, this produces an informal criminal justice system.

The Criminal Justice System

Values of the Criminal Justice SystemCrime Control Model:

A model of criminal

justice that places

primary emphasis on

the rights of society to

be protected from crime

and violent offenders.

Due Process Model:

A model of the criminal

justice system that

places primary

emphasis on the rights

of the individual to be

protected from the

power of government.

Values of the Criminal Justice SystemWhich model prevailstoday?

Responding toterrorism, or the threatof violence to achievepolitical objectives, hasimpacted the way controlcrime.