Chapter 1 Facts

• > In many instances the criminal justice system works informally to expedite the disposal of cases.
• >Very serious cases or notorious may receive the full complement of criminal justice processes.
• >Less serious cases are often settled when a bargain is reached.

• >Herbert Packer: describes the criminal justice system as a conveyor belt down which moves an endless stream of cases.
• >The system also acts as a funnel: Most escape detection, few bound over for trial, and fewer and sentence to prison.

• >Consists of actual steps the offender takes from the initial investigation through trial, sentencing and appeal.
• >Justice process comprises 15 stages, all decisions can have a critical effect on defendant, the CJ and Society.

• >It is monumental in size.
• >Cost state,local Gov more than $200 billion per year. employs more than 2 million people.
• >More than 14 million people arrested each year.
• >More than 7 million people in the correctionall system.

• >Law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes and apprehend suspects.
• >Court system, charge,indict, try and sentence criminal offenders.
• >Correctional system's role to incapacitate convicted offenders and attempt to aid in their treatment.

• > Little informal criminal justice system until the nineteenth century when the first police agencies were created.
• >CJ is a field that applies knowledge gleaned from various disciplines in an attempt to understand what causes people to commit crimes.

>Crimes skyrocketed during the great depression and hit their peak in the 1930s.

• >Police departments are those public agencies created to maintain order, enforce the criminal law, provide emergency services.
• >Keep traffic running in order or freely and develop a sense of community safety.

>The criminal courthouse is the scene of the trial process. Here criminals responsibility of defendants accused of violating the law is determined.

>Correctional agencies include community supervisions or probation,various types of incarceration, range from very low security to ultra maximum supervision.

• >Branch of Gov. that helps shape justice policy by creating appropriations for criminal justice agencies and acting as a forum for the public expressions of views on the criminal justice issues.
• >Conduct the penalties for those who violate the law.
• >Senate & house reps.

• >Interprets existing laws and determines whether they meet constitutional requirements.
• >The courts have the right to overturn or ban policies that conflict with constitutional rights.

• >Responsible for the day to day operation of justice agencies.
• >Laws cannot be enforced unless the executive supplies crime control agencies with more funding to support their efforts.

• >Programs must be reaching the right audience.
• >Reach groups who have the probability of reciprocating.

>A program that many not work with at risk kids living in an inner city neighborhood may work quite well with at risk youngsters in a rural environment.