Reference Page http://www.ehow.com/print/about_5474825_issues-criminal-justice-system.html www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/158837.pdf
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Chicago police are so busy fighting major crime, that people are starting to feel panicked and alone in the battle against violence. This sense of nervousness results in an increased possession of illegal firearms throughout the city, which in return is a possible reason for the high crime rates in Chicago. Not only do the police and gun problems result in violence, but so does the quality of life. The main problem with the quality of life in Chicago is that the youth is being introduced to violence at a very young age. Kids in many of the impoverished neighborhoods where the crime happens most, commonly spend most of their time out on the streets playing with other children. Some of these children don’t have great lives at home or a home at all. According to The Chicago Tribune, "There's too many young people who are out here who have no family, and so their friends become their family,"(Gorner). This can result in a dangerous situation because without the right role models, these children are prone to befriending dangerous people and can start to interact in the violence themselves, creating a whole cycle of danger. Obviously, Chicago can’t relieve its violence problem overnight, but with enough support and effort Chicago can surely bounce back to what it once was. The main solutions require additional employment opportunities in the city, an increase of community programs and a better relationship between law enforcement and citizens. These efforts will hopefully help to put an end to current violence in Chicago and prevent new crimes from happening in the…
- 1453 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
This is especially important in the moral and intellectual development of youth. Education is inextricably linked to moral development, as this provides for misconduct that may be related to a child or adolescent. On the other hand, institutional support can be provided through state rehabilitation centers to implement a regulation based standards of conduct, control of their actions, and motivation. Similarly, community work would provide social and economic support to young people who need it most, and that many times, necessity is a factor in crime. I think society have the ability to help these kids, we only need to want to try, if we form a unity between society and moral behavior, the youth will be oriented on track and a good future in store for the city.…
- 1635 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The United States prison system is not a suitable place for nonviolent drug offenders. The high rate of recidivism is caused by one thing and one thing only, prison sentences. Nonviolent drug offenders will have no choice other than to socialize with other inmates, some who have committed irreprehensible crimes, thereby greatly increasing their chance of becoming violent. The population of prisons in the United States is on a steady rise. One way to stop this is by reevaluating the three strikes law, because the proof that this law discourages repeat offenders is simply not there.…
- 1271 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
In 1989 the first drug court was introduced in Miami Dade County, Florida. Drug problems in Florida were substantial and mirrored many states across the United States. Crack Cocaine was on the rise as so was the crime across the United States. The many types of drug courts have been put in place to decrease recidivism, drug use and restore lives and families. Drug Courts are designed to serve as the alternative for incarceration. A big factor in criminal justice is figuring out what programs work for the community which are the taxpayers, and the offenders we are serving and helping. Drug courts are very successful out of the many correctional programs that exist. First discussing the background model that a comprehensive range of drug courts…
- 869 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In 1989, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County in Florida was the first in the nation to implement Drug Court, a diversion and treatment program for drug offenders which is overseen by the Court. “The Miami-Dade Drug Court sparked a national revolution that has forever changed our justice system. Ten years after the first Drug Court was founded, 492 Drug Courts existed. By December 31, 2010 2,633 Drug Courts were operating in every U.S. state and territory” (National Association of Drug Court Professionals, para 3). Drug Court has allowed participants an opportunity to become productive members of their communities. Although not all people agree that drug court is an effective countermeasure for incarceration, drug court offers more treatment options for a criminal offender, reducing the recidivism rates and saving taxpayers money.…
- 2165 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Have you heard the phrase "prisons are over populated!"? Statistics show 21.2% of low level drug offenders, that are incarcerated, do not have any current or prior violence in their records, no involvement in sophisticated criminal activity and no prior commitment. (USDOJ) Could this be the problem of prisons being over populated? There are many factors that need to be considered when looking for other possible methods of dealing with non-violent drug offenders. Some lawmakers believe the only way to deal with these offenders is to lock them up for long periods of time, while other feel the solution lies within treatment facilities and expanded social programs. With both sides having valid points we must then evaluate what is the cost of correcting this problem is and if fixing these non-violent offenders are worth it.…
- 1741 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
There are many types of people that make up our society. For criminal justice practitioners these people can be broken up in to two groups the law abiding citizens and the criminals. The role of the criminal justice practitioner can at time be simple for example: when it comes to the law abiding citizen the role is to serve and protect. But when it comes to criminal the role of the criminal justice practitioner can become complex. In this paper I will attempt to explore the criminal justice professional’s role in fulfilling society as well as individual needs.…
- 727 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Gender bias, sexual harassment, and lack of training have been an ongoing struggle for women in policing and it continues in today. I will be discussing this issue and will assess its past, present and future implications as they relate to the Criminal Justice System. I will be discussing my assessment of the past history and present circumstances of woman in policing. I will also include my predictions and recommendation of how these issues' should be addressed by the police and prosecutor in the future.…
- 1848 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Increased penalties and incarceration are the main solutions of crime prevention for advocates who believe that drugs should be prohibited. Two main reasons for this are its deterrent effects and social harm factors (Levitt, 1996, Weatherburn, 2014). Levitt (1996), at the height of rapidly increasing speeds of incarceration writes that increased prison population is a threat to deter people from engaging in criminal acts due to an increased threat of imprisonment. Also, incapacitation will be a benefit to society as criminals are unable to commit crimes while incarcerated (1996). His study argues that for each prisoner released as a result of prison overcrowding, it is associated with an increase of fifteen crimes per year (1996). Conversely,…
- 336 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The key element to note when focusing on gun policy, per both law and public opinion, children and youth are a special case. This puts the youth and kids at great harm, and are left wife open to the gun violence. We should be able to create awareness in the society about the huge negative impacts of gun violence in the streets and at the homes in America. The government and local people of the community must come together to understand that it takes lot of effort and research to make a significant positive for the safety and well- being of the youth and the…
- 1206 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Overcrowding in prisons is one of the biggest challenges facing the American criminal justice system today. The total population of prisons and jails in the United States neared the 2.1 million mark in June 2003, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported incarceration rates of state and federal prisoners continued to rise. At midyear 2003, the number of sentenced inmates was 480 per 100,000 U.S. residents, up from 476 per 100,000 on December 31, 2002. There were 238 jail inmates for every 100,000 on June 30, 2003. Overall, one out of every 140 U.S residents was incarcerated in prison or in jail. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s state and local governments got tougher on crime by passing legislation calling for mandatory sentences for repeat offenders, such as California’s “three strikes you’re out” law and New York and other cities adopted the “Broken Windows” strategy that called for the arrest and prosecution of all crimes large and small. Because of these polices the number of violent crimes has dropped. Unfortunately, one unintended consequence of America’s new tough stance on crime is that our prison system has become dangerously overcrowded, forcing prison officials to release violent criminals after serving only a fraction of their sentences. The current system used to relieve overcrowding has created a “revolving door” criminal justice system. The recidivism rate among those released early from state and county prisons is extremely high. In fact, a Department of Justice study found that 67.5 percent of criminals released from prison were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years (USDOJ, 2013). A Large portion of the overcrowded conditions in the prison system is a result of the” war on drugs”. This war alone costs taxpayers a large amount of money each year because new prisons are needed to be constructed to house the ever-growing…
- 1088 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
This is concern is thoroughly outlined within a recent study performed by Rachael Young with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Young states that “when offenders ‘pay their debt to society’ by going to prison, society pays, too. North Carolina spends as much as $200,000 more on each criminal incarcerated as a habitual felon than if he or she had been sentenced according to the single offense. The average cost per inmate per day is about $65, or about $23,830 per inmate each year. North Carolina spent almost $789 million on its prison population, much more than the state's entire community college budget.” The reason for such extensive costs is due to the fact that, as previously stated, the nation is imprisoning low-level drug addicts instead of providing them with the rehabilitation required for curing addiction. This is proven by the fact that “a 1997 study found that treating heavy drug users was eight to nine time more cost-effective than long (six- to seven-year) mandatory sentences in reducing drug use, sales, and drug-related crimes, and estimated that treatment reduced drug-related crime as much as 15 times more than mandatory sentences,” (Young). Considering the fact that prison upkeep is payed for by innocent, everyday citizens- one might demand that the government opts for lower-cost plans for keeping drugs off American streets. In order to do so, the government should eradicate mandatory minimums and invest in cheaper, more effective preventative programs (such as rehabilitation) instead of spending more money on prison sentencing (which could otherwise be allocated to new community colleges, healthcare programs, essential highway infrastructure, and…
- 935 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
It is also evident that the easy access our youths have getting guns is a major reasons why gun violence is so prevalent in our neighborhoods and country. Most of our deaths are caused by gun violence on our youths and they are mostly homicides. Many of our youths are brought up in abusive homes this is one of the reasons why they turn to drugs, alcohol and also turn to gangs. There are also parents who are unable to provide their children with the necessary tools and give them the education they need due to poverty. Several of these youths are not strong enough to deal with peer pressures or turn to the right persons for help who will guide them in the right direction instead they turn to gun violence which is destroying their lives and our…
- 2056 Words
- 9 Pages
Good Essays -
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 provided a potential one billions dollars for the subsequent five years to set up drug courts. As jurisdictions move forward in the establishment of such courts, it is essential to consider the conceptual and clinical elements that have made drug courts successful in drug rehabilitation and crime prevention far more than incarcerations.…
- 827 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Essentially, the war on drugs has demonstrated to be an exorbitant expense. The federal government in 2002 alone spent $18.822 billion in the form of expenditures such as treatment, prevention, and domestic law enforcement (CSDP, 2007, p. 54). However, given that the drug war has garnered meager results, this investment may be interpreted as a waste of taxpayer dollars. Alternatively, the money that has been allocated to arrest and detain drug offenders may also be a source of contention. CSDP (2007) “Of the 1,846,351 arrests for drug law violations in 2005, 81.7% (1,508,469) were for possession of a controlled substance. Only 18.3% (337,882) were for the sale or manufacture of a drug” (p. 23). Therefore, the individuals who are likely to enter the already overcrowded prisons may be users and the actual not distributors themselves. Thus, prison space that is intended to be reserved for murders and sexual predators is instead being occupied by substance…
- 924 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays