Purposes of Criminal Justice, Essay Example

The criminal justice system is set up into four different categories which are deterrence, incapacitation, retribution and rehabilitation which together play a very functional role in policing people. Deterrence is designed to enact “a threat of punishment associated with violating the law in order to prevent crimes before they occur.” (Siegel, 2008). There is a constant threat that those who violate the criminal law will be subject to physical coercion and punishment.

“Considering criminals are unable to continue their illegal activities while housed in a prison or jail, incapacitation should be an excellent crime control strategy”. (Siegel, 2008). There was a study conducted with 500 heroin users in New York City and it was found that they would have been given just a one year jail sentence they would not have been able to commit their “yearly haul of crimes which included 1,000 robberies, 4,000 burglaries, 10,000 shopliftings and more than 3,000 other crimes” if they were incapacitated for the other crimes. (Siegel, 2008).

Since retribution is the act of correcting for your wrongdoing, it is designed not to punish the wicked but to restore a balance in the criminal justice system. Bradley states, “when he worked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office the sentences were too lenient.” (Bradley, 2010). This is when only the most felonious were punished for the major crimes. The purpose of retribution is to see that all are punished with a balance with the law. There cannot be a get out of jail free except for if you are a most violent criminal.

The purpose of rehabilitation is to teach prisoners and other offenders to live in society again. The way to do this is to support them with their specific efforts to achieve their goals they have set out to endeavor. Just because someone has committed a crime does not mean they are a lifetime criminal.

Today’s society focuses on deterrence through great efforts of preventing people from committing crime in the first place. There are many efforts by the police departments to warn people that they will be punished if they commit a crime. The moral implications of the criminal justice system are that if the law is not followed one must pay the price and serve the time. There are many adjudication and probation programs designed to give first offenders second times but re-offenders will do the time if they commit the crime. Everyone has a choice whether they want to commit a crime. This is according to the rational choice theory. We can prevent crimes by posting notices that offenders will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. We can also educate the youngsters that they should not commit crime because if they do they will serve the time. Making people aware of the negative impact and negative environments inside the jails and prisons are the keys to lowering the crimes and deterrence.

References

Bradley, G. Retribution: The Central Aim of Punishment Retrieved September 21, 2010 from, http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=MZQL208f82pVQYQ4GqyyVg0yKnG65NM3KQm48pk2K7mGd97sHdLp!-12494560!527912937?docId=5002109773

Siegel, L. (2008) Criminology: The Core New York: NY Thompson Wadworth