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Impact of History on Criminal Justice
What is the focus of criminal justice? Is it to punish criminals? Protect the public? Protect an individual's freedom and civil rights? Or is it possibly a combination? The focus of criminal justice has changed throughout history to accommodate notions of fairness and changing societal perspectives on crime and justice. Historical events and trends also have had a large impact on the evolution of criminal justice. For example, internet attacks on individuals and organizations have forced the criminal justice system to reevaluate the boundaries of crime. Current trends and historical events have not only influenced the evolution of criminal justice, but have helped to shape the criminal justice system as it exists today, just as future trends and events will continue to reshape the criminal justice system.

Select a historical event, trend, or change that has had an impact on the current concepts and processes of contemporary criminal justice in relation to individual freedoms and public safety.

Think about how the event you selected has impacted the current concepts and processes of contemporary criminal justice and consider the importance of its impact.

Submit 150 – 500 word response: Due by Thursday 9/03/15 a brief description of the historical event or trend you selected. Then explain how that event or trend impacted contemporary criminal justice related to individual freedom or public safety. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points. Finally, post your thoughts on what personal freedoms you might be willing to sacrifice in order to protect personal or public safety and explain why. Be specific.

Support your work with specific citations from the Learning Resources. You are allowed to draw from additional sources to support your explanation, but you must cite using APA standards. All quoted material must be identified, cited, and referenced per APA standards.