The Evolution of Crime and Criminal Justice

The criminal justice system has responded to rapid growth within the united states since colonial times by developing fair and equal rights amongst law enforcement while continually creating and inventing new innovative ways to keep up with new technology and tactics that crime has exposed individuals of society to. However, in colonial times racist sentiments were what the policing system was built on to control immigrants and slaves to maintain a sense of power and control. According to Rennison (2018), In fact, policing has evolved from a system in which officers initially were appointed by friends, were given no training, were provided power to arrest without warrants, engaged in taking bribes from criminals, and carried revolvers. However, in today’s society and communities, we see various diversity within the police force in gender, race, and religion who have gone through proper training to be able to be a representation of law enforcement.

Contemporary crime is described as a thorough study of criminal behaviors and the impacting dynamics that cause crime rates to increase. One example of contemporary crime is found within cybercrime and the illegal activity of the dark web. People all over the world are becoming victims of cyber-attacks, and these crimes are becoming more dangerous as technology advances. These crimes can have an effect finically and potentially expose an individual’s personal information to the word and puts young people at risk. According to Rennison (2018), currently, an increased reliance on information systems, nonlethal weapons, intelligence sharing, and state-of-the-art technology is redefining policing. Cybercrime would not have occurred at an earlier point in history because the technology was not as advanced as it is today. There was no access to the internet and networks that allow you to access accounts or information.

Conditions within a society that create a need for a criminal justice system include police, defense and prosecution lawyers, the courts, and prisons as they are supposed to deliver an effective, accountable, efficient, and fair justice process for the public. These needs have only increased over the years, and crime rates have risen all over the world. The purpose of criminal law is to deliver the precise description of what constitutes a crime and to impose penances for perpetrating such a crime. No criminal law can be lawful lest it includes both aspects. Research shows that “the American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories (Wagner, 2020).” As communities evolve and future developments and crime rates rise, society depends on the creation and reliance on the police. There is a trust that is supposed to be present where an individual can know and believe that law enforcement is here to serve and protect its citizens.

As it relates to this week’s scenario, the criminal justice roles that are law enforcement and the jail system and the court system will play a role since his wife has decided to press charges when typically she drops them. The role of law enforcement in this scenario is to be an impartial investigator or a protector of public safety, which in this case is the wife’s safety. The police officers would be the first to respond to the scene and contact any victims or witnesses present. According to Mallicoat (2016), given their powerful position in society, we expect that police will have a high sense of ethics and that they will serve as representatives of fairness and justice in society. The role of the jail system would be to hold the criminal (husband) as he awaited processing from the court system. Lastly, the role of the court system would be to apply the law to specific controversy brought before them and to help resolve any disputes whole upholding the limitation of the government. The courts ensure the equal protection of all parties, regardless of the various backgrounds, while guaranteeing due process.

References:

Mallicoat, S. L. (2016). Crime and criminal justice: Concepts and controversies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.