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The Impact of Crime and Abuse on the Criminal Justice System
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Of course
Due Date
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Chapter 1
1.1 Background of the Study
Throughout the decade, the issue of crime and its prevention has been a hot topic. While
this is the case, allegations and counterclaims are made about the true scope of crime and how
controllable it is. The criminal justice system deploys its firepower to reduce crime and abuse in
such situations. It employs a variety of agencies to achieve this, the most important of which are
police, prosecutors, courts, prisons and probation offices which all work together to fulfill their
legal obligations, especially when fighting crime.
Therefore, in this particular essay, the study will focus on the impacts of crime and abuse
on the criminal justice systems and how various American societies have been affected. As a result,
it is beneficial to research the issues of crime and abuse since the discoveries acquired would help
analyze the causes used towards crime reduction strategies and initiatives. It would help
comprehend the mindset of criminals and abusers: why they would commit crimes and the factors
that affect them (Mayeux, 2018). Also, most young people within the society will be saved from
being recruited into such destructive activities when proper measures and strategies are
implemented to reduce crime and abuse. Finally, for the criminal justice system, it would also
vouch for upholding justice when such cases arise in the court of order.
1.2 Problem Statement
In an administrative sense, the criminal justice system refers to a network of government
and commercial entities tasked with managing suspected and convicted offenders. In order to
fulfill that mission, the system is made up of different departments, not sections that work together
towards the goals of interest. They include academia, law enforcement, forensic services, the
judiciary, and corrections (Cole et al., 2018). Usually, these pillars are designed to support the idea
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of justice, so justice is the result of establishing the rights of individuals with corresponding
government obligations to secure and protect their rights in a process called due process. The
criminal justice system of developed Western countries is very similar in form, structure and
function. It includes all written criminal law, professional police, prosecutors and the judicial
system, and various programs and agencies for pre-trial, local government, and prison correction.
To define the research questions, we need to understand crime and abuse and their impact on the
criminal justice system.
Crime refers to an act punishable by law and is usually considered evil. It refers to many
types of misconduct forbidden by law. Crimes include murder, resisting arrest, possessing or
dealing illegal drugs, being nude in public, drunk driving, and bank robbery. Crime is a timeless
act perpetrated practically from the beginning of time. For example, people have been prosecuted
for witchcraft, prostitution, and other crimes, from the 1600s to today (A.D.). Even though crime
has always existed, it has evolved and branched out into many different forms, classed according
to their severity (Bergman, 2018). Assault, kidnapping, murder, and sexual assault are common
crimes against people. Such offenses frequently result in harsh penalties. Property crimes include
arson, auto theft, burglary, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, robbery, and vandalism. In most
circumstances, the punishments for these offenses are less severe than the penalties for the crimes
committed against the person. A crime is legally charged in the criminal justice system regardless
of the crime committed.
Like in crime, abuse can also be defined in different contexts and types, but the overall
meaning refers to using something or someone for a bad effect. When the victim is fragile and
reliant on the abuser, it is common for people to abuse them by abusing their authority over them.
When a government is corrupt and uses funds for personal gain rather than assisting the people of
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a certain country, it is considered political abuse of authority. Abuse of a corpse is also a form of
abuse; this is especially true if the abuser has necrophilia or intends to harm a deceased person
physically. Abuse of power occurs when relevant facts and findings are not taken into account in
court, thereby misleading the outcome of the entire proceeding. Abuse of trust is most commonly
associated with plagiarism or disseminating information to people who do not have the right to
know, thereby embarrassing someone.
As a result, the problems with this study are: There is a flaw in the U.S. criminal justice
system. Most people of color think it is lazy because many cases happened years ago, but justice
is not offered. However, this is not the only flaw in our legal system. Crime rates continue to rise
every year. Some crimes are not reported, and some are reported later because suspects and
criminals escape faster than police officers arrive at the scene. Therefore, crime increases and
justice is not achieved—for example, such a wide range masks racial imbalances in the U.S.,
especially among African Americans. African Americans are arrested more often than whites. If
they are arrested, they are more likely to be convicted.
Moreover, they are more likely to be sentenced to long imprisonment when convicted.
Adult African Americans are 5.9 times more likely to be imprisoned than whites, and Hispanics
are 3.1 times more likely to be imprisoned (Kovera, 2019). As of 2001, one in three black boys
born that year and one in six Latin boys were in prison compared to one in 17 white boys. You can
expect a life. Racial and ethnic differences between women are less pronounced than in men, but
they are still present.
Rather than apparent racial discrimination, the basis of such discrepancies is deeper and
more structural. In the United States, there are two criminal justice systems. One is for the wealthy,
while the other is for the less fortunate. Wealthy people have access to a formidable adversarial
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system that includes the accused's constitutional protection. However, due to various variables, the
experience of poor and minority defendants in the criminal justice system often deviates
significantly from this model. It contributes to their overexpression in the system (Kurlychek et
al., 2019).
1.3 Research Questions
In this study, the following research questions are addressed:
How do people of color charged with crimes or abuse charged in the criminal justice
systems?
What are the main weaknesses of the present criminal justice systems
Are crime and abuse a major issue within communities of people of color?
What can be done to ascertain justice and fairness within the criminal justice system?
What are the possible strategies that can be used to limit the arising number of crimes and
abuse within the society?
Should justice punish criminals more severely?
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The study is significant because it will attempt to answer the research questions indicated
above. The criminal justice system is geared to provide "justice for everyone." Maintain order
across the country; this entails safeguarding the innocent, punishing offenders, and providing a fair
justice process. Put another way; it protects citizens (Singer et al., 2019). Without the criminal
justice system and everyone working there, there can be confusion, violence, theft and danger.
However, criminal justice professionals can be trusted, such as law enforcement, corrections, and
the courts.
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As a result, completing the research will be critical in understanding how criminal justice
systems influence law enforcement and highlighting the role of the employees involved. As a
result, it will illuminate how heroic men and women strive to investigate crimes, obtain and secure
evidence, and respond to varied crime reports. They respond to emergency calls, patrol assigned
areas, and make traffic stops, issue tickets, and more because they are considered first responders.
As a result, they must be physically and mentally fit for their jobs, as they will be confronted with
victims of violent crimes or tragic vehicle accidents.
Another purpose of the study is to emphasize the need to reduce the racial inequality of
justice within the criminal justice system, despite the victims' race. In most cases, illegitimate or
unjustified racial disparity in the criminal justice system stems from disparities in the treatment of
people in identical situations depending on race. It may indicate overt racial bias in certain cases,
while in others, it may show the influence of factors that are only indirectly related to race.
Furthermore, in other circumstances, disparities arise due to rash, race-based decisions made at the
individual or institutional level. Structural racism, which stems from the long-standing uneven
treatment of people with characteristics strongly linked to race, such as poverty, can also contribute
to or exacerbate racial inequity. Similarly, black adults in the United States typically exhibit greater
crime concerns than white adults.
According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, nearly nine out of ten black adults (87%)
believe blacks are treated less fairly by the criminal justice system than whites, a viewpoint echoed
by a considerably smaller majority of white adults (61 percent). In a poll taken soon before last
year's midterm elections, 79 percent of blacks thought the criminal justice system treats the way
racial and ethnic minorities is a very large problem in the United States today, compared to 32
percent of whites(Randall,2020). Even at the most basic level of justice systems, blacks are more
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likely than whites to have specific criticisms about how officers do their jobs, particularly
regarding police interactions with their community (Pryce et al., 2021). In addition, black and
white adults disagree on various other criminal justice-related issues posed by the Center in
previous years, including crime and policing and the use of computer algorithms in parole
decisions.
Finally, this investigation will help identify possible measures and strategies that can be
adopted to combat the negative effects of crime and abuse within the criminal justice system.
Fortunately, the judicial system worldwide is in a unique moment with strong public and bipartisan
support for criminal justice reform. Positive political developments have been seen in many parts
of the country. Furthermore, there is an increase in mass action and social movements for change,
including the Black Lives Movement (Ouziel, 2020). However, much more is needed to move
from positive trends to disruptive, long-term changes.
1.5 Limitations of the Study
In other ways, the research is also constrained. For example, there are no previous research
studies on the subject. Citing earlier research studies serves as the foundation for your literature
evaluation and aids in comprehending the research subject you are studying. There may be little,
if any, prior research on your research topic depending on its currency or scope, but it is wise to
consult a librarian before concluding that this is correct. When a librarian confirms that little or no
past research exists, one may be forced to create an entirely new research typology by employing
an exploratory rather than an explanatory research design (Lin et al., 2020). It would finally result
in a lack of reliable data. It would finally require a researcher to limit the scope of analysis in the
research study, thus being a significant obstacle in finding a trend and a meaningful relationship.
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Another likely challenge is the limited access to people from the researcher's side. A study
that necessitates access to people and organizations may sometimes be denied or limited (Mallett,
2018). Longitudinal effects, in which the amount of time available to explore a research problem
and quantify change or stability over time is limited by the assignment's due date, are also likely
to be a concern. Finally, culture and other types of bias are likely to be experienced since the study
would greatly focus on people of color, unlike the white people who may feel left out.
1.6 Operational Definition
A.D. - stands for anno domini (Latin for "in the year of the lord")
Prosecution - The process of instituting and carrying out criminal proceedings in a
court of law against any person. As a result, the Attorney General is in charge of all
public prosecutions.
Probation - A legal sanction imposed by the court system. When a person is found
guilty of a crime, they are put on this list. Parole allows people to stay in their
community while being monitored by parole officers.
1.7 Summary
Crime and abuse have existed in all societies, and efforts to legislate, enforce, punish, or
otherwise correct criminal behavior have not eliminated them. Correcting these problems would
effectively remove the source of crime and abuse and bring about a peaceful world where all people
could realize their potential as individuals and develop satisfying, harmonious relationships with
others. Thus, criminal justice systems should upload fairness and equity in availing services for
criminal and abuse suspects. Otherwise, a section of minority groups may be affected. In essence,
racial inequities in the criminal justice system in the United States significantly influence the lives
of persons of color. Behind each number is the face of a young black man or woman whose
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potential has been squandered by draconian drug laws that impose heavy prison sentences. The
most compelling case for reform is the human face of racial injustice in the United States criminal
justice system—a face of color. It is time for the United States to adopt proactive measures to
address racial imbalances in the criminal justice system.
References
Bergman, M. (2018). Criminal diversification and corruption in the drug business. In Illegal
Drugs, Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America (pp. 63-72). Springer, Cham.
Cole, G. F., Smith, C. E., & DeJong, C. (2018). The American system of criminal justice.
Cengage Learning.
Kovera, M. B. (2019). Racial disparities in the criminal justice system: Prevalence, causes, and a
search for solutions. Journal of Social Issues, 75(4), 1139-1164.
Kurlychek, M. C., & Johnson, B. D. (2019). Cumulative disadvantage in the American criminal
justice system. Annual Review of Criminology, 2, 291-319.
Lin, Z. J., Jung, J., Goel, S., & Skeem, J. (2020). The limits of human predictions of recidivism.
Science advances, 6(7), eaaz0652.
Mallett, C. A. (2018). Disproportionate minority contact in juvenile justice: Today's, and
yesterday, problems. Criminal justice studies, 31(3), 230-248.
Mayeux, S. (2018). The idea of the criminal justice system. Am. J. Crim. L., 45, 55.
Randall, J. L. (2020). Race and the Criminal Justice System in the United States: Part 1. Audens:
revista estudiantil d'anàlisi interdisciplinària, (2). Randall, J. L. (2020). Race and the
Criminal Justice System in the United States: Part 1. Audens: revista estudiantil d'anàlisi
interdisciplinària, (2).
Ouziel, L. M. (2020). Democracy, bureaucracy, and criminal justice reform. BCL Rev., 61, 523.
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Pryce, D. K., Olaghere, A., Brown, R. A., & Davis, V. M. (2021). A neglected problem:
Understanding the effects of personal and vicarious trauma on African Americans’
attitudes toward the police. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 48(10), 1366-1389.
Singer, A. J., Chouhy, C., Lehmann, P. S., Walzak, J. N., Gertz, M., & Biglin, S. (2019).
Victimization, fear of crime, and trust in criminal justice institutions: A cross-national
analysis. Crime & Delinquency, 65(6), 822-844.
