American Correctional Systems

Branches of the Government

Question 1: What are the functions of each branch of the U.S. government (CTU, 2013)?

The Judiciary Branch comprises of the third article of the constitution and it charged with defending and upholding the US Constitution (Dunham, 2009). It interprets and applies the laws and makes sure of their constitutionality.

The Executive Branch is the branch of the government responsible for the day-to-day management of the state. The President, who is also the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces, heads it. The Executive implements the laws set by the Legislative Branch.

Legislation is charged with the responsibility of creating the laws that hold the country together. Under Article I, the Constitution establishes the Congress, which is the Legislative Body that is made up of the House and Senate.

Question 2: How do you think each impacts on the criminal justice system (CTU, 2013)?

The criminal justice system in the United States is composed of three branches: Courts, Corrections and Law Enforcement (Dunham, 2009). Each of the branches of the government has different impacts on the criminal justice system.

The Legislation Branch has to come up with laws that ensure that people live together in peace and that prohibit all wrongdoing. The laws have to be relevant and encompass all sectors in the country. These govern the way of life and help to alleviate wrongdoing, as well as set out punishments for criminal acts (Neubauer, 2011).

The Executive Branch has to ensure implementation of the state laws and regulations. The Executive also has to have political will of implementing the set laws especially in law enforcement

(Neubauer, 2011).

The Judiciary Branch involves the courts and the judicial system. They are vital in the criminal justice system as they listen to and determine cases and sentences. Without this branch, people would not get fair trials (Neubauer, 2011).

Question 3: How do you think each component impacts the correctional system (CTU, 2013)?

The Legislation has to come up with laws that are used to determine for which crimes one gets probation, parole or community service. The Executive supervises the parole and probation and hence are important in ensuring their proper implementation (Neubauer, 2011). On the other hand, the judiciary is who determine the sentence handed out to the offenders and also review their

behavior to see if they qualify for probation or not. Hence, all the branches impact on the correctional system and if they do not function properly can result into chaos (Walston-Dunham, 2009).

Question 4: How do you feel about the power of a state governor or the President of the United States to grant pardons? Should this be allowed? Why or why not? Explain (CTU, 2013).

The United States president has the power to grant pardons to petty offenders or those showing progressively positive behavior. This is a good practice that should be allowed to continue. The pardons help to reduce congestion in prisons, and reduce the country’s expenses used in supporting prisoners and running prison facilities. Pardons also serve as motivation to other prisoners to learn and live positively so they can get out and rebuild their lives (Walston-Dunham, 2009).

Question 5: What significant issues do you think exist with regard to the U.S. government and criminal justice? Explain (CTU, 2013).

One of the most significant issues is the politics involved in the appointment of officials to serve the criminal system. At times, the involvement of politics may slow down operations or prevent appointment of highly qualified people (Walston-Dunham,2009).

Some of the laws may prevent the exercise of the full authority of the police and the judiciary. For example, the 4th Amendment exclusionary rule requires courts to leave out otherwise acceptable evidence against a criminal defendant in case it was obtained through an illegal seizure or search (Walston-Dunham, 2009).

There is also the issue of existing pressure on correctional facilities such as prisons. This remains one of the greatest issues faced today since there is less space and more of the country’s income is channeled to address this issue (Walston-Dunham, 2009).