Criminal Justice Vocab Chapter 1

adultery

Adultery. In general, sex by a married person with someone other than their spouse; specific laws differ by state, as does the level of criminality associated with it.

blocked opportunities frame

indicates that crime results from a lack of legal options. offenders live in poverty, are uneducated, unemployed, and discriminated against, and because of that, commit crimes.

castle doctrine

a legal doctrine that states that homeowners are no longer required to retreat if threatened by intruders. in some states, it extends beyond homes

conflict model

a theoretical view of the criminal justice system work in competition to produce a fair outcome or justice

corrections

functions to protect society from criminals through housing, monitoring, and other community-based programs

consensus model

a theoretical view of the criminal justice system that highlights the collaborative nature of the system. the components of the criminal justice system work in unison to achieve justice

courts

responsible for interpreting and applying the law

crime control perspective

This perspective states that the goal of the system is to prevent crime by shrewdly and harshly punishing offenders

crime

the breaking of a law for which the criminal justice system or some other governing authority prescribes punishment

criminology

an academic discipline that investigates the nature, extent, and causes of criminal offending and criminal vicitimization

criminal justice

the system of institutions, policies, and practices that aims to maintain social control and deter crime through sanctions and rehabilitation

cybercrime

a form of illegal activity using a computer or computer networks as the primary method of commission. examples of cybercrime include network intrusions, dissemination of computer viruses, and phishing

decriminalization

the act of ending or reducing criminal penalties associated with some behaviors

due process perspective

a view that the role of the criminal justice system is to ensure that all people accused of crimes are treated fairly and equally in the system

faulty criminal justice system frame

suggest that crime occurs because of a dearth of law and order in the country and that criminals offend because they feel they can get away with it

framing

the packaging of criminal events in the media into tidy presentations that make sharing the information easy

inalienable rights

rights that are universal and not contingent on laws of beliefs specific to a particular government or culture

indeterminate sentence

A sentence given to a defendant in the form of a range of years to be served

infotainment

the marketing of a highly edited and distorted combination of entertainment and information presented to be truthful and comprehensive

judicial activism

deviation from the literal meaning of the constitution to take into account the present situation, including complex societal advances

justifiable homicide

the lawful killing of another person, such as when a law enforcement officer or a citizen kills in self defense or to defend another

law enforcement

law enforcement agencies are charged with investigation crimes and arresting individuals alleged to have committed crimes

mala in se

behavior that is sinful and inherently wrong by nature

mala prohibita

one of two types of illegal behavior, describes behavior that is prohibited by law

narrow casting

the presentation of a narrow view of information in the media to small, homogeneous audiences

no bill

a decision made by a grand jury that indicates that insufficient evidence is present to proceed with the case

nolle prosequi

commonly used by a prosecutor to willingly terminate legal proceedings before trial or before a verdict. the statement is often construed as an admission that the charges cannot be proven

nolo contendere

a defendant’s plea in which they neither admit nor dispute guilt is commonly referred to as a “no contest” plea

nonintervention perspective

a view that the appropriate role of the criminal justice system is to be as minimal and non-intrusive as possible

property crime

the most common forms of this crime include burglary/trespassing, other property theft (aka larceny), and motor vehicle theft

racist system frame

indicates that the problem is not crime but rather that law enforcement, courts, and corrections are racist agents of oppression

rape

a type of violent crime considered in male in se that includes “penetration, no matter how slight, without the consent of the victim”

rehabilitative perspective

a view that the purpose of the criminal justice system is to rehabilitate offenders

restorative justice perspective

a view that the appropriate role of the criminal justice system is to restore justice as best as possible through repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior

social breakdown frame

indicates that crime is the result of a breakdown in family and community

street crimes

relatively common and serious, they involve a victim and offender who come together in space and time

terrorism

the completed or threatened use of coercion and/or violence against a population of people with the goal of changing political, religious, or ideological positions

USA freedom act

this 2015 law came into effect the day after the USA PATRIOT act expired. it restored many provisions of the patriot act but limited the national security agency’s collection of citizen’s telecommunications metadata

USA PATRIOT act

the 2001 uniting and strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to intercept and obstruct terrorism act was signed into law by president George w. bush to strengthen security measures designed to protect the United States from attack

victim advocates

trained professionals who support crime victims as their cases move through the criminal justice system

victimless crimes

these criminal offenses are thought not to involve victims because they are considered not to cause direct harm to individuals other than the offenders

violent media frame

this frame finds that crime is depicted as a direct result of the violent media present in television, movies, video games, and music