Chapter 1

Criminal justice agencies

________ are political entities whose structure and function are lodged within the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the government.

Level

________ four: misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct, shoplifting, public drunkenness, and minor assault.

legislature

Defines the law by determining what conduct is prohibited and establishes criminal penalties for those who violate the law.

Criminal complaint

________ is the official complaint for misdemeanors.

wedding cake model

The ________ of informal justice is an intriguing alternative to the traditional criminal justice flowchart.

A society's ability to control individual behavior in order to serve the best interests of society

What is social control?

London Metropolitan Police

In 1829 what was the first police agency?

1919

What year was the Chicago Crime Commission created?

Wickersham Commission

In 1931 President Hoover appointed the National Commission of Law Observance and Enforcement called the ______

The American Bar Foundation Project

1950s sponsored research that showed the CJ system is composed of an intricate network of agencies

Legislature

not a main component

Level one

What level is famous people and those charged with committing particularly heinous crimes that capture national headlines

ex

OJ simpson celebrity

Level two

What level is serious felonies-rapes, robberies, and burglaries

Level three

What level is less serious offenses committed by young or first-time offenders or involving people who knew each other or were otherwise related

Level four

What level is misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct, shoplifting, public drunkenness, and minor assault

investigation

the purpose is to gather enough evidence to identify a suspect to support a legal arrest

initial contact

In most instances, an offender’s initial contact with the criminal justice system takes place as a result of a police action

Arrest

to be legal it has to be: probable cause, deprives freedom, suspects believes that they are now in custody

In-presence requirement

A police officer cannot arrest someone for a misdemeanor unless the officer sees the crime occur. To make an arrest for a crime the officer did not witness, an arrest warrant must be obtained.

custody

holding by the police

Charging

If the arresting officers or their superiors believe that sufficient evidence exists to charge a person with a crime, the case will be turned over to the prosecutor’s office

nolle prosequi

an entry in the court record to the effect that the plaintiff or prosecutor will not proceed

preliminary hearing/grand jury

A group of citizens chosen to hear charges against persons accused of crime and to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to bring those persons to trial.

true bill of indictment

The action taken by a grand jury when it votes to indict an accused suspect.

arraignment

a legal document calling someone to court to answer an indictment

bail/detention

Money bond levied to ensure the return of a criminal defendant for trial

plea bargain

guilty plea in exchange for reducing or dropping some of the charges or agreeing to a request for a more lenient sentence or some other consideration

Trial adjudication

if no agreement is made a criminal trial will be held and left to the jury’s decision

Sentencing/disposition

if found guilty will return for sentencing or if not found guilty case is over

Appeal/postconviction remedies

can file an appeal if there is a belief that constitutional rights were violated or miss use of evidence

correctional treatment

carries out sentence

release

offender returns to society

postrelease

may be asked to spend time in community correctional center

Courtroom work group

A term used to imply that all parties in the justice process work together in a cooperative effort to settle cases efficiently rather than to engage in a true adversarial procedure.

The LEAA supported the development of many criminal justice programs in colleges and universities across the country.

How did the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) impact the academic field of criminal justice?

a physical assault by a first-time offender on a relative resulting in no injury

Which of the following crimes would be considered a Level III crime under the wedding cake model of justice?

They operate in an environment where moral ambiguity is the norm.

Why are ethical demands difficult to meet for those involved in the criminal justice system?

The courtroom work group delivers punishments while avoiding delays and avoiding formal trials.

Why is the courtroom work group important to keeping the justice system flowing?

Justice programs, policies, and procedures now undergo vigorous review to determine their validity.

How has the What Works movement reshaped the modern criminal justice system?

They fear the loss of respect from fellow officers.

Why might a law enforcement officer (LEO) be wary of complaining about a partner who has been seen engaging in a low-level criminal activity such as illegal gambling?

the Constitution, and ensuring that its standards are met

As a fair and impartial officer of the court, to what is a prosecutor responsible to?

Offenders are in an inferior power position to correctional professionals.

Why do frequent abuses of power happen in the corrections system?

law enforcement agencies

Which element of the criminal justice system in the United States is concerned with investigating crimes and apprehending suspects?

to remove nonviolent offenders from the nation's correctional system

What is purpose of deinstitutionalization?

To enable offenders to appreciate the damage they caused, to make amends, and to be reintegrated into society.

What is the aim of the restorative justice perspective?

Because of the stigma of crime, people may find it difficult to be accepted back into society.

Why does the nonintervention perspective view certain criminal punishments as harmful to offenders even after they have served their time?

Punishment is nonproportional and harsher for racial minorities than it is for others.

How does the racial animus model view criminal justice in the United States?

The criminal justice process is hampered by enormous caseloads, inadequate resources, and limiting structural factors.

What primarily prevents the criminal justice process in the United States from working as intended?

pre-twentieth-century, East Coast, urban gangs in the United States

Groups such as the Plug Uglies, the Swamp Angels, the Daybreak Boys, and the Bowery Boys are associated with __________.

executive

Which branch of government in the United States is entrusted with overseeing agencies of justice?

It prevents the overwhelming majority of cases from going to trial.

What is the impact of plea bargaining on the United States justice system?

Fairness and equity should be present in the criminal justice process.

What similarities in goals are shared by the due process and equal justice perspectives?

harsh punishment

What does the crime control perspective of justice focus on as a deterrent?

upon being taken into custody following an arrest

At which stage of the criminal justice process is the accused informed of their constitutional rights via Miranda warnings?

It proved that theories on crime could be effectively utilized to combat crime in a large city.

Why is the formation of the Chicago Crime Commission in 1919 important in the realm of criminal justice in America?

dual system of federal and state government

Which of the following primarily contributes to the monumental cost and size of the contemporary criminal justice system in the United States?

Bail allows the accused to stay out of custody while giving them an incentive to return for trial.

What is the purpose of bail?

evidence against the accused

Which factor would those who believe in the objectivity of the criminal justice system consider as having a legitimate influence on decision making?

the existence and recognition of sufficient evidence against a defendant

What is necessary for a true bill of indictment to be issued?