Criminal Justice System: Definitions, Types, and Crime Trends

What are the main components of the Criminal Justice System?

Law enforcement, courts, and corrections.

What was the number of people imprisoned in the U.S. in 2022?

1.23 million.

How many people were under supervision in the U.S. in 2021?

5.4 million.

What was the annual cost of the Criminal Justice System in 2017?

$305 billion.

What is the average spending on the Criminal Justice System per person in the U.S.?

$938.

What is the significance of the roadmap in the Criminal Justice System?

It outlines the steps from crime detection to punishment, ensuring due process.

What is a plea bargain?

The most common outcome for charges, where the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge.

What are street crimes?

Relatively common and serious crimes involving victims and offenders in the same time and place.

What are property crimes?

Crimes such as burglary, property theft, and motor vehicle theft.

What defines victimless crimes?

Crimes where individuals are not directly harmed, such as drug use and prostitution.

What are white-collar crimes?

Non-violent crimes for financial gain, including bribery and securities fraud.

What is cybercrime?

Crimes committed using computers, such as network intrusions and denial of service attacks.

What does mala in se refer to?

Acts that are inherently wrong, such as murder.

What does mala prohibita refer to?

Acts that are wrong because they are prohibited by law.

What is justifiable homicide?

The lawful killing of another person, often under the castle doctrine.

What is the purpose of the crime control perspective?

To favor long sentences and mandatory punishment as a means of controlling crime.

What is the conflict model in criminal justice?

A perspective highlighting the adversarial nature of the system, suggesting that criminal law controls the powerless.

What is the rehabilitation perspective?

The belief that crime results from blocked opportunities and that the system should help individuals improve their lives.

What is restorative justice?

A perspective focusing on cooperation between victims, offenders, and the community to achieve satisfaction and accountability.

What is the role of media in relation to crime?

Media frames criminal events and can influence public perception of the criminal justice system.

What are the primary methods for measuring crime?

Data collection through the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program and the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey.

What is the significance of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)?

It provides a nationally representative assessment of victimization and unreported crimes.

What are the limitations of the NCVS?

It does not cover certain populations like the unhoused, prisoners, or homicide victims.

What is the trend in violent and property crime rates in the U.S.?

Violent and property crime rates are relatively rare and peaked in the early 1990s.

What is the most common form of violent crime?

Simple assault.

What is the most likely property crime a person may be a victim of?

Theft.