Chapter one all notes

Damned Lies and Statistics

• Importance of Statistics

  • Can distort view

  • Lead to social unrest

  • Impact poor policy choices

  • Affect allocation of resources in the US

Understanding Statistics

• History, Purpose, and Measurement

  • Origin of statistics: Where do they come from?

  • Intent of statistics: What do the creators want to convey?

  • Measurement: How is data counted and reported?

  • Recognition that statistics are approximations

Examples of Statistical Applications

• Public opinion polls and elections

• Gender differences in salaries

• Gun statistics

• "Mass" shootings

• Immigrant crimes

Criminal Justice System Overview

Definition of Criminal Justice

• Encompasses law enforcement, courts, and correctional agencies that manage criminal offenses.

  • Branches:

    • Law enforcement

    • Courts

    • Correctional agencies (jails, halfway houses, parole officers)

  • These branches overlap, forming a web of interaction.

Key Decision Points

• Criminal justice system is a process with decision-making points affecting the apprehension, prosecution, and release of offenders.

Historical Development of Criminal Justice

1st Wave (Pre-1950)

• Disjointed system with hidden processes, no public trials.

2nd Wave (1950)

• Integration of three branches, addressing systemic issues.

  • 1967 Criminal Justice Reform focused on racial issues.

3rd Wave (1968 Onwards)

• Safe Streets and Crime Control Act

  • Funded law enforcement education and research, helped reduce homicide rates.

• Evidence-based justice emerged, utilizing data and analysis for policy reform.

Criminal Justice Process

Components of Justice

• Instrument of social control:

  • Maintains safety, helps lower dangerous behaviors.

  • Three principal components:

    • Law enforcement: Investigate crimes and apprehend suspects.

    • Courts: Conduct trials and sentence offenders.

    • Corrections: Monitor and rehabilitate offenders.

Steps of the Criminal Justice Process

1. Initial contact

2. Investigation

3. Arrest

4. Custody

5. Charging

6. Preliminary hearing

7. Arraignment

8. Bail/detention

9. Plea bargaining

10. Trial

11. Sentencing

12. Appeal/post-conviction

13. Correctional treatment

14. Release

15. Post-release

Plea Bargaining and Case Progression

• Majority of cases are settled informally through plea bargaining.

• This preserves resources for serious cases and allows discretion among attorneys, though it can lead to wrongful confessions.

• Cases can be thought of as layers:

  • Celebrated cases

  • Serious felonies

  • Less serious felonies

  • Misdemeanors (lowest tier)

Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System

Major Perspectives

1. Crime Control

   • Focus on deterring crime through punishment.

2. Rehabilitation

   • Emphasizes treatment over punishment.

3. Due Process

   • Ensures fair rights for the accused.

4. Nonintervention

   • Minimizes involvement to reduce harmful labeling.

5. Equal Justice

   • Seeks to eliminate bias by class or race.

6. Restorative Justice

   • Advocates for reintegrating offenders into society.

Ethical Considerations in Criminal Justice

Ethics Involved

• Criminal justice professionals wield significant power and discretion.

  • Law enforcement has authority to deprive liberty.

  • Conflicts of interest for prosecutors representing both the state and victims.

  • The role of defense attorneys as advocates.

  • Judges possess discretion influencing legal outcomes.

• Correctional staff also hold coercive power over incarcerated individuals.

• Ethical scrutiny is necessary to ensure fairness and justice.