Criminology notes Fall 2026

08/19/2026

Crime and criminal justice

  • Crime has always and will always be around

  • Beccaria

    • On Crime and Punishment

    • 1764

    • Starts debate on ways to make their society safer

    • Need control

  • England

    • First police agency

    • London metropolotian police

  • Wickersham Commission

    • Era

  • American bar foundation

    • Recogniozed procedures are hidden

  • Criminal justice system is a way of society control

  • Law enforcement, court, and correctional agencies that work together to effect

    • Apprehension

    • Procecution- court

    • Control of crminal offenders- correction facilities

  • Decision making system

  • From the investigation or arrest by police to the eventual release of the offender and their reentry

  • Criminal justice agencies are political entities

  • Legislative defines the law

    • Determines what conduct is prohibited

    • Establishes criminal penalties

  • Judiciary Interpret the law

    • Want to explain the written law

  • Executive is responsible of keeping it working

  • Criminal justice system was first used in 1950s

  • 250$ per year

  • 1.1 million people employed

  • Very few cases go through the entire formal system

    • Less then 10 percent

Entire system

  • Initial contact

    • Usually result of police action

  • Investigation

    • Gather evidence to identifi

  • Arrest

    • Legal arrest

      • Officer has probable cause

      • Deprives you of individual right of freedom

      • Suspect has lost liberty to volentarily leave

    • When an arrest can be made

      • Officer witnessed crime

      • Probible cause

  • Custody

    • May be searched or interrogated

  • Charging

    • Serious cases

      • Prococuter desides whether to bring case before grand jury or preliminal hearing

    • Monor crimes

  • Preliminary hearing/Grand jury

    • U.S. Constitution mandates that probible cause be deminstrasted prior to trial

  • Arraigfnment

    • Formal charges read

    • Defendent informed of constitution rights

  • Bail/detention

  • Plea bargain

    • Avoid going further

    • 90% stop here

  • Trial/Adjudication

    • Trail held before a judge or jury

  • Sentencing/disposition

  • Appeal/Post-Conviction

    • Judge can set aside a jury’s verdict

  • Correctional treatment

  • Release

  • Post-Release

  • The Assembly line

    • Each part in the system requires quick disposal

    • Process is slow

    • Low reasorses

  • Is a funnel

  • The informal Criminal Prosses

    • Many cases are settled informally

    • Tremendous allowance for a discretion

  • The wedding cake moddle

    • Celebrated cases

    • Involvrd serious felonies

    • Less serious felonies

    • Involves misdemeanors

    • Smallest - largest amount of cases

  • Crime control

    • Emphasizes control of the dangerous offenders and protection of society through punishment as a deterrant to crime

  • Rehabilitative

    • Crime is viewed as an expression of frustration from social inequality and therefore crime can be reduced by providing access to social equality

  • Due Process

    • Protection of individual rights throughout

    • Equitable treatment

  • Nonintervention

    • Should limit their involvement and use least intrusive treatment methods possible

  • Equal justice

    • All individuals should receive the same

  • Restoritive

    • Create a peaceful society through reconciliation


Bureau of Justice statistics