Understanding Criminal Justice: Models, Punishment, and More

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Criminal justice -- outline Models of law creation Punishment Branches of the criminal justice system Sentencing The corrections system Sociological perspectives on criminal sentencing Death penalty

Criminal justice -- outline Models of law creation Punishment Branches of the criminal justice system Sentencing The corrections system Sociological perspectives on criminal sentencing Death penalty

Two models of law creation The consensus model of law Suggests that laws arise because people see a behavior they do not like and agree to make it illegal The conflict model of law Proposes that powerful people write laws and do so to protect their own interests Discussion: Which model best explains our laws?

Criminal justice -- outline Models of law creation Punishment Branches of the criminal justice system Sentencing The corrections system Sociological perspectives on criminal sentencing Death penalty

Punishment -- deterrence Deterrence prevents a person from doing something out of fear of the consequences Two types of deterrence Specific deterrence Seeks to prevent a particular offender from committing that crime again General deterrence Seeks to prevent others from committing crimes by making an example of a particular offender

Punishment -- shaming Shaming: A deliberate effort to attach a negative meaning to a behavior Shame can either stigmatize or reintegrate (John Braithwaite) Stigmatized shame A permanent label given to an offender Increases the likelihood of re-offending because the guilty person is labeled forever Reintegrative shaming Allows the offender to reconnect to society after punishment without further stigma

Criminal justice -- outline Models of law creation Punishment Branches of the criminal justice system Sentencing The corrections system Sociological perspectives on criminal sentencing Death penalty

The U.S. Criminal Justice System Three branches of the criminal justice system Police Courts Corrections

Police There are more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States There are more than 800,000 full-time sworn law enforcement officers