Criminal Justice Today Chapter 13 Prisons & Jails Criminal Justice.
Chapter 17 - Aims of the Criminal Justice System
4
Chapter 17 - Aims of the Criminal Justice System Due Process: refers to the values, rules and practices within the CJS that uphold the legal rights of a person suspected or accused of committing a criminal offence Example: the right to consult with a lawyer before questioning or the right to a fair hearing in court Discretion: the decision-making power of legal and criminal justice officials to interpret law and administrative rules (the ability to choose between options in a particular situation) Accountability: the capacity to be held responsible for one’s actions or statements The funnelling effect - At each stage of the criminal process, the number of cases involved in the CJS become smaller and smaller - This is a result of cumber of discretionary decisions on the part of the police, the prosecutors and the courts Chapter 18 - Policing and Law Enforcement History: • Policing initially performed by a range of groups including the military, convict night-watchmen, indigenous ‘native police’ • Control was localised up until centralisation of power over police • Sydney Police Act (1833) – first professional city police force • Other states followed in succession Image vs. Reality - are police a force or a service? • There is considerably a stronger federal presence in policing Police safety and use of force decisions during critical occurrences are an ongoing source of concern for both police and the public. With the recent increasing amounts of weaponry given to police officers, the public perceives the police as more of a force than a service. Police Culture: • Culture concerns the informal occupational norms and values, accepted practices, rules and principles of behaviour which have been characterised as consisting of a sense of “mission” as a way of life that is seen as a valued contribution to maintaining social relations and protecting victims; • An action orientation • Isolation from the general community • And self portrayal as at the border in between order and anarchy Police Accountability: • Equally accountable to the law • Often unaccountable as much police work is unobserved • Internal oversight – Professional Standards Command • Media
Transcript of Chapter 17 - Aims of the Criminal Justice System
Chapter17-AimsoftheCriminalJusticeSystemDueProcess:referstothevalues,rulesandpracticeswithintheCJSthatupholdthelegalrightsofapersonsuspectedoraccusedofcommittingacriminaloffenceExample:therighttoconsultwithalawyerbeforequestioningortherighttoafairhearingincourtDiscretion:thedecision-makingpoweroflegalandcriminaljusticeofficialstointerpretlawandadministrativerules(theabilitytochoosebetweenoptionsinaparticularsituation)Accountability:thecapacitytobeheldresponsibleforone’sactionsorstatementsThefunnellingeffect-Ateachstageofthecriminalprocess,thenumberofcasesinvolvedintheCJSbecomesmallerandsmaller-Thisisaresultofcumberofdiscretionarydecisionsonthepartofthepolice,theprosecutorsandthecourts
Chapter18-PolicingandLawEnforcementHistory:
• Policinginitiallyperformedbyarangeofgroupsincludingthemilitary,convictnight-watchmen,indigenous‘nativepolice’
• Controlwaslocalisedupuntilcentralisationofpoweroverpolice• SydneyPoliceAct(1833)–firstprofessionalcitypoliceforce• Otherstatesfollowedinsuccession
Image vs. Reality - are police a force or a service?
• There is considerably a stronger federal presence in policing Police safety and use of force decisions during critical occurrences are an ongoing source of concern for both police and the public. With the recent increasing amounts of weaponry given to police officers, the public perceives the police as more of a force than a service. PoliceCulture:
• Cultureconcernstheinformaloccupationalnormsandvalues,acceptedpractices,rulesandprinciplesofbehaviourwhichhavebeencharacterisedasconsistingofasenseof“mission”asawayoflifethatisseenasavaluedcontributiontomaintainingsocialrelationsandprotectingvictims;
• Anactionorientation• Isolationfromthegeneralcommunity• Andselfportrayalasattheborderinbetweenorderandanarchy
PoliceAccountability:
• Equallyaccountabletothelaw • Oftenunaccountableasmuchpoliceworkisunobserved � • Internaloversight–ProfessionalStandardsCommand • Media �
TheJurySystem: � • Operatesaccordingtothe
JuriesAct(2000) • Comprisescitizens
randomlychosenfromelectoralroll
• Criminaltrialshave12jurormembers,exceptinlongtrialswheretheremaybe 15jurors.
Peoplemaybe:-ineligible -excused-disqualified ThePurposeofSentencing: �Thereare5purposestosentencing(SentencingAct1991),
1. JustPunishment:topunishtheoffendertoanextentandinamannerwhichisjustinallofthecircumstances
2. Deterrence(GeneralandSpecific):todetertheoffender(specific)orotherperson(general)fromcommittingoffencesofthesameorsimilarnature.
3. Rehabilitation: �toestablishconditionswithinwhichitisconsideredbythecourtthatthe�rehabilitationoftheoffendermaybefacilitated.
4. Denunciation:�todenouncethetypeofconductengagedinbytheoffender. �5. CommunityProtection: �toprotectthecommunityfromtheoffender. �
TheVictimsroleinSentencing: Thecourt‘must’considertheimpactofthecrimeonthevictim/sinsentencing.Thisincludes: • Theimpactoftheoffenceonthevictim/s � • Thepersonalcircumstancesofthevictim/s � • Anyinjury,lossordamageresultingdirectlyfromtheoffence. � • Onewaythecourtdeterminestheimpactofthecrimeonthevictimisthrough �Victim
ImpactStatements. • Sentencingmustbalancejusticeforthevictimandthecircumstancesoftheoffence
andtheoffender.Forvictimsandmembersofthepublicsentencingisthemomentwherejusticeisseen(ornotseen)tobedone. �
EnvironmentalCrimePrevention:
Focusesonpreventingcrimethroughmanagingtheenvironmentinwhichcrimetakesplace-thetargetandguardianshipaspects.CPTED-‘CrimePreventionThroughEnvironmentalDesign’
• Preventionthroughbroad-basedurbanplanning&architecture1)Planningand‘naturalsurveillance’(Jacobs)2)Territorialreinforcementof‘defensiblespace’(Newman)3)Accesscontrol4)Activitysupportandimagemanagement
SitCP–SituationalCrimePrevention• MoreFocused/Sitespecific• Targethardening• BasedonRationalChoiceTheoryandRoutineActivityTheory• Thereforefocusesonincreasingeffortsandrisks,andreducingtherewards,as
wellasremovingprovocationsandexcuses.LimitationsofEnvironmentalCrimePrevention:
• Doesnotaddressunderlyingcausesofcrime(e.g.poverty,homelessness)• Canfocusonparticulargroupsdisproportionately(e.g.youth)• PoliticaloverrelianceonCCTVbutweakevidenceofeffectiveness• Onlyfocusesonparticularcrimes–e.g.streetcrimeandpropertycrime,not
domesticviolenceandsexualassault• Displacement–mayjustmovecrimetoanotherarea
SocialCrimePrevention
• ‘Criminalityprevention’• Crimereductionthroughprosocialactivitiesandbehaviour.• Technicaldefinition:‘Approachestocrimepreventionwhichfocus
onunderlyingproblemsinvaluesandsocialdisciplinesperceivedasmakingsomepeoplemorelikelytoincorporatethecommissionofcrime(s)aspartoftheirrepertoireofbehaviours’.
Limitation:Opportunitiesforlabelling’1. DevelopmentalCrimePrevention
o Basedondelinquencystudieso Identificationandminimisationofriskfactorse.g.impulsiveness,earlyanti-
socialbehaviour,abuse/neglecto Strengtheningofprotectivefactorse.g.education,strongparentalbonds,
communityinvolvemento Problemswith‘labelling’
2. Agency-BasedPreventiono Onusandresponsibilityonschoolsandotherinstitutionstobemoreinclusive.o Researchintomainstreamsociallinksandtheissueof‘losingcontact’(Matza
1964).o Schools,‘injustice’andmarginalisationo Recognitionoftheroleofschoolsandotheragenciesinidentifyingandassisting
the‘at-risk’.
Approaches1. Developmental2. Agency-based3. Community
Development4. Diversion5. Education
Chapter25–Experts,LayPeopleandForensicsWhatisforensicScience?
• ForensicshasnowbecomeandintegralpartoftheCJS.• Forensicscienceis“theapplicationofsciencetothosecriminalandcivillaws
thatareenforcedbypoliceagenciesinacriminaljusticesystem”(Safterstein1998:2).
Functionsofforensicscience1. Informslawenforcementduringinvestigationsaboutthenatureofcrimes.2. Assistinthedetectionandprosecutionofknownoffenders.• Informdecisionaboutthelegalguilt,prospectivelegalguilt,orinnocenceofan
offender.ForensicsintheCJprocess:
• “Pre-crime”:crimeisunderstoodintermsofriskorpotentialloss(Zedner2007).Discoursesofsafetyareoftenprominent.
• Investigationasameanstodetect,identify,andintervenebeforecrimesoccur.• Closelinkbetweenforensicsandintelligenceanalysis,data-retention,etc.• “Post-crime”:crimehasalreadyoccurredandisinneedofinvestigationpost
hoc.• Forensicsusedasameanstoretroactivelyidentifyandinvestigateacriminal
event.• e.g.Traditionalcrimesceneinvestigation,orcyberforensics.
TypesofForensicsciences:DNAForensics:
• Bothpre-andpost-crimefunctionsIthasbeennotedthatDNAsamplesrecoveredfromcrimescenes:“…canbederivedfrommanydifferentmaterialsandareas.ItispossibletoobtainsamplesofDNAfromfabrics,cigarettes,toolsandutensilsaswellasfromminuteamountsofbiologicalmaterial,evenwherethismaterialhasbeendepositedmanyyearsearlier,hasbeendegradedorisnotevenvisibletothenakedeye”(DRP,2010:10-11).
Fingerprinting:(‘Dactyloscopy’)• Types
§ Plastic§ Visible§ Latent
• Primaryinvestigativepractice• Pre-crimevspost-crime
Handwriting:• Oftenusedtoconveylegitimacy/powertoinvestigations• Examplesofcase:fraud,suicide,ransom/extortion• Lesspreciseandaffectedbynumerousfactors• Pre-crimevspost-crime
TraceForensicsandBiologicalTraceForensics:• Usedtoidentifywhowasthereandwhathappened• Roleofcontext–wastraceleftasaresultofcriminalact,orsimplyeveryday
behaviour(e.g.hair-brush).• Pre-crimevspost-crime
