Three Components of the Criminal Justice System

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Let's take a closer look at this interesting set of querstions, which you can draw on for your final response.

RESPONSE:

1. All three components of the criminal justice system should work together to ensure proper and just adjudication of criminal offenders. How does the correctional facet affect the law enforcement facet of the system?

It is important to understand each component of the justice system, (law enforcement, judiciary and courts, and corrections), which corrections is the last component. Only in this way can an understanding of how the correction agencies?actions and decisions impact law enforcement. In a nutshell:

a. Law Enforcement Specifically, Law Enforcement is comprised of those agencies that enforce the criminal laws of society at the local, state or federal level. For example, within the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which includes Orange and Osceola Counties, there are 12 municipal (city) police departments, two sheriff's offices and various state and federal law enforcement agencies. While most of our cases come from the law enforcement of local and state laws, they may also be referred to the State Attorney's Office by federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.)

b. Judiciary (Criminal Courts) - The third component or part of the Criminal Justice System is the Criminal Court System known as the Judiciary. Its main function is the adjudication of cases to fairly determine guilt or innocence and the proper sentencing of those found guilty.

c. Corrections - The last component of the Criminal Justice System is Corrections. Its primary function is the administration of those sanctions (sentences) handed down by the court against a criminal defendant. These sanctions range from a fine (monetary penalty), to probation, to a suspended sentence, to time in a jail or state prison (http://www.osceolaclerk.com/criminal_justice_system_overview.htm).

All three components of the criminal justice system need to communicate to ensure proper and just adjudication of criminal offenders and to ensure community safety e.g., when a pedophile is being released back into the community, correction agencies and officers need communicate this to the appropriate law enforcement agencies; or when a murdered to being paroled, this needs to be communicated to law enforcement agencies (http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/strategic-documents/strategic-business-plan-2008-2014/strengthening-partnerships.html).

It is also through other actions and decisions of correctional agencies about sentencing, rehabilitation and the innate releases back into the community (after careful screening for risk factors and levels), which impacts law enforcement in the area which the offender is being released. Information flow between agencies for these released inmates is imperative to offender and community safety. The release of prisoners with the necessary reentry strategies for success (or not) affect the law enforcement agencies through the potential recidivism and the recycling of these released offenders; and consequently re-arrests. Law enforcement agencies have the responsibility to protect people and property from criminal activity, and many decisions made by the correction agencies result in further investigations, patrols, undercover operations, and emergency response, as well as re-arrests, raids, and seizures of property on the offenders who have had pardons, early releases, probation and/or paroled back into the community withouth the necessary skills to be successful e.g. lack of rehabilitation in drug and alcohol abuse through the corrections (http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/strategic-documents/strategic-business-plan-2008-2014/strengthening-partnerships.html).

The decisions made by correction agencies about sentencing and releasing of offenders impact both the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. For example, activities relating to the administration of justice and the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminals through corrections are essential to the well-being of the social fabric. Increasingly, law enforcement and judicial administration activities cross jurisdictional boundaries, with federal agencies needing to share the burden and key intelligence with international organizations and their local government counterparts. As the economy becomes increasingly global, so does the requirement to enforce laws across boundaries and respond to information in the field. First responders, investigators, case workers, and attorneys work in an increasingly mobile environment but have the same demand for current, accurate, and secure content as their deskbound peers (http://www.corrections.govt.nz/news-and-publications/strategic-documents/strategic-business-plan-2008-2014/strengthening-partnerships.html).

Corrections are involved in sentencing and correctional agencies and agents. Most states have a statewide department of corrections or similar agency, responsible for operating prisons and some or all probation and parole functions. However, some cities and counties also have a department of corrections, to operate their jails or probation services, which interact with the law enforcement agencies that make the arrests. Most states retain discretionary parole release, under a statewide parole board; most states also have some sort of board that reviews requests for pardons, commutations, and other extraordinary relief for convicts. As of the fall of 1999, about twenty states had a sentencing commission, responsible for implementing and monitoring sentencing guidelines (Frase, 2000, p. 70, as cited in ...