The Criminal Justice System
Approaches to Crime Control
• Deterrence: the threat of punishment does deter
crime if the individual knows:
▫ They are likely to get caught
▫ Punishment will be severe
• Deterrence doesn’t have that effect in the US
because punishment for crime isn’t certain,
swift, or severe
Approaches to Crime Control
• Retribution
▫ Criminals are forced to pay compensation for their
acts
▫ Doesn’t give individuals the ability to take the law
into their own hands
Incarceration
• Theory: Criminals that aren’t on the street
cannot commit crimes
• 3 strikes law: if an individual violates the law 3
times, on the third time they receive life in
prison
Prison rehabs
• Most prisons have programs to help prisoners
develop social and work skills
• Recidivism: more than ½ of the individuals that
are released end up back in jail in 3-5 years
▫ Why?
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Basic nature of offenders
Influences of more hardened criminals
Stigma of being an ex-con
The toughness of jail transfers over to real life
Alternatives
• Shock probation: part of the time served in
prison, the rest on probation
• Community-based programs: reintroduce
criminals into society
▫ Half-way houses
• Diversion strategy: no prison, referred to a
community based treatment program
▫ Ideas is to reduce the stigma of being a criminal
Inequalities in the Justice System
• Why are some individuals treated differently?
▫ Some people can’t afford good legal service
▫ Crimes against whites are punished more severely
▫ Victim discounting: reduces the sentence of crime
directed at members of lower social classes
Inequalities in Punishments
• White collar crimes are more lenient than other
crimes
▫ Probation is given more than jail
▫ If jail time is handed down:
 Its shorter than the average sentence
 Offenders are placed in prisons with extra amenities