...Criminology and the Criminal Justice System Jackulin, Cyrus Sec/340 October, 1, 2012 Criminology and the Criminal Justice System No matter where you live in the world the city or the country crime always happens from murder, rape, robbery, arson, assault, auto theft, and burglary. People try their hardest to try and find an area where they cannot deal with crime you can’t find a place. Either were you live crime goes up or down. Living in Minneapolis Minnesota I seen all types of crimes ranging from burglary to murder. Growing up I heard about crimes happening but I really didn’t understand any of it until I became old enough to really see it for myself. I stayed in Minneapolis up until the end of 2010 because I wanted a change not only for me but for my children too. I stay know in Richfield Minnesota which is the population of 33,487. I been in Richfield since the end of 2010 and I haven really heard or seen any type of violent In Richfield Minnesota violent crime is at a rank of four on a scale of one to ten. There are four offenses which is murder, no negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, and aggravated assault. The average violent crime in the United States is like Richfield a rank of four. Property crime in Richfield is at a five on a scale of one of ten. A property offence includes burglary larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Richfield Minnesota is a middle class suburb which is an older suburb of Minnesota with the 1950’s and 60’s houses. This...
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...Choice Theories Roslyn Wooten CJA/490 September 9, 2013 Ray Cueller Choice Theories “Criminology is the study of why individuals commit crimes and why they behave in certain situations. If people can understand and learn why a person commits a crime, there can be ways to develop control in crime or rehabilitate the criminal. In criminology there are many theories. Some relate crime to the individual; they believe that an individual weighs the pros and cons and makes a conscious decision or choice if to commit a crime or not. It is believed that a community should support the responsibility of ensuring their citizens do not commit any crimes by offering them a safe and secure place in which to live. It is also believed that some individuals have latent traits that will determine how they will react when put in certain negative situations. In studying these theories and applying them to individuals, it is hoped that psychologists can deter criminals from repeating crimes and help them in their rehabilitation”. * “Choice Theory: The belief that individuals choose to commit a crime, looking at the opportunities before them, weighing the benefit versus the punishment, and deciding whether to proceed or not”. * “Classical Theory: Similar to the choice theory, this theory ascertains that people think before they proceed with criminal actions; that when one commits a crime, it is because the individual decided that it was advantageous to commit the crime”. ...
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...If a signal interruption occurs during a period when the parolee should be at home the offender could be subject to arrest. House arrest is a lenient alternative to prison time or juvenile-detention time. Many people support alternatives to incarceration, but do not feel like house arrest is effective enough. I developed a research question which is “Why does the public have negative feelings towards electronic monitoring? And how we can change the way they feel about electronic monitoring?” I found two scholarly articles based on my research question. The first article is called Electronic House Arrest: An Examination of Citizen Attitudes by Michael P. Brown and Preston Elrod. The second article is called Therapy and Comparative Criminology Changing Attitudes Toward House Arrest With Electronic Monitoring: The Impact of a Single Presentation? by Randy R. Gainey and Brian K. Payne. The first scholarly article entitled Electronic House Arrest: An Examination of Citizen Attitudes is very informative. It goes into great detail about the public’s attitude towards electronic monitoring. The article examines important dimensions of citizens’ perceptions of electronic house arrest. Some key points of the reading are that Brown and Elrod felt as though policymakers should consider the public’s concerns because when they do not that leaves them open to resistant’s that can slowly prevent a program from doing as well as it should. Brown and Elrod also felt like understanding the community’s...
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...Terms Causality. A concept more applicable to the hard sciences. Does the appearance of X cause effect Y? In a perfect relationship, the appearance of X would always cause the effect Y. each and every time the relationship is seen. Empirical Validity. This is the most important factor in evaluating a theory, and means that the theory has been supported by research evidence. Ideology. A belief system and a set of core values or philosophy. In a pure sense, an ideology states or explains how things should be, and a theory explains how things actually are. Internal Logical Consistency. A theory needs to be presented in a logical manner and to have clearly stated propositions that agree with or do not contradict one another. Restated, does the theory make logical and consistent sense? Macro. Macro theories of criminal behavior explain the “big picture” of crime—crime across the world or across a society. They attempt to answer why there are variations in group rates of crime. Other authors have used the terms “epidemiology” or social structural theories. Micro. Micro theories of criminal behavior focus on a small group of offenders or on an individual crime. They attempt to answer why some individuals are more likely than others to commit crime. Other authors have used the terms “individual conduct” or processual theories. Necessary Condition. This means that X must be present to produce effect Y. If X is notpresent, Y will not occur. Parsimony...
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...December, President Barack Obama announced a $75 million initiative to help departments cover the costs of expanding their programs. Dr. Wesley G. Jennings, principal investigator for the study and associate chair in USF’s Department of Criminology, said “officers in Orlando were initially skeptical about the equipment, with some claiming that body cameras wouldn't change their willingness to use force during an arrest.” The statistics appear to tell a different story, even though only one in four officers in the study agreed that wearing the devices had any impact on their behavior in the field. Many officers reported that the equipment changed citizen behavior and helped to reduce conflicts between civilians and police. They also said body cameras improved evidence collection, and helped them more accurately recollect events and fill out reports. According to Jennings, most officers didn't feel troubled by the body...
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...form of information to those organizations. This research to this learner will have stamina for years to come. According to Lejins (1966, p.1016) these reports are like a house organ of the law enforcement, public safety field which reflects there organizational interests that will utilize the information to further those interests. References Lejins, P. P. (1966) p. 1016. Uniform Crime Reports. Mi Law Rev 64:1011–1030 Loftin, C., & McDowall, D. (2010) pp. 527 & 531. The Use of Official Records to Measure Crime and Delinquency. Journal Of Quantitative Criminology, 26(4), 527-532. doi:10.1007/s10940-010-9120-8 Sources of Crime Data: Uniform Crime Reports and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (2009). Retrieved from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/pages/ucr-nibrs.aspx Uniform Crime Report Pros and Cons (2015). The Cons of the Uniform Crime Report. Retrieved from http://apecsec.org/uniform-crime-report-pros-and-cons/ ...
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...Today I will interview a judge on his role in major criminal cases from his role beginning with first contact dealing with a plea bargain. The reason I choose to focus on that of plea bargains is because based on the videos I viewed this is the first initial contact the defendant has with the judge and most of the most memorable parts of many criminal court cases. Q: Good afternoon, one thing that stands out to me is why do we have so many plea bargains with in this country? A: Good question, for one our constitution states that everyone should offered that of a speedy trial. With that plea bargains can be looked at as such. Also if we were to send every case in front of jury many cases would never be heard and or pushed so far back that defendants will not receive the proper attention and or defense based on that fact if they had a public defender or private attorney. Q: when it comes to a plea bargain what is role? A: As a judge we oversee and supervise to make sure boundaries are set and it falls it the expectations of the community we are servicing. Also with this with have the right to accept or deny any plea bargain that is brought to us. But once a plea is made either guilty or no contest, it is our responsibility to make sure that the defendant is this decision on his own free will and in sole right mind. Once approved it will no longer go to trial. Q: When entering a plea hearing how much do you really know about case before it is presented to you and knowing...
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...Theories on Criminal Acts CJ/204 January, 16, 2012 Professor Ryann Jorban Abstract There are many reasons why people commit crimes. We live in a world constantly changing and due to the change there are many theories on why people commit crimes. Theories on criminal acts There are many theories on why people commit crimes. By us understanding on why people commit a crime, we can develop ways to control crime. In criminology there are many theories on why people commit crimes. It is believed that an individual weights the pros and cons and makes a conscious choice whether or not to commit a crime. According to “Theorist Beccaria,” crime occurs when the benefits outweigh the costs- when people pursue self-interest in the absence of effective punishments. Crime is a free-willed choice. When considering the reasons leading to a criminal activity choice theory plays an important role. According to “Wikipedia” Choice theory is the believe that individuals choose to commit a crime and look at the opportunities before them. Weighing the benefit versus the punishment and deciding whether to proceed or not. Another important theory is classical theory. According to “Wikipedia” classical theory ascertains that people think before they proceed with criminal actions, that when one commits a crime it is because the individual decided that it was advantageous to commit the crime. Social learning theory is another important theory on why people commit crimes. According to “Wikipedia”...
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...Plea Bargaining Melinda Romayor CJA/224 January 3, 2014 David Manweiler Plea Bargaining Plea bargaining is important in the criminal justice system. It is an essential tool that benefits not only the prosecutor but the defense attorney and the defendant. Plea bargaining allows attorneys to decide cases without needing the judge or a jury to decide the case. It can be beneficial to both the prosecutor and the defense attorney because the prosecutor will have a conviction and the defense attorney would have gained a lesser charge for his client. Throughout this paper I will lead you through the process of plea bargaining, the pros and cons, and how it reflects on crime control and the due process model. History of Plea Bargaining Plea bargaining can be dated back to the nineteenth century. One of the earliest cases reported Commonwealth v. Battis. In this case the defendant who was charged in a capital crime was given time to think about the guilty plea he had entered. The court was reluctant in accepting the plea and was satisfied only after insuring that there had been no tampering, promises, or any persuasions to the defendant. Following the Commonwealth v. Battis case there were other cases that began to be reported that had some level of plea bargaining. It seemed that plea bargaining became more common in the mid 1900’s. The reasoning behind it becoming more common was back in the early days of the English justice system, juries would hear up to 20 cases in a...
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...John Vera English 101H Professor Kaufman 23 October 2014 Is the Death Penalty Actually Effective? Of the many crimes one could commit, murder, felony manslaughter, espionage, genocide, and treason are a few of the crimes that can lead to one paying with the ultimate price, their own life. Lethal injection, gas chamber, firing squad, electrocution, and hanging are the methods of death afforded for those who commit such heinous acts. However, does knowing the possible consequences of capital offenses deter individuals from committing the crimes? Did it make you stop and think? In the United States the death penalty is used as a punishment for capital offenses. These specifically can vary from state to state, but commonly include first-degree murder, murder with special circumstances, rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason. (Facts) The goal of the death penalty then, is to deter these crimes from even taking place, to be so feared that offenders think twice about committing such horrible crimes. But does it? In the following paper, the above question will attempt to be answered by looking at the background of capital punishment and the death penalty, the ideas behind it, viable alternatives, and finally, the effectiveness of the death penalty at deterring crime. Early death penalty laws date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C.. The death penalty also had a heavy presence in the Fourteenth Century Hittite Code, the Seventh Century Draconian Code...
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...The “Blue Wall of Silence” and Police Culture Tiffany V. Dunston CMRJ308 Everyday there are law enforcement officers that see unusual things happen when arriving on a scene of a crime or even if they are already on the scene of a crime with other law enforcement officers. Police officers behavior while on duty will always be a problem and it will continue to be a problem from because officers sometimes think just because they wear a badge they think that they have all the power in the world. The also think that they are required to protect each other no matter what. Here we look at the “Blue Wall of Silence” and “Police Culture” to distinguish what they are and their effects. There are still some good cops in this world that will stand up for what they believe in and they really do uphold the law by protecting and serving the citizens of this country. Then you have the cops that see that other cops are doing wrong and they don’t say a word, this is call the “Blue Wall of Silence”. The Blue Wall of Silence is a phrase used in law enforcement which means when an officer is observing another officer committing acts that do not uphold the law such as using excessive force towards another officer or a suspect and things of that nature. I applaud cops that believes that everyone should be treated with respect and one’s that follows the rules of being a police officer in their community because there are only so many of those types of officers. Cops that commit heinous acts...
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...Clairessa K. Wilson Dennis Harried ENG 112 30 November 2015 Body Cameras Providing Accountability Thesis Statement: Yes, body cameras should be worn by police officers because they provide accurate accounts of what happens at crime scenes, help civilians trust police officers, and give Americans an idea of what it is like to be behind the gun to more appreciate officers. I. Introduction II. Body cameras provide accurate account III. Body cameras help civilians trust officers IV. Body cameras gives an idea of what it is like behind the gun V. Refutation VI. Conclusion Body Cameras Providing Accountability The shooting of Trayvon Martin has elevated a necessity around the country for police officers to be equipped with body cameras. Yes, it is necessary for police officers to wear these cameras for accountability for oneself and a potential victim. Body cameras can rule out possible suspicions of wrongful deaths or mistreatments, such as racism. Police officers should want to protect themselves and their jobs with this device that records what is actually happening and being said at the crime scene. Yes, body cameras should be worn by police officers because they provide accurate accounts of what happens at crime scenes, helps civilians trust police officers, and gives Americans an idea of what it is like to be behind the gun to more appreciate officers. Body cameras provide an accurate account of what happens at crime scenes. The use of body...
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...This week we were assigned a few articles to read and analyze. Reflecting on this weeks reading, an assessment can be made about the way America has handled crime and prevention within the criminal justice system. As a country the United States is the world’s leader in incarceration with 2.2 individuals behind bars in either prison or jails. Political agendas fueled along with the outcry from the public fueled the legislatures to increase crime sentences thereby increasing the incarceration levels to extremely high levels. By leading the world in incarceration in addition to the crime rates the public can see just how poorly run the system truly is and how we can aim to fix it. Connections can be made between Travis et al.'s (2014) illustration...
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...topic. The President of the United States and the Congress are in the process of discussing what should be done about the gun control. Barack Obama, the U.S. president, has presented some new proposals around the Firearms Act, which should help to prevent future shooting tragedies. In January 2013 Barack Obama presented a new plan to prevent shootings. The most important thing was to significantly improve background checks on those who buy guns. He wants to drastically improve the system of background checks. Mr. Obama believes that by improving background checks when people buy guns, there will be fewer shootings and reduce the number of mentally ill people being able to by guns. However, says Jack Levin, a professor of sociology and Criminology from Northeastern University in Boston, that background checks will not prevent school shootings since gunmen will let their parents with spotless criminal record buy guns for them. There can be spoken both for and against the use of a more thorough background check, but it's only positive that Barack Obama will improve the system of arms control. Another suggestion is that he wants to ban assault weapons and large ammunition magazines. The proposal should eliminate all sales of these weapon designs. Mr. Webster has said that he believes that especially these types of weapons are especially dangerous and a ban of these weapons could lead to a reduction in deaths. He also believes that especially these weapons pose a unique threat...
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...SOCIOLOGY – AQA – UNIT 4 - CRIME AND DEVIANCE The exam is split into 3 questions: • Q.1 is a pure methods section which contains two parts a) 12 marks and b) 21 marks. You should spend 45 minuets on this question. • Q.2 is a method in context question. Part a) is for 9 marks [could also be a 3 and 6 mark question] and part b) is for 15 marks. You should spend 30 minuets on this question. • Q.3 is a theories essay for 33 marks. THIS QUESTION IS SYNOPTIC! You should spend 45 minuets on this question. Below is a list of all the areas and studies you need to know for each section of the exam. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the studies, each college/school are likely to teach slightly different ones, just make sure you know about that amount for each section. Q.1 For the first two pure crime parts you need to know: Functionalist theories of crime and deviance Durkheim – Social control, social regulation including suicide Merton-Strain theory, blocked aspirations Cohen – Status frustration Cloward and Ohlin – Deviant subcultures New Right/Right Realism James Wilson – Strict law enforcement needed Wilson and Kelling – Broken windows, zero tolerance Murray – Cultural deprivation, single parents and ineffective, the underclass Erdos – Families without fathers Subcultural theories Cohen – Delinquent subcultures Cloward and Ohlin – Delinquency and opportunity, criminal, conflict and retreatist...
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