Assignment:
Write your answer in 250 to 300 words in APA FORMAT and also include references.
The mission of the criminal justice system can be broken down into the law enforcement, courts, and corrections departmental. Each has a unique set of goals that ultimately build the mission statement for the criminal justice system where they work to prevent victimization by the prevention of criminal behavior, Pollock, J. M. (2012). Law enforcement goals are to patrol, educate, and investigate criminal activity and arrest suspects of crime. The courts determine innocence or guilt and a just sentence to gain retribution for victims. The corrections department focuses on the carrying out of punishments, deterrence, rehabilitation, and if all fails, incapacitation as a last resort. Or at least this is how it should stand.
In this day and age we are seeing a lot more aggression towards the release of true criminals and putting minor criminal offenses behind bars. In states like California there is an overflow and crowding in the corrections facilities and instead of our politicians addressing the correct issue of minimal deterrence they are allowing criminals back into the communities in which our families live.
The solution to true criminal justice is to gain effective programs of diversion for our youth, deterrence for criminally prone individuals, and finally true punishment of crime. When you grow up in a society in the middle lower class and you see the disrespectful upbringing of adolescents and the troubles to follow their short-lived lives you begin to realize the true problem is within the home. Unfortunately this means that law enforcement needs to have a stronger relationship with the community to help with the weakening average American family.
References: Pollock, J. M. (2012). Crime & justice in America: An introduction to criminal justice (2nd ed.). Waltham, MA: Elsevier/Anderson Publishing.