Criminology

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The Criminal Justice System is composed of different components that work together for an efficient detection and eventual prosecution of crimes . The way that these components are organized and structured greatly affects the outcome of criminal court cases as they take part in each stage previous to the rendition of a court judgment . Before a criminal case can be decided on its merits , the same would have to pass through different bodies within the system . The findings of each of the components of the system would be material

in determining what the final verdict would be . In cases where convictions are said to have been wrongful , the blame is put not only on the courts deciding said cases but on the entire system as well . That the issue reached the national policy agenda and has engendered reform over the last decade is a reflection of political processes and social pressures at work on a legal issue (Gould 2007 . This is due to the fact that all the components are truly involved in determining the guilt or innocence of an accused in a criminal proceeding

Verily , in evaluating the outcome a criminal case , it is normal that the attention be directed in the different bodies that were involved in the criminal proceedings . How the law enforcement officers were able to detect the crime and how evidence was gathered , and on how the courts determined the weight to be given the evidence presented would have to be examined in the determination of whether or not justice has been served . Hence , it is important that efficiency be embedded in the performance of each of the components . As correctly stated , the structure and organization of criminal justice services is an important building block in the quest for improved institutional performance Virtually every national study commission and standardetting group has offered recommendations on structure , usually as part of larger bodies of reform doctrine (Skoler , Standards for Criminal Justice Structure . To assure that justice will be served in every criminal case bought before the system , it necessary to ensure that all the components are working effectively within the bounds of their duties and responsibilities

It is noteworthy to point out how the components are related to each other and how they function together to show that their structure and organization can dictate the outcome of a criminal case . As aptly stated by Neubauer in his book

Viewing the various components of the criminal justice as a system highlights the fact that these different agencies are interdependent and interrelated . Police , courts and corrections are different government institutions with different goals , histories and operating procedures Though separate , they are also tied together because they must interact with one another

It is the interaction of the components which would normally affect the outcome of a case . Each party involved in the system must ensure awareness , not only of their assigned tasks , but also of the tasks assigned to different components within the criminal justice system...