Justice Essays (Examples)
Study Document
Determinate Versus Indeterminate Sentencing Policies
… minimum and a maximum but defers authority regarding when a prisoner is released (or when probation ends) to other members of the criminal justice system such as parole board members and probation officers. Determinate sentencing is just the opposite: a procedure in which the trial judge does … deemed more fair overall.
Pros of Indeterminate Sentencing
Indeterminate sentencing has been hailed for its potential usefulness in promoting rehabilitative models in criminal justice. With an indeterminate sentence, the parole board exercises discretion based on multiple factors such as good conduct exhibited while the offender serves time … discretion exercised by probation officers, judges, parole boards, and corrections officers (Tonry, 1999). Therefore, indeterminate sentencing works well from the perspective of criminal justice professionals. Rather than relying on a single decision made by one trial judge, the system operates as a whole with a diversity of … of opinion governing the outcome……
References
References
Allen, J. (2016). CU rape case sparks debate over Colorado’s indeterminate sentencing law. The Denver Channel. Retrieved from: https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/colorados-indeterminate-sentencing-criticized
Baker, J. (2020, Aug 10). Davis sentenced to 15 years in 2017 Wheeling hotel killing. WTOV. Retrieved from: https://wtov9.com/news/local/davis-sentenced-to-15-years-in-2017-wheeling-hotel-killing
Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (n.d.). Indeterminate sentence. Retrieved from: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/indeterminate_sentence
Gant, J. & Hussain, D. (2020, 5 Aug). Hero PC Andrew Harper’s mother slams ‘unduly lenient sentences for her son’s killers. Daily Mail. Retrieved from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8592283/Attorney-General-review-jail-terms-handed-three-teenagers-killed-PC-Andrew-Harper.html
Green, S.J. (2020, Aug 6). Brothers sentenced to 40 years in prison for 2016 shooting at Seattle homeless encampment. Bakersfield. Retrieved from: https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/brothers-sentenced-to-40-years-in-prison-for-2016-shooting-at-seattle-homeless-encampment/article_5c5d040d-0e0c-532e-9fd7-794232746f5d.html
O’Hear, M.M. (2011). Beyond rehabilitation. 48 Am. Crim. L. Rev. 1247 (2011).
Puzauskas, K. & Morrow, K. (2018). No indeterminate sentencing without parole. 44 Ohio N.U. L. Rev. 263 (2018).
Rhine, E.E., Watts, A. & Reitz, K.R. (2018). Parole boards within indeterminate and determinate sentencing structures. Robina Institute of Law and Criminal Justice. Retrieved from: https://robinainstitute.umn.edu/news-views/parole-boards-within-indeterminate-and-determinate-sentencing-structures
Study Document
Constitutional Rights And Administrative Goals
...Justice The 8th Amendment and Prison Life
Not all of an individual’s Constitutional rights are lost the moment the person is incarcerated. On the contrary, it is there that they become more important than ever because it is in the penitentiary that individuals are essentially cut off from society and at the mercy of the correctional system. The correctional system must, therefore, maintain a degree of authenticity and transparency so that society can be assured that prisoners are treated humanely and in accordance with their Constitutional rights. At the same time the correctional system has to take issues such as security, effective administration, and cultural sensitivity. This paper will show that when it comes to the rights of the incarcerated, the correctional system must be fair and equitable in their treatment and handling of prisoners.
Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539 (1974) was the United States Supreme Court case that set the record straight on……
References
References
Compton, M. T., Anderson, S., Broussard, B., Ellis, S., Halpern, B., Pauselli, L., . . . Johnson, M. (2017). A potential new form of jail diversion and reconnection to mental health services: II. Demonstration of feasibility. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 35(5–6), 492–500. doi:10.1002/bsl.2319
Oaks, D. H. (1965). Habeas corpus in the states: 1776-1865. The University of Chicago Law Review, 32(2), 243-288.
Richmond, C. (2015). Toward a More Constitutional Approach to Solitary Confinement: The Case for Reform. Harv. J. on Legis., 52, 1.
Stojkovic, S., & Lovell, R. (2019). Corrections: An introduction (2nd Ed.). Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
UPI. (2018). Justice Department: Alabama prisons may violate 8th Amendment. Retrieved from https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/03/Justice-Department-Alabama-prisons-may-violate-8th-Amendment/8921554309036/
Study Document
Treatment Versus Punishment
… child abuse. Yet every year children are tried and punished for crimes as though they were adults. While sometimes punitive approaches to juvenile justice may be necessary in order to teach a lesson, they should not be on the scale of what they are for adults. The … in order to teach a lesson, they should not be on the scale of what they are for adults. The focus of juvenile justice should be on rehabilitation—not punishment. This paper will explain why treatment is the better option when it comes to juvenile justice.
Differences between Treatment and Punishment
The concept of treatment focuses on the idea that juveniles who commit a crime, whether it is selling … a house, rape, or murder, are still children and they should be viewed as children who are in serious need of help. The justice system should adopt a more humane approach to……
References
References
Agnew, R. (2008). Strain Theory. In V. Parrillo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of social problems. (pp. 904-906). Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
Cramer, M. (2014). Parole Board releases 2nd man convicted of murder as juvenile. Retrieved from https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/08/06/parole-board-releases-man-convicted-murder-while-juvenile/REwVVe3aR9leuRVMpZsN6O/story.html
Diskin, M. (2018). New law will put limits. Retrieved from https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2018/10/11/new-california-law-means-teen-suspect-oxnard-murders-cannot-tried-adult/1535518002/
Fritz, J. K. (2015). Diverting young offenders from prison is ‘smart justice.’ Education Digest, 81(2), 53-55.
Jannetta, J., & Okeke, C. (2017). Strategies for Reducing Criminal and Juvenile Justice Involvement. Building Ladders of Opportunity for Young People in the Great Lakes States, brief, 4. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/94516/strategies-for-reducing-criminal-and-juvenile-justice-involvement_2.pdf
Johnson, T., Quintana, E., Kelly, D. A., Graves, C., Schub, O., Newman, P., & Casas, C. (2015). Restorative Justice Hubs Concept Paper. Revista de Mediación, 8(2), 2340-9754.
McCarthy, P., Schiraldi, V., & Shark, M. (2016). The future of youth justice: A community-based alternative to the youth prison model. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
Meli, L. (2014). Hate Crime and Punishment: Why Typical Punishment Does Not Fit the Crime. U. Ill. L. Rev., 921.
Study Document
The US Sentencing System Disparities And Discrimination
… than on Caucasian offenders for similar crimes (Spohn, 2008).
The Supreme Court Building has a phrase engraved on it. The phrase reads, “Equal justice under the law.” However, for the poor, for persons of color, and many other groups, this phrase does not mean much. This is … many other groups, this phrase does not mean much. This is because they face discrimination at sentencing and other stages of the criminal justice system. For example, the poor in the United States in America are more likely to be arrested, more likely to get low-quality legal … more likely to get maximum sentences than the rich. The paper’s goal is to investigate sentencing discrimination and disparities in the American criminal justice system (Spohn, 2008).
Sentencing Disparities and Discrimination
Despite the increased focus on discrimination and leadership changes at the federal justice department, disparities and discrimination persist at different levels of……
References
References
Daly, K., & Tonry, M. (1997). Gender, Race, and Sentencing. Crime and Justice, 22, 201-252. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/1147574
Farrell, A., Ward, G., & Rousseau, D. (2010). Intersections of gender and race in federal sentencing: examining court contexts and the effects of representative court authorities. Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, 1, 85.
Hessick, C. B. (2010). Race and gender as explicit sentencing factors. Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, 1, 127.
Mauer, M. (2010). Justice for all challenging racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Hum. Rts., 37, 14.
Smith, D. (2006). Narrowing Racial Disparities in Sentencing through a System of Mandatory Downward Departures. The Modern American, Summer 2006, 32–37.
Spohn, C. (2008). How do judges decide?: the search for fairness and justice in punishment. Sage Publications.
Yang, C. S. (2015). Free at last? Judicial discretion and racial disparities in federal sentencing. The Journal of Legal Studies, 44(1), 75-111.
Study Document
War On Drugs
…
3. National sovereignty issues and global perspective
II. Theoretical Discussion
A. Race, class, power perspectives
B. Government, public policy, global affairs
C. Criminalization, justice
D. Other sociological issues
1. Organized crime and terrorism
2. White collar crime (tobacco and pharmaceutical industries)
III. Literature Review
A. Balancing public … 2018) likewise refers to the “disastrous effects” of current drug policy, advocating for widespread reform of drug laws on human rights and social justice grounds (p. 1).
Major themes emerging in the scholarly literature include the deleterious effect of the War on Drugs on racial disparities including …
Major themes emerging in the scholarly literature include the deleterious effect of the War on Drugs on racial disparities including income disparity, criminal justice disparity, and also healthcare and political status disparities. Other themes include a loud and substantial cry from the healthcare industries, calling for the … the war on drugs deliberately,……
References
References
ACLU (2020). Against drug prohibition. Retrieved from: https://www.aclu.org/other/against-drug-prohibition
“America is At War,” (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/paradox/htele.html
Bambauer, J. Y. (2012). How the war on drugs distorts privacy law. Stanford Law Review 62(2012). Retrieved from: https://www.stanfordlawreview.org/online/how-the-war-on-drugs-distorts-privacy-law/
Benson, B.L., Kim., I., Rasmussen, D.W., et al. (1992, 2006). Is property crime caused by drug use or by drug enforcement policy? Applied Economics 24(7): 679-692.
Best, D., Irving, J. & Albertson, K. (2016). Recovery and desistance: what the emerging recovery movement in the alcohol and drug area can learn from models of desistance from offending. Addiction Research & Theory 25(1): 1-10.
Coomber, R., Moyle, L., Belackova, V., et al. (2018). The burgeoning recognition and accommodation of the social supply of drugs in international criminal justice systems: An eleven-nation comparative overview. International Journal of Drug Policy 58(2018): 98-103.
Coyne, C.J. & Hall, A. R. (2017). Four decades and counting. CATO Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/four-decades-counting-continued-failure-war-drugs
Farabee, D., Prendergast, M. & Anglin, M.D. (1998). The effectiveness of coerced treatment for drug-abusing offenders. 62 Fed. Probation 3 (1998).
Study Document
Mental Health Courts
Mental health courts in the criminal justice system are designed for individuals with a mental health disability. They act as alternative courts for such individuals though they are similar to … As a result of unique needs of these individuals, practitioners altered their approaches to mental health individuals coming into contact with the criminal justice system through establishing mental health courts. This resulted in fundamental in how mental health issues affecting the criminal justice system are dealt with.
Even though there are different components of the criminal justice system, the commonalities of the solutions identified for such individuals include de-stigmatization and treatment programs. De-stigmatization and mental health treatment has characterized approaches … and treatment programs. De-stigmatization and mental health treatment has characterized approaches adopted to deal mental health individuals coming into contact with the criminal justice system. As a result, the criminal justice system employs a problem-solving approach, community-based treatment,……
References
References
Mental Health America. (2020). Position Statement 53: Mental Health Courts. Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.mhanational.org/issues/position-statement-53-mental-health-courts
Thompson, M., Osher, F. & Tomasini-Joshi, D. (2007). Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses. Retrieved from Bureau of Justice Assistance website: https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/Publications/MHC_Essential_Elements.pdf
Study Document
Race And Incarceration Rates
Introduction
Race has always been a cultural factor in the U.S. and it is certainly a factor in today’s criminal justice system. James (2018:30) has shown that current “research on police officers has found that they tend to associate African Americans with threat” (30). …
The Root of the Problem
Alexander (2012) notes that the mass incarceration of African Americans is because of racial prejudice in the criminal justice system (informed by the same culture that promote Manifest Destiny nearly 200 years ago): she points out, for instance, that 50% of the … ago): she points out, for instance, that 50% of the young African American male population is “currently under the control of the criminal justice system” (Alexander 2012:16). Another issue is the unjust War on Drugs which disproportionately impacts African Americans, who are commonly denied representation and are … for change to trickle down, and say to those……
References
References
Aguirre, A., & Baker, D. V. (Eds.). 2008. Structured inequality in the United States: Critical discussions on the continuing significance of race, ethnicity, and gender. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Alexander, Michelle. 2012. The New Jim Crow. New York: New Press.
Davis, Angela. 2012. The Meaning of Freedom. San Francisco: City Light Books.
James, Lois. 2018. The stability of implicit racial bias in police officers. Police Quarterly 21(1):0-52.
Lopez, German. 2018. There are huge racial disparities in how US police use force. Retrieved July 30, 2019 ( https://www.vox.com/identities/2016/8/13/17938186/police-shootings-killings-racism-racial-disparities ).
O’Sullivan, John. 1845. Annexation. United States Magazine and Democratic Review 17(1):5-10.
Pettit, Becky, and Bruce Western. 2004. Mass imprisonment and the life course: Race and class inequality in US incarceration." American sociological review 69(2):151-169.
Plessy v. Ferguson. 1896. Retrieved July 30, 2019 ( https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537 ).
Study Document
Gender And Crime
Gender and Crime
Problem of Equality in the Criminal Justice System
Why Women Need Special Gender Specific Programs in Prison
Some of the biggest hurdles the criminal justice system faces in implementing programs and policies that effectively address the needs and experiences of female offenders are that this population is so … have different social needs than males and their interaction style is different and thus places unique requirements upon program providers within the criminal justice system. They are vulnerable to sexual harassment, and to poor self-esteem, which must be built up if they are to go on to … for, which adds to the amount of services they require. In short, many of the women incarcerated or who pass through the criminal justice system are in much more need of support, counseling, and guidance than they are of incarceration. They are mainly non-violent offenders, many of … mainly non-violent……
References
References
Bloom, B., & Covington, S. (1998, November). Gender-specific programming for female offenders: What is it and why is it important. In 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Washington, DC.
Study Document
Criminology Theory
Criminology Theory
Answer A:
The documentary showed how the criminal justice system is biased towards the whites while having a huge number of African-American imprisoned. This documentary revolves around the racial injustice that happens within the criminal justice system, incarcerating many African-Americans on petty crimes, filling most of the prisons with them. This is shown as just an extension of slavery, … bad conditions of jail cause desensitization within the imprisoned, as shown, making them mentally unhealthy
Also, the re-emergence of punitive sanctions and expressive Justice is shown within the documentary through police brutality that is shown, which gave birth to several riots like Rodney King, Detroit riot (1967), ……
Study Document
Criminal Profiling Of Serial Killers
… of the popular misconception that the larger public has regarding the power of crime scene investigations, has had a negative impact on criminal justice proceedings. For instance, Alldredge (2015) points out that the CSI Effect unfortunately has led to jurors in courtroom trials having unrealistic expectations about … information collected from crime reports and indexed in databases like the UCR. It is the expression of knowledge that professionals in the criminal justice field have in understanding motives for crime, the type of individuals who engage in specific types of crime, how victims relate to the ……
References
References
Alldredge, J. (2015). The" CSI Effect" and Its Potential Impact on Juror Decisions. Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science, 3(1), 6.
Bonn, S. (2019). How the FBI Profiles Serial Offenders. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201905/how-the-fbi-profiles-serial-offenders
Dogra, T.D. et al. (2012). A psychological profile of a serial killer: A case report. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying 65(4), 299-316.
FBI. (2019). Summary of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Retrieved from https://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2009/aboutucr.html
Karson, M. (2017). Why Profiling Serial Killers Can’t Work. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-our-way/201711/why-profiling-serial-killers-can-t-work
Miller, L. (2014). Serial killers: I. Subtypes, patterns and motives. Aggression and Violent Behavior 19, 1-11.
Samuel, D. B., & Widiger, T. A. (2007). Describing Ted Bundy's personality and working towards DSM-V. Practice, 27, 20-22.
Sarteschi, C. M. (2016). Serial Murder. In Mass and Serial Murder in America (pp. 45-67). Springer, Cham.
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