Criminal Justice Policy Processes - Essay Example

This article aims to highlight various criminal justice policy processes and the significance of implementing justice as its significant part. Important ideas throughout the article revolve around the contribution of the various stakeholders such as special interest groups and individual policy makers within the court jurisdiction. Introduction The criminal justice system is composed of three major stages: first, the creation of laws; second, adjudication implemented by the courts; and third, corrections.

Corrections take place in confinement facilities such as jails, probation and parole units as well as in prisons. In a functional system of criminal justice, these distinct organizations work in tandem with regard to the legal provisions guiding the process and under the tradition of keeping the sanctity of law within a population. The implementation of criminal justice begins with policing: the first contact a suspected criminal has with the system is normally the law enforcement agencies. Police probe a suspected offense and initiate an arrest.

The suspect is then taken to court where all incriminating evidence is tabled to enable the judges to make an informed decision on whether or not the suspect is culpable of the criminal accusations leveled against him or her. The court may acquit the individual or rule that he/she is to be taken to correction facility in case he or she is guilty. Participants in the Criminal Justice System The police act as the first department of the criminal justice system, which apprehends and investigates suspects for their suspected criminal actions.

If needed, law enforcement agencies are authorized to use any means of legal force to implement order in society. The second department, courts play the role of a place where criminal suspects are proven guilty or otherwise – the venue of administration of justice. In light of the criminal justice, numerous individuals play pivotal roles in any courtroom. These important people are called the courtroom work group. The team is comprised of both specialized staff and non-professional persons.

These encompass the jury, prosecutor, and the defense lawyer. The jury is made up of judges or magistrates. For one to qualify for the post, he or she should be proficient in the law. An arbitrator is normally elected or nominated to impartially oversee the trial process and recommend a final verdict to conclude a case (Max, 2010). The Process of Criminal Justice McDonnell (2011) indicates that the criminal justice is a compound process, encompassing an array of stages opening with a criminal inquiry and up to the discharge of an individual who has completed his or her jail term.

Throughout the process, regulations and drawing conclusion are the major tenets of this process. In view of this, these structures must come from somewhere. Such areas include the legal statutes containing Bill of Rights, the state code, court verdicts, federal policies of criminal processes, the state regulations of criminal process, jurisdiction and agency traditions. For instance, in the United States, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure dictate the course of all criminal trials in the country’s courts.

Stages in the administration of criminal justice First: Probe of an offense by the law enforcers. The need for investigation into a criminal activity involves the gathering of proof to corner a