Criminal Justice Trends - Research Paper Example

The paper will finally discuss the value of the criminal justice system in a changing society. In many societies today, people heavily depend on policing within their communities as more and more human beings want to feel safe around their communities and the world at large. The changes in the criminal justice system can be seen by looking at how cautious people are becoming towards crime (Sunga, 1997). For example, many years back, the rates of crimes reported by many police departments were very low.

Surveys show that people felt safer and would even walk in and out of their homes at night without feeling threatened. However, these trends have changed and the rates of crimes have been reported to have gone up significantly (Walker, 1980). These changes are reflected in the criminal justice system. As the rate of crime increases, the criminal justice system has had to adjust so as to deal with the increase (Fuller, 2005). The criminal justice system generally refers to a collection of local, state or federal public agencies that are instituted to deal with the problem of crime.

The criminal justice system is made up of three important components: the police, corrections and the courts. These three components work together to ensure that crimes are deterred or prevented through the apprehension, trial and punishment of criminal offenders (Walker, 1980). This means that the criminal justice system is made up of a legislative branch which is responsible for the creation of laws, adjudication which comprises of the courts of law and the corrections branch which comprises of parole, probation, prisons and jails (Fuller, 2005).

The police are contained in police departments which are public agencies charged with the responsibility of maintaining order and enforcing the criminal law. Police officers operate within communities so as to control and prevent crime. The courts on the other hand are tribunals where people who have been accused of criminal offenses have their cases listened to and determined by judges or juries. Correction facilities comprise of jails, parole, prisons and probation which are meant to rehabilitate or punish criminal offenders so as to ensure public safety.

These components of the criminal justice system have been undergoing several changes over the years (Sunga, 1997). It is important to note that as society evolves, so does the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system has been in constant evolution so as to keep up with the priorities of societies (Walker, 1980). As society changes and advances, the criminal justice system has had to be altered so as to keep up with the societal changes and advances by protecting and serving the unique needs of the changing society (Fuller, 2005).

As society becomes more and more aware about human rights and the importance of fairness, justice and equality regardless of race or gender, the criminal justice system has had to change so as to adapt to these societal demands (Sunga, 1997). A review of the recent trends that affect the criminal justice system shows that the criminal justice system has been changing in many areas such as in racial and gender issues. These include statuses of women, gender discrimination, racial discrimination and minorities in society (Walker, 1980).

A good example that can be used to illustrate the changing trends is seen in the police departments. For example, in the past, there have been a lot of obstacles