Criminology

The primary role of criminal justice system is to take care of the interest of the offender and the victim. The three components of criminal justice system, the law enforcement, the adjudications and correction, all work together to ensure that justice is done to the involved parties. However, the correctional component affects other components positively or negatively depending on their efficiency.      

Criminal Justice System
Many people believe that the major role on the criminal judicial system is to detriment the offender or the victim. This is not necessarily true. Although the criminal judicial system may be confusing and irresistible to an individual who is not well equipped with the working of the system, it has proper mechanisms that are aimed at protecting the rights of the victims and the criminals. The criminal system is composed of three components that work together to protect the interest and rights of both the offender and the victim of the crime. These components include the law enforcement, the adjudications and correction components.

The law enforcement component includes all the security agencies including the police. It is the first component to be contacted in case of a criminal act. The legal duties of the law enforcers is to receive and record crime reports, investigate and gather evidence about the crime which is followed by the arrest of the offender. Depending on particular situation, more than one security agency may be involved in these legal duties of the law enforcement component of criminal justice system. The second component of the criminal justice system is responsible for adjudication and includes the prosecution and the judiciary. The process of prosecution guarantees both parties involved their basic rights either as the victim of crime or the offender. The prosecutor ensures that both parties are assured of legal representation, speedy trial and the right to be heard. The role of the judiciary is to oversee the trial proceedings and ensure that the law is strictly followed in the criminal justice system. Based on the evidence presented and how the prosecutor presents the case, the judiciary gives the final decision on the case.

Although all the components of the criminal justice system are equally important, the final component, corrections is in a way essential in determining the fate of the offender. It includes all institutional frameworks aimed at rehabilitation deterrence, retribution and incapacitation of the offender. Correction may either be incarceration or probation of the offender. Probation involves the offender being assigned to a supervising officer on behalf of the court and is only recommended when the offender is not considered a threat to the society. The offender can also be fined by the court and referred to a counselor incase of minor offences. Otherwise the offender is sent to jail where the staff of the facility is responsible until he is released.

The correction component of criminal justice system has a big impact on other components. The impact may be positive or negative. The effectiveness of the correctional facilities will impact on the law enforcement in that the police may be striving to eliminate criminals from the society while these facilities are releasing hardened criminals back into the community. On the other hand, if the correctional facilities are able to rehabilitate the criminals being released, the task of the law enforcers is made easier.

In conclusion, all the three components of the criminal justice system should work together to ensure that there is no self perpetuating cycle of crime and recidivism. The law enforcers should respond well to crimes and be vigilant in their investigation, the judiciary should make the right judgments while the correctional facilities should ensure that the released offenders are fit to be absorbed back into the society.