What is Criminal Justice?
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Criminal justice is the application or study of laws regarding criminal behavior. Those who study criminal justice include the police, those working in a judiciary capacity, and lawyers who either defend or prosecute those accused of a crime. Others work to advocate for changes in the current system of criminal justice, such as those who render decisions regarding current laws, like members of Supreme Courts. It is important that the criminal justice system includes the word justice, since laws applied to those accused of a crime should be fair.
Justice also refers not only to the fair trial accorded to the citizens of most countries, but also to the just retribution for victims of a crime, as for example, seeing an offender jailed. Criminal justice is always a goal. All involved in the arrest, prosecution, defense or judgment of a suspect aim to be fair. However, this goal is not always met, accounting for the flexibility in the application of laws, the changes to laws that are unfair, and the judiciary power of interpretation.
As a field of study, most who will work with parts of the law that involve behavior defined as criminal, will study criminal justice. Training and certification for police officers often is merely called criminal justice. Lawyers with a special interest in either the prosecution or defense of suspected criminals may also choose to major in criminal justice in a four-year degree program. Knowledge of the laws, rights and privileges of victims and suspects is essential to aiming for justice in both the court and law enforcement systems.
Those who have interest in training with the FBI or CIA may also choose to obtain a four-year degree in criminal justice. Such a degree not only studies the law as it stands, but as well evaluates the law. Subjects in universities that offer a major in criminal justice may be varied. They may include topics like forensic psychology, history of criminal justice, ethics, and sociology.
Police officers train specifically on what powers they have in relationship to a suspect, and what powers they do not have. They learn how to legally administer criminal justice in their capacity as law enforcement. They further train in the measures of force, such as shooting a gun or employing pepper spray that may be lawfully used, and must be used with capability. A certain skill set in the apprehension of an escaping criminal is required. Most hoping to work in law enforcement first study criminal justice and then attend special academies to receive further training.
Despite training, criminal justice is not always just. There are great cops and terrible ones, judges who are too strict, and those who are too lenient. There are also very skilled and exceptional lawyers, and very poorly organized lawyers. Many argue, in particular, that laws in the US seem to be particularly unjust to minority populations, since they frequently have little money to spend on top lawyers.
There are numerous examples to cite of the misfiring of criminal justice. There is always room for improvement in this field. Very many people continue to work toward the goal of true criminal justice while continuing to exemplify fairness in this field and its applications.
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I am seventeen years old, and in my senior year of high school, planning on going to college to get a degree in criminal justice. I'm neither white nor black, but i believe that the race card is pulled out more than necessary.
The thing is no matter what the situation is, whether an authority [police officer, etc.] is being racist (though i highly disagree with racism), if you break the law, you break the law. It doesn't matter what you think whether or not it is fair. It just means that you haven't learned your lesson. Yeah sometimes a punishment seems harsh for the crime you did, but if you didn't want to be punished then you shouldn't have done the crime. Point blank. Sooner or later, biased people will learn that there is no difference between racism besides genetics. Until then people are going to be closed minded and ignorant. So if you're going to do a crime, suck it up and learn from it. Authorities are just doing their job the way they think is the right way. Don't blame them for your (criminals) stupidity. It is a title they have, not who they are. - anon52264
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I agree it's not a black or white thing any longer. The color is "green" now. Money talks, and it is sad but true. It seems you can pay your way out of anything these days. That's our government's fault! - anon50832
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Justice should be for all,and it should not have anything to do with money. People were put in their positions to protect the people. It should not have anything to do with race either. People that hold positions with authority should do their jobs! They should be held accountable! Protect the people! - anon50424
15
Even though i am an American citizen i would have to strongly agree that justice really isn't justice, strictly because there are biased and judgemental people in all areas of the law who use the law to make other people's lives a hell hole even if those people are in the right. There is not right or wrong in society anymore, it's just how you happen to "feel" in the moment of injustice. - anon50144
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you know it's dumb that people are using race against each other and that the law is the law. and i just want to say that the flowing people are right in what crime you commit is the payment that you shall serve as an individual. using excuses is not right but definitely wrong to try to manipulate the problem with the law and the crime committed. - anon49711
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I am a Nigerian and i am very interested studying criminal justice. Presently, i am a student of The National Open University of Nigeria, studying criminology and security studies. I would like to do my masters in criminal justice, to focus mainly on drug law enforcement,or i will do my masters in Forensic Psychology, as well as focusing on fighting crime in my country. Please tell me the possibilities of my combinations. thanks - anon49066
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anon 46088 did you learn a valuable lesson? Good. Now use that degree and help the ones who don't have what it takes to understand the difference! - anon47754
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I am a white female and was arrested for selling 1 gram of meth to an informant who sold me out so she would not be punished. This was in 1997 and my first offense. I did not receive a bond for 60 days and when I did it was for 1 million dollars. That is a $1,000,000 bail for a gram of meth sold to someone who had been caught breaking the law. Oh, and I did not come from money so I waited in jail until my bond was finally reduced to $500,000. I learned from that time in jail. I received a harsh sentence (10 years)and have now completed that sentence. Don't tell me about your poor little race problem. The playing field is much more unfair for whites now than it is blacks. Reverse racism is over coming not only our neighborhoods and communities but also our governments. Ironically, I have decided to get my Criminal Justice degree. I don't care what race you are, you break the law, you do the time. - anon46088
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The color of our justice system is intrinsically "green". i'ts for whoever can afford the best defense. You get what you pay for. which is wrong in itself. We should only allow the best in our justice system -- those without agendas, political or otherwise. There should be a better gamut of "checks and balances" to ensure this; this way the poorest of the poor to the "Bill Gates" of the world can get the best criminal justice care. Maybe then it won't be so lucrative to get justice according to your wallet rather than the penalty for the crime. - anon44757
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are you guys serious? i mean really? it is not that of people being black or white that will have sentences worse than others. it is the crime. if you want me to be honest, how many black people you see out on the streets doing and selling drugs? how many white? i'm not saying that white people don't do that because i'm from a place where they do. but the black "mobs" completely outnumber the white "mobs." also, the sentence doesn't matter. you did the crime, and now you're going to pay for it. people who complain about that, get over it, and own up to your mistake, because you are in jail for a reason. - anon44637
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how can blacks be sentenced to death much more often than white when the naacp even acknowledges that out of the 2948 inmates on death row in the us 49 percent are white and 40 percent are black? get your facts straight before you cry about something - anon39230
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Everyone likes to use race as an excuse! I dont care who is what color, when evidence is presented that you comitted a crime you must pay for it! And lets not forget that racism goes both ways! These days it's *money* that talks. The only color with any influence is green! - anon38601
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In the past that was true.I believe that now justice is more considered by financial status.That a poor white man will get a more severe sentence than a rich black man. I.E OJ Simpson TMC. - anon37668
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I hear the same old thing some minority complaining about his/her right's being violated as an American citizen. People of ethnicity or of a foreign race always say white white what you have to remember is that when there is a case there is a jury and it is made of a melting pot of people! There are Black judges and white judges they all give equal treatment because that's what they have sworn to do. There are black and white cops yeah maybe some are racist, but I think it's slim about 5% maybe. - anon27984
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It could be true about race being unjustly treated, but the same thing could be said about poor people who can't afford lawyers; white, black or any race. One day there will be an America where race is no longer an issue. It has started with Obama. It will never happen while people excuse people because the color of their skin. - anon26025
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This may be so true about races. White people get away with a lot of the same crimes that other races do and while it seems fair to some people it may not be for other i say give it to equalizing it everyone should pay for have done and not for what their race is. - anon13480
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It may be called "justice" but in many countries, including the United States, there is a lot more justice for white people and very little for those of other races. People of color are often sentenced to longer prison terms for the same crimes as whites, and are sentenced to death much more often than white peopl. - osmosis
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Written by
Tricia Ellis-Christensen
Last Modified: 12 November 2009
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