NCJ Number
99787
Date Published
1984
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This overview of the U.S. criminal justice system from the police through corrections concludes that although Americans rely on the courts to solve problems in an unprecedented degree, citizens' faith in the system is at a low ebb and reforms are needed to make it more equitable.
Abstract
The booklet first comments on police ineffectiveness because arrests are made in only 19 percent of serious crimes reported. The increasing involvement of judges in emotional, social, and political issues which legislatures have either refused or failed to solve is discussed, as is the failure of judges to reform the system they criticize. A survey of weak links in the justice system that contribute to its collapse considers bail abuses, plea bargaining, appeals on technical errors, and the insanity plea. The benefits and problems associated with determinate and indeterminate sentences are explored. The booklet traces the historical evolution of the penitentiary, with attention to the rehabilitation versus custody debate, overcrowding, and whether prison deters crime. Other topics discussed include weaknesses in the parole system, how lawyers help clog the courts, capital punishment, and grand jury reform.