Law enforcement is an extremely important role in the criminal justice system and ensures that citizens are kept safe and feeling secure.
The Criminal Justice Coalition was dedicated to help everyone understand the criminal justice system, offering expertise and unique insights into the world of law enforcement.
Here at Fair Punishment, we share these goals and want to keep the Criminal Justice System alive so that it can continue to help educate citizens. This is why we have acquired their domain and are excited to move forward with our shared mission.
Let’s take a look into the content that we’re producing to expand people’s knowledge and personal safety. It pays to be clued up on the justice system, in case you ever need to challenge something that doesn’t seem quite right.
Who are we?
Fair Punishment is a legal resource made up of professional journalists, attorneys, and objective content providers. We answer legal questions concerning public safety, criminal justice and criminology, juvenile crime, and more.
We think that it is important for everyone to know their rights and what they can expect if they are ever involved with the justice system. We wanted to create a free resource that can answer all of your questions in one simple, easy to understand way.
We believe in second chances
Here at Fair Punishment, we don’t always consider offenders to be the villains. Reentry into society is incredibly important so that offenders don’t commit another crime due to prejudice or being labeled as an outcast.
It’s important to know about the Second Chance Act and how it can help people after they leave prison. This Act is in place to help people get back on their feet and reduce the likelihood of them reoffending and returning to prison.
The Second Chance Act is not the only help that a prisoner can receive after returning to society. There are also reentry programs that they can be enrolled in, offering mental health support and more for people who might be struggling with reentering society.
To someone who has never entered the criminal justice system, you might not understand why reentry to society, and guiding offenders through the process, is so important. However, many cases show that after prisoners are released, they reoffend within a matter of months.
This is because of the lack of support given, in regards to housing, education, health, public safety, employment, drug support, and more. Some offenders believe that they are safer in prison than back in society.
Due to this, we believe that reentry programs and reentry courts are imperative in the mission of getting offenders integrated back into society. Reentry courts have shown signs of reducing recidivism within a year, so it is hopeful that they will continue to work and become more effective as research is conducted.
It is so important for us to support reentry and offenders however they need. Some experience horrible things in prison that can be detrimental to mental health. Post Incarceration Syndrome is just one issue that offenders can be harrowed with upon reentry.
Know your rights
We are often surprised about how little citizens know about the criminal justice system and its policies. These policies are very important in terms of democracy, law and order, and justice. They ensure that everyone is treated fairly during their time in the system.
Without criminal justice policies, there would be no unified method of dealing with offenders. The policies ensure that two people who have commited the same crime are treated the same and actioned accordingly.
A few examples of criminal justice policies are The Violence Against Women Act (1994), The Gun Control Act (1968), The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1979), and the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (1988).
There are five pillars of the criminal justice system:
- Retribution
- Deterrence
- Rehabilitation
- Incapacitation
- Restoration
While some might have theories on the criminal justice system and what it is trying to achieve, these are the five main objectives. It has been put in place to prevent crime, protect the public, support victims, reform offenders, and hold them responsible.
Putting public safety first
One objective of the criminal justice system is to protect the public and its safety. This can come in many forms, but some examples are as follows: emergency services, transport safety, and urban planning.
Public safety officers are responsible for looking after the wellbeing of citizens, and you’ll often see them in public patrolling and ensuring that nothing dangerous is happening. They might be looking for dangerous driving, fires, or anything else suspicious that could harm the public.
Public safety officers can also be named public safety personnel. This is an umbrella term for anyone whose job it is to protect the public. Some examples are fire fighters, park rangers, mountain rescue, and life guards.
Public safety personnel will work for a Department of Safety, which is a government agency responsible for overseeing the emergency response departments and other public safety and security departments.
While it sounds like their lower departments do all of the work and the Department of Safety just looks over it, they actually have a crucial role in public safety. They act as the common ground of all of the public safety departments, so that the emergency services can work together and remain on the same page.
Different states have varied rules for their Department of Safety, so check what they are responsible for in your state. Some have much more responsibility than others.
If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen more public safety programs in place, look no further than your phone. The United States and Apple have come together to help search for missing persons.
The system alerts the public if they are in an area in which a person has recently gone missing. Once you receive the alert, you can help look for the missing person and hopefully get them returned home safely.
Justice for juveniles
In the United States, the Juvenile justice system is a number of court-based processes used to support young people accused of breaking the law. The juvenile justice system is different from the adult justice system.
This system was created to hold young people under the age of 18 to a different standard to adults. Despite the crimes being the same, people under the age of 18 will go through the juvenile justice court.
When going through the juvenile justice court, the sentences tend to be more minor than those of the adult court. This is true even if the crime is major, such as murder or rape. Even if the offender is taken to a juvenile detention center, the average stay is just 27 days.
However, if the crime is serious enough the offender might be taken through the adult court system. Juveniles might commit crimes due to personal or psychological circumstances, which might contribute to a reduced sentence.
If there is enough evidence to suggest why the juvenile committed the crime, the judge might give them a more relaxed sentence. Many of these reasons do not apply to adult offenders, which is why juvenile offenders differ from adult offenders.
Are we doing enough?
Some people believe in the crime control policy, which is a theory that believes in police and prosecutors gaining more power if we want to reduce the crime rates. This is a theory that some abide by and that some disagree strongly with.
If you’re worried about the public health system not doing enough, then why not consider entering the system as public safety personnel? There is always a need for more workers with strong morals and values, who want to give back to the community.
Give it some thought, and in the meantime, why don’t you take a look through our website to learn more about the criminal justice system, public safety, and much more.
