Criminal Justice

As a society there is need for a criminal justice system, as it is essential to have laws throughout the population. We have these laws so people cannot use money or power to benefit themselves. The laws also establish that each person should understand their and everyone else’s rights and obligations within the community. The criminal justice system, is a system of laws and rulings which protect community members and their property. Therefore, the laws determine which acts are criminal and how the offender is punished. (Sallmann, P. nd Wills, J. 1984 Criminal Justice in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. ) The criminal justice system in Australia formed centuries ago, with new forms of punishments added along the way. From then till now Australian judges have interpreted, applied and developed these laws, the Australian parliaments have also added to them through legislation. (Sallmann, P. and Wills, J. 1984 Criminal Justice in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. ) Why we need a criminal justice system There are three main divisions in criminal justice system, which exists of Police, Courts, and Corrections.

Firstly, Police have the responsibility to investigate and apprehend criminals. Secondly, Courts are responsible for fair trial and sentencing. Thirdly, Corrections are responsible for imprisonment and supervision. The main purpose of this system is to manage public safety. In Australia we have nine legal systems, comprising eight State or Territory systems and one federal system. Most of the administration of courts, the legal profession and legislation occurs in the States and Territories. Therefore, each State and Territory is responsible to carry out the laws and rulings for the criminal justice system. Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) 1995, The Justice Statement, AGD, Canberra. ) The criminal justice system’s goals are to ensure that legislation and the law is upheld at all times. For example, protecting the innocent, punishing the guilty, preserving order and peace and protecting victims from further anguish. Another goal the criminal justice system seems to be focusing on is education for the public regarding crime and rehabilitation of offenders. This method is achieved by deterring offenders or preventing crimes from spreading. Therefore, the goals of the criminal justice system are to balance criminal activity and crime revention. There is an abundance of people, who think the criminal justice system is not really a system, and that it has always been flawed. It fails to deliver true justice and is expensive and incompetent in determining cases. On the other hand there are many people who firmly defend the system against such criticism, viewing it as only needing little change. As always, the truth lies somewhere in between the two arguments.

The criminal justice system is subject to continual criticism. Many of its qualities, such as the wearing of gowns and wigs, are seen to imitate a system which is outdated, hiding in old traditions and rocedures and out of touch with the society of today. As a society we need to understand that the police alone can’t overcome all crimes therefore, it can’t deal with every criminal. The criminal justice system introduced community based programs and institutions to help build safer communities. Examples of these programs and institutions are, Neighbourhood Watch and Community Corrections. Firstly, Neighbourhood Watch is a community based program, which aims to minimise crime within the community. This program requires both the community and the police working together to accomplish his goal.  Secondly, Community Corrections is an institution which manages and supervises offenders on community based supervision orders such as Probation, Parole, Home Detention, Community Work and Bail. This institution requires the community, Courts and the Parole Board to all work together, to achieve the optimum result. The criminal justice system is a complex social tree, the branches of this tree combine social and economic causes.

It is often these other causes that determine the crimes committed and the response of the criminal justice system. These creators of crime can be sorted into two main groups: environmental risk factors and individual risk factors. Environmental risk factors include the physical, social, family, community, economic, cultural and political environments in which an individual lives For example, higher rates of unemployment can have an impact on levels of crime, which in turn will affect all sectors of the criminal justice system. Individual risk factors include mental and physical health status, demographic and ocioeconomic characteristics, attitudes and beliefs, and lifestyles and behaviour. These individual risk factors must also be considered when looking at the broader context of the criminal justice systems. Various researches have addressed different outlooks to explain why some people have a criminal tendency. Examples of these outlooks are by Cesare Lombroso and Sigmund Freud. Firstly, Lombroso states that criminals have stigmata, and that these stigmata consist of abnormal dimensions of the skull and jaw.

Lombroso even claimed that different criminals have different physical characteristics which he could discern. (Cesare Lombroso. (2009). Secondly, Sigmund Freud hypothesized that the most common element that contributed to criminal behaviour was faulty identification by a child with her or his parents. The improperly socialized child may develop a personality disturbance that causes her or him to direct antisocial impulses inward or outward. The child who directs them outward becomes a criminal, and the child that directs them inward becomes a neurotic. (Sigmund Freud (1961).

Conclusion

For a society to work it needs to have a level of structure, that is applied and understood by everyone. Laws within the criminal justice system create that structure and regulate the way in which people and organisations behave. If we did not have a criminal justice system, there would be a lot of chaos, within the systems of management and crime control. Therefore, if there is no threat for punishment, the level of crime within the society could be quiet high. The major goals in criminal justice tend to be creating a helping hand in reducing crime, through bringing major offences to justice, or raising the communities confidence.

Along with others the justice system works towards preventing crime or helping offenders turn away from committing a crime. (Goldsmith, Israel and Daly 2006) Therefore, the criminal justice system is to create balance throughout society. We as a society need this system, to protect people within our communities from crime and preventing crime. Is the system fair? No. But the criminal justice system can only be as fair as human beings are capable of making it.

References

1. Sallmann, P. and Wills, J. 1984 Criminal Justice in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
2. Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) 1995, The Justice Statement, AGD, Canberra.
3. (Neighbourhood Watch, http://www. nhw. com. au/Home)
4. (Community Corrections http://www. nt. gov. au/justice/corrservices/community _corrections/index. shtml)
5. The National Criminal Justice Statistical Framework, Jul 2001.
6. Cesare Lombroso. (2009). New World Encyclopaedia.
7. Freud, S. (1961). The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud (Vol. 19). London: Hogarth.
8. Goldsmith, Israel and Daly 2006, Crime and Justice: An Australian Textbook in Criminology (3rd Edition) Sydney: Lawbook Company.

Leadership Skills for Criminal Justice Professionals Leadership involves the commitment, dedication, and risk taking attitude of the individual, which also includes other skills to accomplish the tasks. “In a criminal justice organization, leadership is essential to the success of the goals of the organization” (McKinney, 2008). Criminal justice professionals should develop and maintain leadership skills in their professional and personal lives because they are role models, and their decision-making is suppose to be trusted by the public.

The field of criminal justice is very broad, which includes professions like law enforcement, information security, and forensic science; however, there are many career choices in that field that require some of the same skills in leadership. Communication is a major skill in the success of careers in the criminal justice field. “Professionals in this field should possess excellent communication skills because they must be able to give suggestions to employees, give orders to people over whom they have authority, and explain clearly to the community what legal issues are involved” (“Qualities of Good Criminal Justice,” 2011).

Professionals will need to be able to speak clearly, effectively, and with confidence and authority. In addition, a professional in the criminal justice field must be able to write in a manner that is understandably clear and relayed effectively. They will be writing anything from reports, press releases to parole orders from time to time; therefore, they also need to be comfortable with versatile writing styles and requirements. Good communication skills will help the justice professional to avoid conflicts and solve problems.

Another vital leadership skill that a criminal justice professional should have or develop is the ability to think fast with a sound mind in order to make good judgment calls when faced with any issue. Meaning, in order to act in a way that is effective, a professional must possess the ability to evaluate a situation in order to determine what the next course of action that possibly needs to be taken. By applying analytics to forge an information-led strategy, criminal justice leaders can make decisions based on solid, robust data and allocate resources effectively to guide prevention, intervention and/or suppression tactics.

Sometimes it is good to solicit opinions and obtain feedback from those that can be trusted or have had a similar situation to contend with. Finally, although most careers include some level of stress, some more than others, careers in the criminal justice field may be considered more stressful than any of the others. “In a career that deals with public safety, law enforcement, crime and punishment, and legal maneuvers, stress is inescapable” (Qualities of Good Criminal Justice,” 2011).

A professional working in the field of criminal justice absolutely must be able to deal with the personal stress of the job with a competent state of mind at all times while performing their duties effectively and safely. Failure to properly cope with stress endangers criminal justice workers and can compromise public safety. It is important to stay in charge of emotions, but even more important to leave it at work and forget about it when you go home.

The leadership skills mentioned above are only a few on a long list needed to be a strong leader, but being a professional in the field also means that one must possess a strong ethical sensibility. Why? Because they will be working to promote adherence to laws in order to prevent law-breaking, as well as determining consequences for those who do not follow the law. “Virtue ethics encourages people to act according to the best aspects of their personalities, assuming each has the capacity to act with prudence, honesty, courage and fairness” (Frenz, 2011).

Without knowledge of ethics, criminal justice professionals may be naive about moral issues occurring within the criminal justice system. Many people think that acting lawfully is the same as acting ethically, but that’s not the case. Understanding ethics enables an appreciation of the complexities of acts that involve ethical issues and dilemmas There are so many leadership skills that a criminal justice professional should possess, and only a few was touched on in this essay. One important thing that a good leader can recognize is when to lead and when to follow. With criminal justice organizations constantly evolving and having to change, it is important to have a leader that is able to work with his subordinates and superiors to make effective decision that take the organization in the best directions” (McKinney, 2008¬). Ethics and morals encourage people to make beneficial, respectful and fair decisions. Ethical considerations are central to decisions involving discretion, force, and due process that require people to make good moral judgments. Therefore, it is imperative that the individuals put in any type of executive role to have formidable leadership skills.

Reference Frenz, R. (2011). Importance of ethics and morals. eHow. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com about_6718517_importance-ethics-morals. html Mckinney, C. (2008, April 3). Modern leadership theories in criminal justice. Yahoo Voices. Retrieved from http://voices. yahoo. com/modern-leadership-theories-criminal-justice- 1338251. html Qualities of good criminal justice professionals. (2011). Go Criminal Justice Schools. Retrieved from http://gocriminaljusticeschools. com/qualities-of-good-criminal-justice- professionals. html

            The jurisdictions in Warren County suffer from interorganizational conflict as they share a common purpose to eliminate crystal meth labs but don’t know how to work together to solve the problem. As a result, the Warren County officers were subject to both role conflict and role ambiguity. The goal in creating a drug task force was to have a group of officers available to bust meth labs and arrest perpetrators. However, all police departments involved were unaware of the difficulty and challenges this task required and were therefore largely unsuccessful in reaching their goal.

            Role conflict occurred because the officers designated as part of the tactical response team were not properly trained to deal with the wide range of issues present when taking down a meth lab. These officers were expected to destroy meth labs and arrest perpetrators but they didn’t know exactly what was expected of them. For example, superiors never informed the tactical response team to notify the fire department so they could assist with hazardous materials. This lack of communication led to many problems before the subordinate officers realized they needed help. After several months, Warren County realized that the drug force wasn’t really serving any purpose because no one was quite sure what they were supposed to be doing nor were they properly informed of what the job consisted of.

            Role ambiguity was present in this case when officers expected to destroy meth labs and arrest perpetrators received unclear guidelines regarding the proper protocol necessary. The officers in charge of finding and eliminating meth labs were never trained in the proper and safe way to accomplish this task. Therefore, the tactical response team didn’t even have the necessary knowledge about the dangers of meth labs and what it takes to properly get rid of one. The tragic example of the elderly man who was shot and killed is powerful evidence of what can go wrong when drug officers are not properly trained.

Let us first define what organizational behavior is, before we discuss the importance of its functions in the context of a criminal justice agency. Organizational behavior is a field which analyzes, interprets, predicts and controls human behavior in work organizations (Organizational Behavior).

Analysis of the behavioral patterns of individuals or groups is important in predicting possible behavior responses to organizational actions or strategies. The prediction of possible behavior responses may also be the key to gain control.

In the analysis stage, it is vital that the needs of the employee as an individual and as a part of the organization be considered and that the social group behaviors which cause changes or create major impacts in employee motivation and performance, be determined. Its primary goal is to establish more harmonious and productive relationships among the employees and between the employees and management by addressing the individual and organizational concerns.

The elements of organizational behavior include the organization’s goals, values, mission and vision, the organizational culture, leadership, employee motivation, group dynamics and communication (Clark, 1998). A combination of all these elements results to the organization’s operations strategies. From these elements arise the four organizational behavior models. The Autocratic model focuses on power of the managerial position. Employees are expected to depend on their superior or manager for decisions and courses of actions, and they are required to obey.

This is the classic leader-follower model. The Custodial model concentrates on the supervision of money and security for the employees. The economic rewards and benefits of employees are considered. The Supportive model gives importance to employee motivation and recognition by creating a supportive working environment, while the Collegial model values teamwork between the manager and employees as a means to achieve the organization’s goals (An Outline of Organizational Behavior ).

A combination of aspects from the different models would be the ideal organizational set-up due to differences in the employee perceptions and fields of experiences. It may be true that using one model may not be sufficient in addressing the needs of the organization in terms of its manpower, but more companies are now using the Collegial approach due its numerous advantages. This model emphasizes partnership between the employees and the management.

This relationship gives assurance to employees that they are valued and needed by the company and that their importance to the organization is highlighted. It is also not absolute that Collegial model is the only approach used as overlapping of model principles may occur. We will now use the organizational behavior elements in analyzing and suggesting ways to improve effectiveness of a criminal justice agency. Out of the numerous criminal justice agencies, let us focus on the State Police.

The fundamental functions of the State Police include providing of general police services like citizen protection and emergency assistance, enforcement of traffic, highway and criminal laws, crime investigation and intelligence services, assistance in the efforts for state and local law enforcement, and records maintenance and report generation As it is, the job of a state police is not that easy and is in fact dangerous and life-threatening. The job entails enforcement of laws which means arrests or detention of offenders and use of physical force if the situations demand for it.

Risk of life is something that is hard to compensate with money. Bearing this premise in mind, the management of a State Police Department should formulate strategies that would motivate the State Police Officer to continue doing his job despite the threat to life aspect of his job. Thus, employee motivation as an element of organizational behavior is very significant in the maintenance of the workforce because this is where the morale for individual growth and benefit to self and family, is given much consideration.

Police Officers usually leave the service because of dissatisfaction and discouragement sentiments. Most of the time, their expectations when they initially joined where not met and their feelings of working for something that is not worth risking the life for become very strong. Motivation in this sense does not only involve monetary compensation but job recognitions and awards play very important roles in uplifting the spirits of the Police Officers.

The feeling of self-worth comes from being recognized as someone who has done a good job and as someone who is an indispensable part of the organization. Different forms of incentives for the able performance of duties are also great motivators. It is also important to note that provision of ample trainings to officers to increase their competence is a major motivator. Trainings give them the confidence in their abilities and help them accomplish their tasks more efficiently.

Leadership is a very essential element as it is the binding instrument and the bridge from the values, visions and goals of the organization to the employees. The main role of the leader or the head of the Police department in this case, is to cascade the plans and strategies of management down to the bottom ranks. They use the mission and visions of the organization as their guide in the way they delegate responsibilities to their subordinates, how they support the efforts of their subordinates and how they supervise task execution and completion.

The head of the Police Department should be more of a team player because the nature of the job of a Police Officer is not individualistic but more of a group effort. The head should be in tune with the group and should be collaborative in his efforts. He should include all the Police Officers in decision-making processes as they are the ones who are exposed to that actual job arena. They can contribute a lot with regard to present and future strategies because they have already experienced what works and what does not.

The organizational culture as an element helps in the development of a partnership between the Department Management and the Police Officers. If the goals of the organization or the agency are aligned with personal goals of the Police Officers then there would be greater harmony and a strong culture will evolve. This would lessen conflicts within the department. Maintaining open communication lines is also vital to the effectiveness of the entire agency. All employees regardless of their position or rank should be made aware of developments or changes in the organization.

The elements of organizational behavior are all important in the success of a criminal justice agency or any organization for that matter. More than the financial aspect of the organizations, the most vital facet is the human resources. Without a strong workforce, organizations will crumble. People may be willing to patronize or support the organization and its products and services, but if the needed human resources are not available, then there will be nothing to patronize or support. There will be no end product and there will be no services to offer.

The small, European country of Denmark lies just on the border of the North and Baltic Seas upon the peninsula of Germany, also flanked by Norway and Sweden. It is less than twice the size of Massachusetts at 43,094 square kilometers. The weather is generally temperate, humid and overcast with windy winters and cool summers. Denmark’s natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, chalk, stone, gravel and sand. Denmark has a population of 5,484,723 with 65. 9% between the ages of 15 and 64 years old. The population growth rate is 0. 95%; they have a birth rate of 10. 71 per 1000 people and a death rate of 10. 25. The migration rate is 2. 49 per 1000 people and the residents have a life expectancy of 78. 13 years. The nationality of the people of Denmark is Dane, or Danish. The Danish ethnic groups include Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, and Somali. As far as religious beliefs, 95% of Denmark are Evangelical Lutheran, 3% other Christian including Protestant and Roman Catholic and 3% Muslim. The main languages spoken are Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic and German and the predominant second language is English.

The Danes have a 99% literacy rate and the school life expectancy is 17 years. (CIA: World Fact book) Venezuela Venezuela is a much larger country of 912,050 square kilometers and population 26,414,816 in Northern South America bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies flush with Columbia, Brazil and Guyana. It is slightly more than twice the size of California with a tropical climate hot and humid. 63. 8% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64 years old. The population growth rate is 1. 98% with a birth rate of 20. 92 per 1000 population and 5. 1 deaths per 1000 population. The net migration rate is -. 084 per 1000 population and their life expectancy from birth is 73. 45 years. Their nationality is Venezuelan and their ethnic groups are Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, and indigenous people; Spanish is the official language. 96% of Venezuela is nominally Roman Catholic, 2% Protestant and 2% other religions entirely. 93% of Venezuelans are literate and the average school expectancy rate is 12 years.

Law Denmark

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, with the Queen fulfilling the role of head of state, and the government formed out of the parliament. Denmark has a unicameral (single chamber) parliament, with deputies elected through a system of proportional representation, though each member also represents a constituency. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Demark) The political system of Denmark is a multi-party structure, where several parties are represented in the Parliament. Danish governments are most often minority administrations, governing with the aid of one or more supporting parties.

This means that Danish politics are characterized by inter-party compromising. Since 1909 no single party has had the majority of parliamentary seats. A popularly elected parliament, Folketinget, governs the country and the prime minister, the nation’s chief political officer, usually comes from the ranks of the majority party. The Faroe Islands and Greenland come under nominal rule from Denmark. (Visit Denmark) The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen and the chief of state is Queen Margrethe II since January 14, 1972, and Heir Apparent Crown Prince Frederik, the eldest son of the monarch.

The head of the government is Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen since 27 November 2001. The monarch is hereditary, however following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch. Supreme Court judges are appointed by the monarch for life terms. Criminal offenses are defined either in the special part of the Criminal Code or in separate statutes. The general conditions for imposing criminal penalties are found in the general part of the Criminal Code which also apply to separate statutes.

The sanctions described in the general part of the Criminal Code are the same whether the criminal offense consists of a violation of the Criminal Code or of separate statutes. The substantive Danish criminal law is monistic, meaning that violations of the law never have been divided into categories like felony/misdemeanor, crime/delicts or the like. It does not mean, however, that major offenses are treated in the same manner as petty offenses in all respects. (Ravn, Lene) The age of criminal responsibility is 15 years old. According to the Criminal Code the mere possession of narcotic drugs is criminalized.

However, the law is not enforced regarding possession of very small amounts meant for the drug addict’s own consumption. Possession and selling is penalized in a special law on drugs containing the possibility of imprisonment for a period of up to two years. Serious cases of trafficking of drugs are punished with imprisonment within a range of one month to ten years according to the Criminal Code. Venezuela Venezuela’s political system is a Federal Republic. The current Venezuelan constitution was adopted in 1999. Important changes were made regarding the structure of the government as well as in human rights and community participation.

Since the approval by referendum of this constitution, the government consists of five branches, the Executive, Legislative, Judicial, Citizen and Electoral. The Executive Branch: The President and his cabinet. The President is elected by universal, direct and secret ballot for a six-year term. The President may be re-elected for one additional consecutive term only. Legislative: One chamber National Assembly composed by 165 deputies elected for a five- year term. Deputies may be re-elected for up to one additional consecutive term. Judiciary: The new constitution renamed the Supreme Court as the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

Justices are nominated by the civil society. Final appointment requires the approval of at least two thirds of the legislative branch. The Citizens Branch: Created to safeguard public ethics, to ensure respect for the principle of legality in the Administration, and to assume the defense of human rights. The Ombudsman or Defender of the People, the Attorney General and the Comptroller General form this power The Electoral Branch: This authority is independent from other Government Branches and is appointed by nominations from the civil society. Administrative Division: 22 states, 1 federal district and the federal dependencies.

State Governors are elected for a four-year term and may be re-elected for one additional consecutive term only. Most Venezuelans are Roman Catholic. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. All faiths have churches and people may worship freely. Venezuela’s people result from the mingling of European, Amerindian, and African cultures. Traditionally a haven for people of all origins, Venezuela received large waves of immigrants from Europe following World War II and from other Latin American and Caribbean nations during the 1970s.

The Venezuelan chief of state and head of government is President Hugo Chavez Frias since February 3, 1999. The Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo Carrizalez Rengifo since 4 January 2008. The Venezuelan Penal Code distinguishes between crimes, punishable by imprisonment, and misdemeanors (faltas), punishable by arrests or fines. In the Penal Code, crimes are classified by major types, as follows:  Crimes against national sovereignty and national security treason; crimes against national and state government; crimes against international law. Crimes against liberty crimes against political, personal, religious freedom, etc. Corruption these are defined in a special anti-corruption law, enacted in 1982. Crimes against the administration of justice simulating crimes, false testimony, collusion, concealment, etc. Crimes against public order conspiracy to commit crime; incitement to crime; manufacture and carrying of weapons, etc.  Forgery false currency; forged seals, fiscal stamps, documents, passports, licenses, etc.  Crimes against public and private interests arson, causing floods, etc. gainst public health and nutrition. Crimes against public morals and the family rape, seduction, prostitution, corrupting minors, adultery, bigamy, etc.  Crimes against persons homicide, battery, abortion, abandoning children, slander, etc.  Crimes against property theft, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, fraud, etc. (Birkbeck, Christopher) Until 1998, the age of criminal responsibility was 18. In that year, a new Children’s Code (Venezuela, 1998c) established criminal responsibility for adolescents (ages 12 to 17).

However, the adolescent criminal justice system is administratively separate from the adult criminal justice system. Adolescents who turn 18 during adjudication or sentencing continue under the adolescent justice system. (Birkbeck) Police Denmark The state police is a department of the Ministry of Justice. There is no longer a municipal police and the military police only has authority over soldiers according to the Military Criminal Code. Denmark is divided into 54 police districts (excluding the Faeroe Islands and Greenland), each headed by a local chief of police.

The National Commissioner reports to the Minister of Justice. For administrative purposes the police are subdivided into plain-clothes criminal investigators, uniformed patrolmen, traffic police officers, immigration police, and other categories. (Ravn) The common police of Denmark consist of 12 districts each managed by a director and two minor districts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands, run by a chief of police. The mission statement of the Danish police is as follows: The police must work in order to ensure security, safety, peace and order in the society.

The police must promote this purpose through preventive, helping and enforcing work. In addition to the regular districts, there are three other organizations that work outside the common police. Rigspolitiet is the state national police for Denmark. Politiets Efterretningstjeneste, also called PET, is the national security intelligence agency of Denmark. The agency focuses solely upon domestic security while foreign intelligence operations are handled by Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste – an intelligence branch under the Danish military.

The stated overall purpose of PET is to prevent, investigate and counter operations and activities that pose or may pose a threat to the preservation of Denmark as a free, democratic and safe country. The three main duties of the PET are counter terrorism, counter extremism and counter espionage. Politiets Aktionsstyrke (AKS) is the Special Forces unit of the Danish police; a national SWAT team. It is meant to handle extraordinarily difficult or life-threatening criminal situations, such as terrorism, hostage situations, and kidnapping.

It also deals with emergency rescue situations that would be too dangerous for others to handle. The AKS holds responsibility for all anti-terror and counter-terrorism missions in Denmark. New recruits are required to be in good physical condition; good personal and economic condition, and should have achieved good grades in school. New recruits are usually required to be between 21 and 29 years of age, of Danish citizenship or have applied for Danish nationality/citizenship, and without any convictions. The basic training of police personnel takes 3 years.

The training comprises both school education and training of a more practical nature. School education, which consists of 2 courses of 8 months each, takes place at the Police Academy in Copenhagen. The rest of the training time is spent on the job. The Police Academy also presents special courses and leadership courses. All chiefs of police hold a master’s degree in law from a university. (Ravn) Venezuela The national Venezuelan police are the Cuerpo Tecnico de Policia Judicial, or PTJ. They were founded almost immediately after the overthrow of Dictator Marcos Perez Jiminez in 1958.

The PTJ is the primary judicial police force in the country, charged with the reception of crime reports made by citizens, the investigation of crimes, gathering of evidence and arrest of suspects. In all these tasks, the PTJ is subordinated to the public prosecutor’s office. Administratively, the PTJ is attached to the Ministry of the Interior and Justice. The national headquarters are in Caracas, and there is one office in each state capital, with additional offices in some other cities. The PTJ’s name was recently changed to the National Directorate of Criminal Investigation.

The traffic police (Cuerpo Tecnico de Vigilancia del Transito y Transporte Terrestre), administratively attached to the Ministry of Infrastructure, are responsible for surveillance, preliminary investigation and occasionally arresting suspects, in traffic offenses that involve violations of the criminal law. The state police are responsible for patrol work and public order, arrests (when offenders are caught in the act), and community service. They may also serve as auxiliary judicial police. Each force is regulated by a local Police Code.

To further complicate the institutional environment, state police forces are also coordinated by an office in the Ministry of the Interior and Justice that compiles selected statistics and sets guidelines for internal procedures. Beginning in 1990, wealthier municipalities in the country’s largest cities set up municipal police forces. By July 2001, there were 77 municipal forces in the country. They are attached to the mayors’ offices and regulated by the state’s Police Code and by municipal ordinance. With so many different uniformed police forces, there are obviously difficulties in coordination and efficiency.

For that reason, since at least 1977 there have been diverse proposals to create a unified national police force. The most recent is the National Police Law, which is currently being debated in the National Assembly. This law would join all uniformed police forces (state, Capital District, municipal), together with the traffic police, into one national force. (Birkbeck) Courts Denmark The independent courts constitute a part of the division of power in Denmark. Generally speaking, cases are dealt with in the first instance by a local or city court; appeals against the judgments of city courts are made to one of the country’s two High Courts.

A few big cases and cases touching on administrative matters are dealt with by one of the high courts in the first instance. The highest court in Denmark is the Supreme Court, and the Queen appoints judges. (Ministry) The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another and the Faroe Island a third. However, ecisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. Venezuela Venezuela has three types of main courts: Trial courts: The 395 trial courts are divided into first instance trial courts and instructional criminal courts. In addition, 667 departmental and municipal courts are assigned the lowest level cases. Superior Courts: There are 173 Superior courts that primarily act as intermediate appellate courts. The dispersion of these courts throughout the country is based on population and political needs.

Supreme Court: The Supreme Court is the court of last resort. It is composed of 15 justices who each serve a nine-year term. This Court is divided into three chambers: civil, criminal, and civil rights. (Salas, Luis) They also have several types of special courts: Military Courts: Military courts exercise a considerable amount of authority since their jurisdiction extends to all crimes committed by members of the armed forces and on-duty police officers. Many persons have criticized this system, viewing it as a barrier to the successful prosecution of human rights abuses committed by the police and military.

Military courts extend their jurisdiction to civilians accused of crimes under the military code, for example treason or subversion. Anti-corruption Court: The anti-corruption court (Tribunal de Salvaguardia Del Patrimonio Publico) was established with specific and sometimes extraordinary powers, to investigate and punish corruption. While corruption cases may be tried in the first instance by the traditional court system, these special courts have second instance jurisdiction. They also serve as trial courts for cases involving corruption by high-level officials.

Even though their jurisdictional powers are extensive, they have been afforded meager resources to carry out their responsibilities. Family/Juvenile Courts: Another set of courts handle family matters and juvenile cases. Juveniles are processed through special courts and then remanded to juvenile correctional facilities. (Salas) Corrections Denmark In Denmark, the correctional service controls 15 prisons, one institution for inmates needing psychiatric treatment, and 40 local jails.

Five of the prisons and the psychiatric institution are closed in that they are secured by an external ring wall as well as by internal precautions like secured buildings, and electronic security systems combined with relatively dense staffing. The staff does not carry arms. Being used as remand detention institutions, the local jails are also closed. The remaining nine prisons are open institutions which actually means that the inmates are physically able to leave the institution. Two of the closed prisons have both male and female inmates. In one of these prisons there is cohabitation between men and women within units.

There are also two open prison departments for women. While serving his sentence the inmate is obliged to work for which he is paid a small hourly salary. The prison administration tries to ensure that the working places equate those found in modern society. In order to encourage inmates to educate themselves the same amount is paid to inmates who choose to go to the prison school instead of going to work. The prison provides health care and necessary dental care. Sick inmates will be hospitalized in ordinary hospitals. The policies of the correctional service are governed by the following three principles:  Normalization. As a starting point the inmate is placed in the open prison closest to his home in order to preserve family contacts and to pave the way for a gradual release from the prison. There must be specific reasons for instituting control of inmates’ correspondence. Visits by next-of-kin take place in secluded visiting rooms with a couch. In the open prisons weekend leaves are granted every third week to prisoners with a low risk of recidivism. A prisoner in a closed institution may obtain similar rights to weekend leave when he has served one fourth of his sentence.

At some time during incarceration about one third of the prisoners in closed prisons are granted occasional leaves. The total number of leaves per year is about 57,000. More than half of these are so-called work leaves where an inmate leaves the prison to go to work or to take part in educational activities in society. Self-administration. The inmate is responsible for his own daily life. Important elements of this approach are that food must be bought and cooked by the inmate to which end he is paid a fixed amount of money per day.

The inmate is also responsible for his personal hygiene, clothes’ laundry and repair. The prison encourages the inmates to make meaningful use of leisure hours by providing opportunity for sports and other structuralized activities. Release on parole and after-care. According to a provision of the Criminal Code more than 90% of the inmates are released on parole after having served two thirds of their sentences. Almost 10% of these will be released after serving between one half and two thirds of the time, due to special grounds. Royal pardon is possible according to the Constitution, but rare.

Outside of imprisonment for life which necessitates the use of pardoning, royal pardon is more commonly used in connection with short-term sentences where the convicted cannot endure the prison stay because of severe illness or the like. In such cases the pardon is normally conditioned on the payment of a fine. (Dr. Winslow, Robert) Venezuela Typical penalties in Venezuela include fines, restitution, probation, and incarceration. Some crimes carry mandatory prison sentences which prohibit early release. The death penalty in Venezuela was abolished in the mid 1860s.

The prison population in Venezuela is 40% over its stated capacity. Overcrowding is regarded as a primary factor in the high level of violence within prisons, which resulted in an average of 3 prisoner deaths per week in 1992. Venezuela, like many of its Latin American countries, has incorporated the United Nation’s “Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” in its national legislation. However, a recent human rights director of the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office has criticized the conditions of the nation’s prisons.

As a consequence of government neglect, the prisoners live in overcrowded and unhealthy quarters, without access to education, and lacking incentives to seek jobs once they are released.

References

1. Birkbeck, Christopher Venezuela World Fact Book of Criminal Justice Systems http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfcjsvz. txt CIA: World Fact Book
2. https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da. html Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela In the United States of America
3. http://www. embavenezus. org/? pagina=kids. venezuela/political. system. tm=Venezuela%20for%20Kids Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
4. http://www. ambmoskva. um. dk/en/menu/InfoDenmark/danish+political+and+social+affairs/ Ravn, Lene Denmark World Fact Book of Criminal Justice Systems
5. http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfbcjden. txt Salas, Luis Florida International University Venezuela World Fact Book of Criminal Justice
6. http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/wfbcjven. txt Visit Denmark
7. http://www. visitdenmark. com/uk/en-gb/menu/turist/turistinformation/fakta-az/
8. Wikipedia www. en. wikipedia. org Dr. Winslow, Robert San Diego State University Crime and Society

He was the one who had emancipated Springfield from the corrupted governmental also reduced the crime in Springfield by introducing new laws and revamping the judicious system. Mr. Duncan had made some important changes for Springfield which improved it ,so he was extremely crucial for the well being of the city. The police found the dead body on 1 8th October at 5 am. When Mr. Ducat’s death had spread across the news, the S. P. D realized that no one in their department was good enough to take charge and solve the murder. So Blake Cross from the N. Y. P. D was called to solve the case.

Blake had a great reputation of solving difficult cases, once he solved a case with just a parking ticket! This time he had a lot of pressure on him as he was investigating the case of the Mayor. When Blake started searching the crime scene he found an asthma inhaler,so he suspected it had the murderer’s fingerprints ,then he send the asthma inhaler to the forensic department to see if there were any prints. The lab found the prints of Ben Cohn,he was of the opposition party of Springfield. Ben also fit as a classic murder suspect as he was Mr. Duncan nemesis.

He also threatened to kill him a month ago. When the police went to interrogate Ben ,they found that he had a perfect alibi. He said that he was at his friend Scotty James house. The police checked with Scotty and he confirmed that they both were at his house. But Blake still thought that Ben was the one who murdered him and know Blake knew that Scotty was lining about Ben not killing Mr. Duncan. Blake was suspicious so he scrutinized Scotty lifestyle,recent behavior,counterparts scrutinizing Scotty for 1 day he found something that was very weird.

Scotty salary was 40000 dollars per onto,but Blake found out that Scotty had a secret account in which he had 100000 dollars put in this month. So Blake knew that Ben had pawed Scotty to keep his mouth shut about the murder and to make a fake alibi for him. This time Blake went to Scotty personally to make him accept that he lied about Ben. Blake did a very clever thing to make Scotty admit that he lied,he told him that he would send him to jail for the crimes he committed earlier and never got caught for etc unless he admitted that Ben murdered Mr. Duncan.

WHY DO WE AS A SOCIETY NEED A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM? Introduction The criminal justice system is comprised of a basic formation, the law enforcement agencies, the courts, and the correctional services. This system has existed since ancient times and although the three facilities haven’t completely been replaced over the centuries, there has been a lot of change and amendment to how the system is used to investigate, deter, and keep order and control in today’s society.

It is a fundamental part of our society and we know that comprehensive, effective, and nondiscriminatory implementation of criminal justice system powers is essential to ending violence, both for freeing individual and for ending the worldwide epidemic of violence against one another.

Although the system has evolved over the years to adjust and accommodate people of different status, class and provide a multicultural aspect to society, just as any other system there will always be some impediments and inconsistencies such as, financial restraints, inequality, selective law enforcement and public influence such as media ideas and images of crime. Why we need a criminal justice system It would be unrealistic of people in society to believe every crime could be prevented and every criminal caught and incarcerated.

Its however not unrealistic to expect to live in a safe society that is provided with equality, fairness, and is reliable and respected. Without the criminal justice system the entire society would disintegrate and it would be overrun with crime and wrong doing. The law enforcement, the courts and the correctional arms of the system each take on a responsibility to follow procedures laid down by the government, who determine what society needs more or less of at any particular time.

From the data below (Government expenditure by sector 2004-2005) we can quite clearly see how the criminal justice system has changed in order to meet the needs of society; this is an example of how the government prioritises the needs of society at any particular time. The education sector of the chart is obviously the highest in priority which shows that government is now trying a different perspective as was used years ago by now educating the public and society on how to help prevent crime themselves and teaching parents how to help prevent their children from deviating against them, and becoming another statistic.

Coming in second to education is the health expenditure which shows that there is quite a high need for medical and health attention for those that come in contact with the criminal justice system. The government is becoming more aware of the need for chances of rehabilitation for mentally ill and suicidal persons, where these issues are not now seen as a crime but now as a personal issue and the government is now taking it extremely seriously the need for a solution and not punishment to their mental states which may have led them to their criminal ways instead of punishing them for their illness.

As we see community services are the next most important thing the government is seeing as a need in the criminal justice system. The law enforcement, courts and correctional facilities only deal with the law and order in society and maintaining social control, but without the community services (Eg: Housing, education, financial services, legal services) the people going into and coming out of the criminal justice system would have nowhere to go for support. The community services is a crucial element to the criminal justice system for the individuals of crime, the families and everyone affected, by providing the additional support needed.

The system for punishment has changed many times over the decades the criminal justice system has been around, from corporal punishment (whipping, removing of hands for theft and even execution), to lighter punishments such as community services, probationary periods, and parole for less serious offences to prison terms for more severe offences. The less serious of offences such as vandalism by a juvenile will more than likely obtain a community service punishment to remove or fix the damage caused there by ridding the community of the vandalism and educating the convicted, in turn the convicted is less likely to reoffend.

So in most cases such as theft, vandalism, and minor assault cases, if the case is finalised in court by conviction (typically by a defendant’s entering a plea of guilty to the offence or to a less serious offence), the defendant may receive a non incarceration sentence such as parole, community service or probation. From this narrowing of cases Daly et al. (2006) p 275 found from a large number experienced by victims to a trickle of defendants convicted and sanctioned has the appearance of a funnel and saves resources and space in prisons and other correctional facilities for the more serious defendants.

As the above pie chart (Composition of government expenditure on criminal justice 2006-2007) shows us the police services are at the head position of the overall expenditure of the three arms of the criminal justice system. The government is aware of the vast need for more funds into the policing sector, for the fact this arm is the division that provides the law and order and is out there addressing the issues that are affecting society and apprehending the criminals in, to ensure the criminal justice system continues to function in a fair and equally sufficing way.

The police have moved to further advance their policing techniques, from general law enforcement to ‘Community policing’, which focuses more on ‘conciliatory rather than a coercive approach to police work’, which involves the community and individuals in playing a co-participatory role in the act of crime prevention. In conclusion the overall principle of the criminal justice system is to provide justice for everyone in society and to keep society safe and in order by convicting the criminals and rehabilitating them not to offend again, and to support them as the re-enter society.

The criminal justice system works with other organisations to help prevent crime and bring those who to offend to justice and also educating society and keeping them involved in ways they can help. Even with the inconsistencies and impediments, without a criminal justice system, societies all over the world would be overrun with chaos and society would cease to function. In order to keep society smooth running and the people safe maintenance of the criminal justice system is vital for social order and control. References Composition of government expenditure on criminal justice [image] (2006-2007).

Retrieved 26 December 2011, from http://www. aic. gov. au/statistics/criminaljustice. aspx Daly, Kathleen; Israel, Mark ; Goldsmith, Andrew John. (2006) Crime and Justice: A guide to criminology, 3rd Ed. Sydney: Lawbook Co. Ch. 13 Daly, Kathleen, “Aims of the Criminal Justice system” p275 Government expenditure by sector [image] (2004-2005). Retrieved 26 December 2011, from http://www. aic. gov. au/statistics/criminaljustice. aspx Perrone, S. , ; White, R. (2010) Crime Criminality ; Criminal Justice (1st Ed. ) Oxford: Oxford University Press