Essay About Formal Charges And Private Sector

The Criminal Justice System
Essay title: The Criminal Justice System
“The Criminal Justice System”
The reason I chose to do this topic is because I used to be a
Military Police Officer in the Army. I was stationed in Brooklyn, 7
miles away from New York City when 9/11 happened. I got to
experience more policing than military while I was there, we worked
hand in hand with the NYPD and the FDNY, it was very exciting. Also,
I have changed my major from Surgical Technologist to Law
Enforcement Technology. Once I get into my career and advance up
some, I would like to join either the Marine Unit or the Narcotics Unit.
So in turn, here is a brief overview of the criminal justice system
“The Private Sector” It initiates the response to crime. The first
response may come from any part of the private sector. They can be
individuals, families, neighborhood associations, business, industry,
agriculture, educational institutions, the news media, or any other
private service to the public. It involves crime prevention as well as
participation in the criminal justice process once a crime has been
committed. Private crime prevention is more than providing private
security or burglar alarms or participating in neighborhood watch.
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The government responds to crime through the criminal justice
system. We apprehend, try, and punish offenders by means of a loose
confederation of agencies at all levels of government. Our system of
government has evolved from the English common law into a complex
series of procedures and decisions. There is no single criminal justice
system in this country. We have many systems that are similar, but
individually unique. Criminal cases may be handled differently in
different jurisdictions, but court decisions based on the due process
guarantees of the U.S. Constitution require that specific steps be taken
in the administration of criminal justice.
“Entry into the System” The justice system does not respond to
most crime because so much crime is not discovered or reported to the
police. Law enforcement agencies learn about crime from the reports of
citizens, from discovery by a police officer in the field, or from
investigative and intelligence work. Once a law enforcement agency has
established that a crime has been committed, a suspect must be
identified and apprehended for the case to proceed through the system.
Sometimes, a suspect is apprehended at the scene; however,
identification of a suspect sometimes requires an extensive investigation.
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Often, no one is identified or apprehended.
“Prosecution and Pretrial Services” After an arrest, law
enforcement agencies present information about the case and about the
accused to the prosecutor, who will decide if formal charges will be filed
with the court. If no charges are filed, the accused must be released.
The prosecutor can also drop charges after making efforts to prosecute.