Overarching Purpose of Criminal Justice Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1973 words ( 7 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 5

Page 1 of 7

If citizens do not trust the courts to deliver fair sentences, then trust in the government itself falls apart. If citizens do not recognize the legitimacy of the correctional institutions that embody punishment, then the entire criminal justice system has failed.

Punishment by the state for crime must be legitimate. The act of punishment must be systematic and not arbitrary, dealt in an unbiased manner and according to rule of law. For years, differential sentencing for crack cocaine and powdered cocaine in the United States reveals an arbitrary punishment that reflects race and class conflict. Such irrational manifestations of punishment serve to delegitimize the authority of the state. When the legitimacy of the state is lost, the foundation of a free society crumbles.

Ideally, the state possesses credible authority. That authority is used to uphold the rights and freedoms upon which a liberal democracy is based.

Stuck Writing Your "Overarching Purpose of Criminal Justice" Essay?

View All Our Example Overarching Purpose of Criminal Justice Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

The shared values of a liberal democracy can coexist with the legitimate use of punishment within certain boundaries. Authority is "legitimated power," the ability to wield power, exert power over others without challenge (Levine 2005, p. 1). If the state did not have authoritative power to maintain a criminal justice system, then there would be legitimacy of law. When the criminal justice system uses punishment as part of its overall strategy to preserve the rights and freedoms of citizens, the state exercises a mandate to take away the rights of one citizen in order to preserve the rights of others. Punishment can fall within the framework of a criminal justice system when punishment is not arbitrary, and when punishment is fair......

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Overarching Purpose Of Criminal Justice" (2011, April 05) Retrieved May 19, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/overarching-purpose-criminal-justice-11029

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Overarching Purpose Of Criminal Justice" 05 April 2011. Web.19 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/overarching-purpose-criminal-justice-11029>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Overarching Purpose Of Criminal Justice", 05 April 2011, Accessed.19 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/overarching-purpose-criminal-justice-11029
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example