CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Criminal Justice System

Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system may involve the study of the nature and extent of criminal behavior. Criminal Justice System is the applied and scientific study of the practical applications of criminal behavior that is the actions, policies, and functions of the agencies within the criminal justice system charged with addressing this behavior. The major three elements of criminal justice systems such as the police, courts and prisons are found in almost all countries, but their names may be different (Bruce, 1998).

An Analysis of the three Challenges

The recent surge in comparative justice has led to a number of publications chronicling at least some of the conventional differences between various styles of policing. Contemporary challenges to transnational policing have made the cooperation between police forces increasingly crucial. To understand how forces can work better, it is important to note the similarities and then detail how differences can be barriers to cooperation. It is hoped that a better understanding of these differences can lead to an understanding of transnational crime and crime fighting. Following are the three major challenges faced by Criminal Justice System (Frase, 2001).

Challenges to International Cooperation

One of the biggest barriers to international cooperation in the sphere of criminal justice is the variation of treatment in corrections systems. One of the biggest impediments is the poor conditions found in prisons and other correctional institutions around the world. (Bruce, 1998) Although a number of agencies are lobbying on behalf of corrections reform, they have little power to change conditions, outside of publicizing reports so that governments can make decisions as to cooperating with nations that fail to recognize certain human rights. Among these groups is the Human Rights Watch Project, which issues periodic reports on prison conditions around the world.

Chief among the findings presented by Human Rights Watch (1993) is that “the conditions of pretrial detention are much worse than those of long-term incarceration”. This is often the result of interrogation tactics and physical intimidation used by authorities when prisoners are in predetain-ment and a case is still under investigation (Mawby, 1999).

Overcrowding and inadequate physical conditions are not confined to underdeveloped nations—conditions often characterized by inadequate clothing, cell furnishings, plumbing, and light and by extremes of heat and cold. Although conditions have been updated and improved, as late as 1991, Human Rights Watch reported that almost 40% of British cells lacked plumbing, resulting in conditions similar to Egypt and Jamaica, where buckets served as the main toilet facilities.

The United Nations and other international organizations have few sanctions or rewards at their disposal to ensure human rights. Developed countries such as the United States have taken the lead by attaching certain conditions to financial assistance. During the past decade, the United States has enacted several public laws that make foreign assistance available only on evidence of improving human rights practices. This can result in the United States withdrawing military and economic assistance or voting against loans from multilateral agencies (Frase, ...