Criminal Justice Policy-Making

Criminal Justice Policy-Making

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to expand the boundaries of our knowledge by exploring some relevant and factual information relating to Criminal Justice Policy-Making. The criminal justice institutions and policies that govern may be strongly influenced by public attitudes. The support that the public places on police, courts, correctional institutions and parole may depend on many factors. By understanding these factors, it is possible to improve communication with the public and contribute to the development of new initiatives in policy making. Fear of crime is one of the important factors that determine public attitudes. Governments respond to the public's fear of crime by introducing legislation that they hope will reduce this fear. Thus, understanding the relationship between fear of crime and attitudes toward the criminal justice system has implications for the development of legislative policy.

In this study, we would review the literature on Drug legislation and attitudes toward crime policies and criminal justice system.

Discussion

Drug Policy

The U.S. government's decades-long "war on drugs" has historically had three components. On the preventive front, the federal and state governments have supported drug addiction awareness education programs to discourage the public and young people in particular, from using illicit drugs. Internationally, the United States has spent billions of dollars assisting law enforcement agencies in such countries as Mexico and Colombia to thwart the cultivation of drugs there and the smuggling of those drugs across the U.S. border. Thirdly and most controversially, the government has attempted to discourage the domestic production, sale, and possession of drugs through harsh sentencing laws (Coomber, 2004).

While supporters of the war on drugs contend that long prison terms and aggressive law enforcement discourage drug use, opponents believe that approach has only sent many otherwise innocent people to jail for what they see as a relatively minor offense, while failing to have a significant impact on the illegal drug market. One of the most prominent controversies involving drug policy over the last decade has been the use of medical marijuana. Though more than a dozen states have legalized the drug for medical use, federal law still treats the substance as wholly illegal, and federal prosecutors can target medical marijuana distributors and users even when they live in states that have legalized the practice. In California, for example, federal agents have repeatedly raided medical marijuana farms and dispensaries even when the businesses are operating in accordance with state law (Eddy, 2010).

In addition to legalizing medical marijuana, several states and cities have moved toward decriminalizing recreational marijuana, meaning individuals caught in possession of a small amount of the drug would have to pay a relatively small fine rather than serve jail time. Supporters of decriminalization note that it would allow law enforcement agencies to redirect their resources toward fighting more serious crimes. Marijuana, they argue, is less harmful than some legal substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes. Opponents, however, contend that decriminalization would send the wrong message about the dangers of the drug, particularly to young potential ...