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RUNNING HEAD: Criminal Justice Trends

Criminal Justice Trends
Steven Griffiths
CJA484
Nicholas Barbella
University of Phoenix
December 8, 2013






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The world is ever changing, and as such so is the criminal justice system, much like a
creature being described by Charles Darwin as evolving into something else, so is our criminal
justice system. It is not uncommon to see a system follow trends from one era to another in order
to become better than it once was.
The criminal justice system of today is the end result of numerous adjustments, and re-
evaluations of past policies and practices. At the end of the century, we entered a distinct era of
law enforcement and crime that has endured for a little more than 30 years. During the 1960s for
reasons yet to be identified the downward spiral the crime rates had been marking since the 30s
screeched to a halt. Reports of crime rose, more arrests were made by law enforcement officials,
and cases prosecuted by the state exploded, as did the amount of people in prison and jail. In the
past (early 1920s) the biggest trend in crime was robbery, be it bank, or corner store, and the
trend of the time was to sentence the accused to an immediate jail or prison sentence in hopes
that would deter them from future involvements in crime (Boba 2005). By the 80s serious
crimes (including crimes of violence) being committed by youth was on a very steady increased
rate. This rate climb was fueled by the expanding cocaine market, and the newly created market
for crack (a cocaine derivative). Sentencing the youth offenders to a term in a juvenile detention
center was the norm for that era, much like the adult offenders of the 20s. What the system
didnt count on was the youth offenders developing a hate for law enforcement, as well as
learning new skills in the criminal world to put to use once they were released. The system was
creating a better criminal at the tax payers cost (James 2002). The reliance of jail or prison time
peaked at all-time historic highs. The biggest contributor to this trend was the big war on drugs
where just say no and crack is whack was born. With drug use at an all-time high, so was the
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drug trade. White collar crimes also peaked in this era, since the revolution of computer based
practices in businesses and corporations so was the revolution of computer based crime, and the
sudden over burden of techno thieves invading the court system, with no idea on how to
sentence them. In the future we cannot be certain as to what the criminal justice system will
attempt to endure through. Overcrowded jails and prisons, plague the system with accidental
releases of murderers and rapists. Corrupt law enforcement officials lie and cheat the system to
their own beneficial gain, while turning a blind eye to crime. Rampant drug use and dealing on
every corner in every city, slowly making its way into your home or your childs school. Perhaps
the criminal justice system will be upended with the elimination of a prosecution or defense, and
leave the decision to the judge on the bench. Whatever the future holds for the criminal justice
system, we will take the good from the bad, and improve on it in an attempt to create a better
system, that not only works for the offender but for the greater good of society as well.
References
Boba, Rachel (2005). Crime Analysis and Crime Mapping. Sage Publications. pp. 56

James, Dorris J Profile of Jail Inmates, (2002). July 18, 2004. NCJ 201932. U.S. Bureau of
Justice Statistics

Segessenmann, Tanya Section 2 - International Comparisons of Recorded Violent Crime Rates
for 2000 Research & Evaluation Unit,Ministry of Justice, Wellington, New Zealand. 11 June
2002 Retrieved 23 June 2007.