Topic 2:

Vision and Mission of the Criminal Justice System & Criminal Justice Process

“VISION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM”

CJS VISION is for a safe, peaceful, and progressive Philippines through partnership and shared
responsibility in attaining peace and order.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
Well-coordinated, professional, dynamic and highly motivated law enforcers in partnership with the
community for a safe, peaceful and progressive Philippines.

PROSECUTION
A maximized prosecutorial capability to reduce criminality for a peaceful and progressive Philippine
society.

COURTS
A court system which is truly independent, just and speedy to the end that no innocent person is
convicted and no guilty man is acquitted.

CORRECTIONS
A correctional system that is modern, humane, responsive and integrated.

COMMUNITY
A united proactive community working for peace and order in partnership with the other pillars of
the criminal justice system.

“MISSION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM”

The CJS MISSION is to promote peace and order through active community involvement and fair
and dispensation of justice.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
To enforce the law, prevent and control crime, maintain peace and order, and ensure public safety
and internal security with the active participation of the community.

PROSECUTION
To provide a highly professionalize, properly motivated and people-oriented prosecution service to
conduct preliminary of complaints and prosecute criminal actions to ensure fair, speedy and
inexpensive prosecution of cases.
COURTS
To promote respect for and obedience to the Rule of Law through proper and efficient
administration of justice.

CORRECTION
To rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders into the mainstream of society and uphold their human
rights and dignity through speedy legal and administrative processes and provision of scientific
and spiritual programs.

COMMUNITY
To mobilize key sectors of the community in an integrated plan of action to combat crime and
promote peace, order and justice.

Components of the Criminal Justice System

American Concept
1. Law Enforcement
2. Court
3. Correction

Philippine Concept
1. Law Enforcement
2. Prosecution
3. Court
4. Correction
5. Community

“CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS”

Criminal justice is a process of selection.
Not every crime that is committed is reported to the police;
Not every crime reported to the police results in an arrest;
Not every arrest results in a prosecution;
Not every prosecution results in a conviction;
And not every conviction results in a prison sentence.
In other words, criminal justice is a process whereby individuals are sifted and sorted out at
various decision points within the system.

During the processing of the offender, there is a great deal of “slippage” within the system at various
decision points in the process. A major characteristic of the administration of criminal justice is the
discretion that exists at each critical decision stage in the system. The criminal justice system operates
like a complex filter, screening out offenders at various points.

The criminal justice process can be conceived as a homogenization process. The process begins with
acts that may or may not be considered as “criminal” (designated as social harms). At the beginning of
the process, we have a very heterogeneous group of people, since just about everyone commits some
act that could be considered a “social harm”. However, very few of these acts come to the attention of
the police. Of those that do come to the attention of the police, only a small percentage (less than 20
percent) results in an arrest. Even of those arrested, many are never charged with a crime or
“booked”.

As we proceed through the stages of the CJS, we see that the number of people involved as accused
is further reduced. Also, and more importantly, the kinds of people involved become more and more
homogenous.

For instance, they become more alike in terms of the following: age
(younger),
sex (more are males),
social class (increasing numbers of lower - and working-class people),
offense (more and more “index” offenses, especially property offenses such as theft and
robbery),
And more and more with previous experiences with the criminal justice system.

When we arrive at the last stage, the prison populations, we have the most homogenous
grouping in which the vast majority are poor, unskilled, uneducated, and well experienced in crime and
have had much contact with the criminal justice system.