Agencies in the Criminal Justice System

Agencies in the Criminal Justice System The common thread binding the agencies of the criminal justice system is centred upon crime and the control of crime. (Garland 2001; 5-8). It can be argued that the agencies of criminal justice including, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the courts, the prison service and the probation service all have separate and distinctive functions but operate towards a common overarching goal crime control. (Maguire et al 2007; 139-141). It is the structure and organisation of criminal justice that is characterised by fragmentation, differential roles and aims amongst institutions forming parts of the criminal justice system, coupled with the absence of a single Governmental department charged with responsibility for criminal justice policy and its implementation which accounts for a differential of functions all aimed towards the common goal of crime control. (McConville and Wilson 2002; 5). It is argued by McConville and Wilson (2002) that determining what constitutes an inst itution of the criminal justice system in any country will be complex due to the nature and operation of a system entailing great multiplicity. (Ibid). However, Sanders et al (2010) identify that the core agencies of the criminal justice system in England and Wales can be identified as follows: (1) The Police, which can be divided further into three distinct groupings. Firstly the local branches of police throughout England and Wales. Secondly the national police bodies such as the Organised Crime Agency and the British Transport Police. Thirdly specialist agency watchdogs such as the Health and Safety Executive which focus on particular types of criminality. (2) The CPS which is primarily responsible for deciding whether cases prepared by the police should proceed to prosecution. (3) The Courts which can be divided further into lower courts and higher courts. The lower courts are composed of the magistrates courts where all criminal offences will start off. The higher courts are composed of the Crown Court which deal specifically with more serious forms of offences. The division between the magistrates court and the Crown Court will be by the initial classification of the offence as either being summary giving exclusive jurisdiction to the magistrates court or of indictable offences giving exclusive jurisdiction to the Crown Court. (4) The Prison Service which is charged with dealing with offenders convicted and sentence to a custodial sentence. Their role within criminal justice is arguable dual, firstly to deprive dangerous offenders of their liberty acting as a deterrent to offenders and secondly to rehabilitate offenders back to society. (5) The Probation Service which is charged with dealing with offenders coming out of prison and their aftercare with integration into society. (Sanders et al 2010; 2-6). In order to determine whether these agencies have both common and distinctive functions they will be discussed in detail below and the paper will then draw conclusions on their role and aims within criminal justice. The Police: Policing in England and Wales is decentralised to local police forces which operate through the country in approximately 43 forces. The powers provided to the police can be characterised by the right to stop and search people and their property, the right to arrest a suspect, the right to detain a suspect at the police service for interrogation, the right to collect evidence and the right to compile reports for the CPS to allow them to determine whether a case should proceed to trial. (Sanders et al 2010). The discretion afforded to police officers in exercising their public duty is a characteristic of the nature of how criminal laws operate, in that discretion underpins the operation of the police officers role within criminal justice. (Clarkson et al 1994; 6-8). The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) provide the main statutory framework for the operation of the police in conducting criminal investigations. The Act is supplemented with Codes of Practice which set out goods standards for policing in conducting their business of detecting and investigating crime . PACE 1984 allows the police powers of stop and search, arrest, detention and the collection of evidence. The role and function of the police can be identified as the primary role in managing and dealing with crime. (Sanders 1986; 303). They will be the first agency of the criminal justice system which come into contact with suspected offenders. Their role as distinct from the other agencies will primarily be based around detecting and investigating crime in addition to the collection of vital evidence as proof of the commission of the offence. (Ibid). The common function to all other agencies of criminal justice is to manage and control crime. The Crown Prosecution Service: One of the CPSs roles within the criminal justice system is to exercise a public interest in determining which cases should be prosecuted through the courts. (Moody and Tombs 1982; 44-52). It is the control mechanism within criminal justice to filter out cases which can be considered inappropriate to proceed to the next stage within the criminal justice system. It is the value judgements made by the CPS that allows an assessment to be made on the strength of the evidence collected by the police and the public interest in bringing the case which can be identified as being the distinctive functions of the CPS. It is therefore possible to identify that there is a linkage between the first agency of policing to the second agency of prosecuting where there is an inter-dependency for success in controlling crime. The CPS will only be able to bring cases which have compelling evidence to succeed in the prosecution. Therefore the distinctive role the prosecution attains within the criminal j ustice system is that of deciding which cases to allow proceed to court based upon the work of the police in collecting evidence. The Courts: The courts occupy a special terrain within the criminal justice system in that they allow the facilitation of evidence to be tried and tested to a standard of beyond all reasonable doubt. (McConville 1994; 228). They occupy the neutral position of being able to afford both sides equality to put their case in a fair and just manner. The secondary role is focused very much on determining a case, deciding which side present the strongest arguments on the evidence. The final role is centred upon sentencing an offender in accordance with the law and gravity of the offence before the court where a conviction is founded on the evidence. The core function of the courts is to facilitate the presentation of evidence in a fair and balanced way, to adjudicate according to the laws of England and Wales and finally to sentence in accordance with sentencing principles. It is arguable a very special and distinctive position within criminal justice in that it allows the full operation of the law in p ractice in determining an offenders culpability for a charged offence. However, it is also possible to establish that the courts service have the common function of dealing with crime and controlling crime through its sentencing regimes. The Prison Service: The prison service deals exclusively with offenders convicted and sentenced to a custodial sentence. Their role within criminal justice is to facilitate a judicial decision to deprive an offenders liberty in order to fulfil the sentence of a court. The role is distinctive because it is primarily directed to controlling and managing the offenders behaviour throughout their sentence. However, it is common to the other agencies within criminal justice in that it facilitates crime control and contributes to an offenders rehabilitation into society. The Probation Service: The probation service will also occupy a special position within criminal justice in that they will become involved with offenders during sentencing at the trial stage but also when an offender is released from prison in their integration back into society. Therefore they provide the key transition support for offenders allowing their integration back into society to live lives without crime. Conclusion: Although there are other criminal justice agencies such as the Criminal Defence Service, the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, the focus of this paper has been primarily directed at the core agencies within criminal justice dealing with the progression of an offender through the system. It is identifiable that the very nature of the fragmentation of crime and criminal justice necessitates an array of agencies to deal with the specific nature of criminal offending. Each of these agencies occupies a particular space within criminal justice in dealing with crime and in contributing to the overall control and management of crime. Further, it is clear that each agency has a distinctive role in that the police are the initial gatekeepers of criminal justice by deciding which cases to investigate and how they collect evidence. Similarly the prosecution have a specific role in deciding to prosecute and executing a prosecution. The courts also occupy a special function of delivering justice and facilitating a trial of an offender. It is clear that all of the agencies of the criminal justice have very specific roles and functions which serve particular goals and aims of criminal justice at particular points when dealing with offenders. Each role contributes to the overall aim of managing and controlling crime in society. In final conclusion it can be argued that each agency within criminal justice have distinctive but yet common goals within the criminal justice system.

Compare and contrast between persepolis war and vietnam war Essay

Graphic Novels showing conflict of war can be described in different ways. These ways are determined by the target audience and the authors decision of mood.The imagery in Persepolis and the vietnam story are affected by these choices made by the author. There are differences in the style of this book in which the reader uses to show emotion such as the target age group, the emotional aspect as well as the realism of the story. The imagery which detail is displayed in a complex or simple way can both give the reader insight while portraying a different perspective at the same time. Persepolis and the vietnam imagery both use a black and white graphic weight creating a dark feeling shown by the subjective style. They use detailing in the background like the shadowed soldiers in the Vietnam images or bright flashes of gunshot in Persepolis, thus giving the reader a different perspective. The vietnam images provides a more in depth style that provides in order to show the author’ s message. However, the simple imagery used in persepolis is to get a point across using symbolic images and a straightforward style rather than in the vietnam images the sketched lines and detailing brings out a specific emotion. The target audience in which the author and/or illustrator wants to reach out to affects the type of imagery and message they want to send out,such as a story about the conflict of war to children can be subtle rather than show a harsh reality yet can both depict a mood of conflict and struggle. These two graphic styles can both get across the subjective opinion of war being undesirable by the emanata of struggle seen with the characters to the reader. They both compare the harsh reality without being too gruesome. Persepolis uses a more cartooned illustration to portray a childlike perspective thus having a target audience of young readers. In contrast, the Vietnam imagery’s perspective differs in the point of view. This shows the difference in fighting in the war rather than suffering the consequences, demonstrating an adult understanding. War can convey many emotions depending on the authors/illustrators mood they want to convey to the readers by using simple and/or complex emanata and graphic weight in similar and different ways. Persepolis and the vietnam both inflict a sympathetic emotions by showing  the struggles shown by their stressed emotions and facial styles. As well as their similar use of contrast between light and darkshows a emotional aspect of the conflict of war. To contrast the Vietnam images uses shading and shadows to add more tension and grit displaying a impactful emotion. The Persepolis imagery uses thick heavy blacks and whites without any shading making the images simple and the emotions it portrays to the reader shallow and not as complex. In conclusion these two works of graphic reading can be contrasted and compared by only three categories of realism, target age groups, and emotions. These both shared the struggles of the conflict of war as well as portraying different views and perspectives. As well as displaying an obvious age target. Even though they are similar they are both different in showing the conflict of what goes on in a war.

Midsummer Nights Dream Act5 Scene1 - 1160 Words

Midsummer Night’s Dream: To what extent does ACT5 Scene1 present a harmonious â€Å"New World†? Act 5 Scene 1 is considered to be a harmonious â€Å"New World†, not forgetting that we have just left the â€Å"Green world† with all the mischief and fairies all around. This would make us question is the green world really gone? And is the new world really all that â€Å"Harmonious†? Act 5 Scene1 is the resolution of the entire play. At the start of It is obvious that the harmonious â€Å"New world† is present, with all the arguments and lovers falling out with one another and falling in love with someone else, all that has been left behind. Usually, characters who return from the Green world back into the new world discover that all their problems have been†¦show more content†¦Is this really how a â€Å"new world† is supposed to be? With the easy misleading of the human eye, which could taint the ideas of true love and marriage. The mechanics play brings dancing and festive behaviour towards the end of the scene; this would support the ideas of a â€Å"New world†. The mechanics produce a â€Å"play within a play† this would highlight the illusion and reality shown throughout out the play. The character Bottom who plays Pyramus talks in rhythm and rhyme. Between lines 260-275 in the play this flowing and overwhelming of the rhythm and rhyme, would be supported in act4 scene 1 where bottom refers to himself in large amounts as â€Å"me thinks† this would demonstrate repetition and rhyme and lack of organisation within the mechanicals play. This would contradict the ideas of the â€Å"New World†, as the â€Å"new world† is supposed to be considered where all things are to be organised and shouldn’t consist of repetition of things because those would’ve been left behind in the green world. Bottom playing Pyramus is a lover who kills himself at the end of the pla y, this play is performed in the â€Å"new world†. Now we know that the play ends with the lovers getting married, but in this celebration death is being presented alongside it with the mechanics play. Would this play fit into the â€Å"new world† idea? Or could it be considered a sort of sign or representation that the new world isn’t always going to be filled withShow MoreRelatedHow Shakespeare Creates Humour in Act 5 Scene 1 Essay750 Words   |  3 PagesHow does Shakespeare create humour in act 5 scene1 in the play a ‘Midsummer Nights Dream’? William Shakespeare is the author of the comedy play ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. This play was written around 1595. In this essay I will be answering the question how does Shakespeare creates humour in act 5 scene 1. There are many reasons as to how the play was humorous; one of the main reasons was the staging you would have the real audience, the court on the stage and on the original stage you would haveRead MoreThe Theme of Julius Caesar Essay2961 Words   |  12 Pages How suitably is the theme of the supernatural depicted in the play ‘Julius Caesar’? William Shakespeare was one of the most influential playwrights, is known today for his plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Nights Dream and many other interesting and different plays. We in the 21st century enjoy Shakespeare’s plays for a variety of reasons. His plays have different themes like love, ambition, pride, friendship, supernatural, etc. His language

How to Use Linking Language in Written English

Once you have mastered the basics of correct usage in written English, you will want to express yourself in increasingly complex ways. One of the best ways to improve your writing style is to use linking language. Linking language refers to sentence connectors used to express relationships between ideas and to combine sentences; the use of these connectors will add sophistication to your writing style. Each section below contains linking language using similar sentences to show how the same idea can be expressed in a variety of manners. Once you have understood the use of these sentence connectors, take an example sentence of your own and write a number of sentences based on the examples to practice your own writing skills. Some Examples of Sentence Connectors The best way to understand the functionality of sentence connectors is to see examples of their usage in everyday situations. Take, for instance, that you want to combine the following two sentences: Food and drink prices in New York are very high and Renting an apartment in New York is very expensive. One could use the sentence connectors semicolon and the word furthermore to combine the two to form one cohesive sentence: Food and drink prices in New York are very high; furthermore, renting an apartment is very expensive. Another example, this time keeping the meaning of both sentences but linking them together to form a cohesive idea related to both: Life in New York is very expensive.Life in New York can be extremely exciting. Example: Despite the fact that life in New York is very expensive, it can be extremely exciting   And in this example, one can form conclusions as part of a sentence connector to emphasize a cause and effect relationship between two sentences: Life in New York is very expensive.Many people would love to live in New York. Example: Many people would love to live in New York; consequently, life in New York is very expensive. In any of these cases, sentence connectors serve to shorten writing and make a writers point more concise and easy to understand. Sentence connectors additionally help the pace and flow of a piece of writing feel more natural and fluid. When Not to Use Sentence Connectors Its not always appropriate to use sentence connectors or to link sentences at all, especially if the rest of the writing is already weighty with complex sentence structures. Sometimes, simplicity is key to get a point across. Another instance of a time not to use sentence connectors is when combining sentences could force an assumption on the reader or render the new sentence inaccurate. Take for instance writing an essay on the cause-effect relationship between human energy consumption and global warming, while you may be able to say human have burned more fossil fuels in the last century than ever before; ​consequentially, the global temperature has risen, it may not be entirely accurate given the readers interpretation of that statement without context clues.