Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous criminal justice system criminal justice system After speaking with several different individuals, I think the reason I chose to use the responses and thoughts of Alissa C. in my paper is because she had straight yes and no answers with thoughtful explanations, and she had very few "I don't know" or "maybe" type answers. Alissa C. seemed genuinely concerned about the state of the criminal justice system and, obviously, had given it a great deal of thought over time. I advised Alissa C. that my inquiry would cover the issues of police, the court system and our correctional system. As an afterthought, I also told her I would like her thoughts on gun control. I asked Alissa C. if she felt safe in her home, her place of employment, and any travels she might undertake. Alissa C. advised me that in the last year, she had been the victim of a recent crime in which her home was broken into -- while she was in bed asleep. The robber took her purse (containing her wallet, keys, credit cards, etc.), TV, VCR, stereo, and compact discs. The robber used her keys to steal her car. Alissa C. advised that while it was a traumatic experience and she had all of her locks changed and doesn't leave her downstairs windows open anymore -- she isn't terrified by any means. She advised that the Springfield Police Department did an excellent job and recovered her vehicle within a few days. Alissa C. advised that she isn't afraid to go out with her friends or for a walk in the park or to get in her car and take a trip. Alissa C. indicated that the police officers do the best job they can with the manpower and resources at their disposal. Given the amount of crime on the streets today, she indicated that the police officers have their hands full. Her confidence in the police remains strong, since, the police are the "dam" that keeps the "flood of crime" from totally washing us all away down the river. I next put our court system in front of Alissa C. and asked her about her basic knowledge of the workings of the court system. She seemed quite knowledgeable of the divisions and levels of our court system. Alissa C. knew the difference between small claims, civil, probate, family, etc.) and criminal divisions, and indicated that she knew there was state court, federal courts and different levels of appeals, such as Illinois Appellate Courts, U.S. Court of Appeals, Illinois Supreme Court and on up the ladder. I asked her if she felt our court system was sufficient. She appeared a bit agitated over that question and indicated that the courts work as well as the laws allow. She stated her knowledge of the court system was as follows: a criminal commits a crime, the criminal gets arrested, the criminal obtains a lawyer or is assigned a public defender, the case is prepared for trial by lawyers researching case law, etc., case is presented to a judge and jury, jury decides the issues and renders a verdict. Alissa C. was adamant that if a person commits a crime that they should be punished for the extent of the crime. She knows that there are some lawyers with better reputations than others and some with more ethics. She referenced that a lawyer should be able to take a case because he believes in it, but knows better -- because in today's society, often the law is about earning high amounts of money and a lawyer will take a client or case because it will pay well. However, she indicated she would get back on track and insisted that our court system, generally, appeared sturdy and reliable. She said society relies on the police for protection and our court system is also a means of protecting society since, hopefully, the criminals will receive the proper punishment and be taken off the streets. Alissa C. said society has fought for and maintained their rights as outlined in the Constitution of the United States and, therefore, the police, the courts, and the government protect those rights. Lawyers and judges decide issues and cases based on their research and understanding of the existing case law and she said that while the end result often is not what an individual(s) might hope for -- that is why we have different levels of appellate courts and supreme courts. She said that if a person feels that they did not receive a fair and impartial result in a trial, they can appeal their case, if they have the proper grounds, to another level in our court system. I asked Alissa C. if she had any direct dealings with the court system, such as jury duty. She indicated that she served on a DUI one-day trial. Without releasing any names, she indicated that the defendant was found not guilty, based on evidence and testimony presented by both sides. While Alissa C. seemed to be a very strong supporter of our police and court systems, her support wavered a bit when asked about our correctional system. She indicated that while there are weak links in the police system and the court system, she felt it worked quite well for society. However, she felt that the correctional system definitely has need for improvement. First, she explained that there do not appear to be enough correctional institutions. While funding or the lack thereof is the reason given for not having enough prisons and correctional officers, she felt that perhaps the government should rethink their budgeting process and set aside enough funds to accommodate the increasing amounts of inmates. In Illinois, she pointed out that the early release programs and parole systems seem to fall in the cracks and allow criminals back on the streets -- especially the career criminal that shouldn't be mingling with the general public. She indicated that its a given that the law states that an inmate will do a certain amount of time and, if he/she meets the requirements of the parole board, can be released back into society after a certain amount of that sentence has been served. In her opinion, certain crimes should, perhaps, warrant the death sentence or life imprisonment without parole. She mentioned that the crimes that she felt warranted the death sentence were multiple homicides (i.e., serial killers, terrorists) or, in the very least, life without hope of parole. Alissa C. felt that often the crime, depending on the location in the United States, doesn't carry enough punishment to deter criminals, whether they are petty crimes or felonies. The government should rethink its positions on the punishments that match the crimes; murder, drugs, and terrorism are all horrible crimes and should carry sentences appropriate for the felons. The survivors or victims should be considered in the scheme of things as well, since, she indicated that those individuals (survivors) must struggle just to get through each day. Alissa C. indicated that right now the sentencing laws, correctional institutions and parole system are what we have to work with, but perhaps it should be put on the front burner and revamped. Finally, I asked her about gun control and she had a very short statement to give me on this subject. Alissa C. indicated that the person kills -- not the gun. No matter how strict our gun control laws might be, a criminal will find a gun to commit a crime. The government shouldn't punish the individuals that hunt, trap shoot, or enjoy indoor pistol ranges -- because guns have fallen into the hands of criminals. Also, as an aside, she mentioned that the students killed at Columbine was more than just a tragedy for the victims, survivors and the families of the victims and survivors, but legislation shouldn't be forced on legal card carrying gun owners to calm the outraged masses that blame guns for crimes. I thanked Alissa C. for her time and cooperation. Each of us is entitled to express our own opinions and that is what makes the United States a great country. I have a final comment to make about these issues also. While what we have as far as police, courts and corrections systems may not always seem workable, it is the best we have. Our government has enacted legislation and empowered systems to enforce the laws to keep the circle in tact -- the circle being society. Legislation has changed many times over the years and will continue to change, but the changes have always been for the good of society. We all have complaints and opinions about the workings of the government, but where would we be without the government today. Why do people from other countries struggle to obtain citizenship in the United States? There are ways and means to express our opinions -- that is why we have representatives in Congress. Bibliography: Word Count: 1489
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