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Criminal Justice Agency Essay

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The police are the first agency of criminal justice that the majority of the population come in contact with. Today, police agencies aim to “...identify best practices that most capably control and prevent crime” (Siegel & Worrall, 2016, p. 172). They are responsible for the first 4 stages of the criminal justice process, which include the initial contact, investigation, arrest, and custody of individuals (Siegel & Worrall, 2016). The courts are the second agency of criminal justice that is met after the police take custody of an individual. The courts are tasked with handling cases and are currently being forced to handle an overcrowding of cases in the United States (Siegel & Worrall, 2016). They are responsible for the next 8 stages of …show more content…

Ideally, the police help society to prevent crime and maintain the order and peace within communities). The courts take care of handling the mass amounts of cases that are filed daily, and decide on the sentencing of individuals. They determine the best course of action for offenders and keeping the public safe. Meanwhile, the corrections agency is tasked with carrying out these sentences. Each agency cannot function without the other, making each agency necessary for the criminal justice system to work. While I do believe there are problems needing to be addressed in each agency, these agencies are ultimately necessary in our society. The functions are similar to why they are necessary. The functions of the police agency are to deter crime, maintain public order, enable quick response to emergencies, identify and apprehend law violators, and create a feeling of security in communities (Siegel & Worrall, 2016, pp. 207-208). The function of the courts is to manage cases through the adjudicatory process from charging to appeals and post-conviction remedies. The function of the corrections agency is, as stated before, to carry out the sentences set forth from the courts systems. The corrections agency deals with offenders and how, or if, they will be rehabilitated and reinstituted back into the general population (Siegel & Worrall,

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