preview

Expansion Of Criminal Justice Essay

Satisfactory Essays

The expansion of the criminal justice system is a consequence of two decades of "get-tough" policy making. New policies include those targeted at violent and repeat offenders, such as the death penalty and three strikes laws. They also include new mandatory sentences and policing strategies that target nonviolent property and public order offenders, especially drug users ( ). Much of the growth of the prison and jail populations is a result of policies and practices that target these nonviolent offenders. Indeed, the U.S. now arrests and incarcerates a much larger proportion of those accused of property, public order, or drug offenses than do other industrialized countries, and it does so for significantly longer periods of time.

Get Access