Types of Criminal Corrections in the U.S.

The criminal justice is a system of institutions and practices as directed by the governments to uphold deterring crime mitigation and social control, and sanctioning people who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts. The criminal justice policy in the United States has been guided by the 1969 President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice. The commission promoted a systems approach to criminal justice which will be carried out in accordance with coordination between law enforcement, courts and correctional agencies.

Criminal Justice System

The criminal justice system in the United States is divided into three parts which are:

- Law enforcement (police)
- Adjudication (courts)
- Corrections (jails, prisons, probation and parole)

The people are represented by two equally important and separate groups in the criminal justice system, which are the police and crime investigators, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. The agencies of the criminal justice system are intended to operate within the rule of law.

Criminal Corrections

After the accused has been proven guilty by the court system, the offenders are handed over to the correctional authorities. The most visible form of punishment is prison. Prisons are detention centers for prisoners after they are finished with a trial. Jails are local incarceration chambers for the accused. The Quaker movement in the United States is credited with establishing the idea that prisons should be used to reform the criminals.

Prison punishment serves many purposes. Firstly, the incarceration of the criminals removes them from the general population and restrains their ability to commit further crimes. Secondly, spending time in the prison gives them a chance to be rehabilitated. There are many religious institutions in the prisons which have a goal to teach ethics and instill a sense of morality in the prisoners.

If a prisoner is released before his date of release, then he is released as a parolee. This implies that a prisoner is released, but the restrictions imposed on them are greater than that of someone who is on probation. Probation and house arrest are also type of punishments that limit a person’s mobility and their opportunities to commit crimes without placing them in the prison. Many jurisdictions may require some form of community and public service as a type of reparation. You can get more information about criminal corrections from http://www.nationalinstituteofcorrections.gov/ . You can also visit:

Administrative Offices
320 First St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20534
Phone: (800) 995-6423
             (202) 307-3106

Capital Punishment/Death Penalty

The death penalty in the United States is exclusively reserved for crimes related to first degree murder with aggravating circumstances. However, circumstances that are considered aggravated vary from state to state.

Capital offenses exist for the following crimes:

- Treason (Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington)
- Drug trafficking (Florida and Missouri)
- Aggravated kidnapping (Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri and Montana)
- Espionage (New Mexico)
- Placing a bomb near bus terminal (Missouri)
- Aircraft hijacking (Georgia and Missouri)
- Espionage (New Mexico)
- Aggravated assault by incarcerated murderers (Montana) and persistent felons

Federal capital offenses which are non-murderous crimes include:

- Espionage
- Trafficking large quantities of drugs
- Treason
- Attempting, advising, or authorizing the murder of any officer, juror or witness

For more information you can visit http://www.ncsconline.org/.