NCJ Number
94946
Date Published
1982
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The effective, efficient, and fair administration of criminal justice constitutes one of the most meaningful goals of any society; however, problems diverse in nature and in dimension continue to beset the system and its integral components.
Abstract
These problems may be traced to the variations in the criminal justice systems and processes of each country. Such fragmentation demands unity in the roles of the police, the prosecution, the courts, the community, and corrections. Police administrators must assume responsibility for ensuring that their officers use discretion in invoking the criminal justice system, whether through investigating and subsequently arresting a suspected offender or through outright apprehension of a law violator in flagranti delictu. The prosecutor must exercise broad discretion in screening cases, deciding which will be prosecuted or dismissed, and determining the legal modality and degree of the crime with which a law violator should be charged. The courts are vitally important to the administration of criminal justice, and should be reformed in three areas: (1) improvements in court management and administration; (2) improvements in the quality of judges; and (3) improvements in the competence of judiciary personnel. Positive steps must be taken to reappraise and redefine correctional policies within each jurisdiction so that all programs and services are oriented toward the same goal. In addition, funding for correctional agencies must be increased, and corrections personnel must be upgraded. Finally, the community must be made aware of its role in and responsibility to the criminal justice system.