NCJ Number
156916
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The criminal justice system in New York operates only indirectly and sometimes inversely to losses and gains in public safety.
Abstract
The criminal justice system is actually a sequence rather than a system that consists of autonomous agencies and activities. The legislature promulgates public safety rules and sets criminal penalties for their violation. Police officers apprehend those who violate rules, and prosecutors assemble and evaluate evidence of guilt. The criminal justice system needs to be perceived as fair and effective when it comes to public safety, but varied forces affect public safety and most lie beyond the reach of the criminal justice system. While the criminal justice system is properly focused on individuals, sentencing and corrections represent a poor first line of defense against crime because they require someone to be victimized before they can be brought to bear and deterrent and corrective effects of punishment are too remote from the time and place of threats to public safety to have much effect. Nonetheless, tougher sentences will deter the criminally inclined from breaking the rules, tougher sentences will deter those actually penalized, and imposing longer prison sentences keeps criminals off the streets. At the same time, public safety can be enhanced by teaching responsibility and accountability, reinforcing community values and standards of behavior, improving the quality of parenting so that children do not become criminally involved, and holding government accountable for providing and maintaining public safety.