America’s Criminal Justice
System
Police
• Do you think they take pride in “busting” all
crimes?
• Protect and Serve
• Dilemma- combat crime
vs. protect the Constitutional rights (due process)
Courts
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Prosecuting Attorney
Defense Attorney (court-appointed)
Plea Bargaining
Sentencing
Prisons
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Jails, Prisons, Penitentiary
Incarceration, Rehabilitation, both?
Recidivism
Privatization
Given the handout on
“Trends in US Corrections”
1. Being the young sociologists you are, record
observations you make as you look through the
handout.
2. Reflect upon what you observe at the following
websitehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/criminal
-justice/locked-up-in-america/whos-locked-up-inamerica/