Any high school student would know that the criminal justice system is supposed to protect the innocent and punish the guilty but those who enter college and take criminal justice courses will argue the system is not as flawless as law enforcement would like the public to think. For instance, the guilty party is often not convicted as severely as the crime they committed warrants because the prosecution and the defense often come to an agreement on a plea bargain in an attempt to save time and money. Furthermore convicts who have perpetrated serious crimes such as first degree murder or sexual assault of a child are often released after a few years to be put on probation. Thus it is no wonder that critics of the criminal justice system claim it is a non-system meaning “it is dysfunctional, and with visible leaks and cracks” (Smart Policing, 2015). In other words, the system is not a system because it is not uniform due to the fact that many convicts not only go unpunished or get a reduced sentence but the laws themselves are vague and unclear.
Another issue this non-system presents is since many perpetrators are not properly dealt with, there are those who believe they will be able to get away with breaking the law. This is especially true when it comes to petty crime as the rate of them being committed has increased over the past few years. In contrast, there are critics who claim that convicts are not being treated fairly or being given their human rights particularly those who have not been found guilty yet thus generating the argument that the system is a non-system because it is cruel and unfair. In conclusion, there are many reasons why the American people view the criminal justice system that is supposed to protect them while at the same time dealing out justice is a non-system full of mistakes. Clearly the current system is in desperate needs of repair so those who are guilty are actually found guilty and both the prosecution and the defense are unable to cheat their way through a plea bargaining so they do not have to put together an actual case.
References
Criminal Justice: A System or Non System? (2015, October 30). Retrieved January 23, 2017, from https://smartpolicing.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/criminal-justice-a-system-or-non-system/
