Criminal Justice System

"The criminal justice system acquires its legitimizing function by serving as a local arena in which the significance and value of social behaviors are designated. it thus serves not only as an institution through which legal disputes may be resolved but also as a mechanism by which a society's laws and system of government are legitimized. Hence anything that influences the public image of the judicial system also influences its legitimizing funcaiton and affects the functioning of the total social system' (p. 6).

In order to look at both the criminal justice system (CJS) and mass media, theoretical frameworks can be used. There are two paradigms for the criminal justice system; the first is due process. Due process is the idea that the CJS is “an obstacle course in which the government must prove an accused person’s guilt while conforming to strict procedural rules. The system’s most important goal under this model is the protection of citizen rights and the prevention of arbitrary and capricious government actions” (p. 6). Legal guilt is decided after a formulaic process. On the other hand, the crime control model sees the CJS as an assembly line where offenders are processed as quickly and efficiently as possible. The idea is punishment and determent. This is associated with factual guilt in that guilt is determined early by professional discretion and strength of case (p. 9).

References:

Surette, R. (1992). “Mass media, crime, and criminal justice: An introduction .” Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Images and Realities. 1-20. Wadsworth Publishing Company: Belmont, California.