SOCIAL STUDIES HIGH SCHOOL – CRIMINOLOGY Confinement Criminal Justice Agencies Power & Legitimate Authority The Courts Defense Police Unit 2 American Criminal Justice System Prosecution Content Vocabulary: adjudication prosecution confinement atavistic classical theory positivist theory parole civil infraction criminal Parole Officer Different Roles Theory of Criminology Probation Officer Positivist Classical Essential Understandings/Learning Goals: The American criminal justice system seeks to enforce offenses against the community. It is comprised of adjudicators, regulators, and prosecutors. There is a theory that argues that the most serious crimes are committed by individuals who are “primitive” or “atavistic”—that is, who failed to evolve to a fully human and civilized state. Criminal justice officials are limited by constitutional rights of individuals.