1. Criminal Justice in the United States: A Network of Interaction CAROLINA ACADEMIC PRESS Copyright © 2009 Steven M. Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

2.  The Criminal Justice System as a Network of Overlapping Components  The Public’s Role in the Criminal Justice Network  Some Key Assumptions in the Criminal Justice Network 2 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

3.  Typical models of criminal justice… ◦ Show each component passing on cases to another component: ◦ Police  Prosecutor  Court Officials  Corrections  This however is misleading. It leaves out… ◦ Pursuit of different, often incompatible goals ◦ Feedback based on personal relationships ◦ Political considerations ◦ Use of discretion 3 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

4.  It is not the system itself that acts or fails to act, but individuals  Think of it as a Criminal Justice Network ◦ A web of constantly changing relationships among individuals, some of whom are directly involved in criminal justice pursuits, others of whom are indirectly involved 4 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

5.  Describe it like a radio network! ◦ Stations share many programs ◦ Each station also airs programs that are unique to its station ◦ The public, legislators, police, prosecutors, judges, and correctional officials all interact with each other and members in the community 5 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

6.  We assume the existence of a system that is more orderly and coordinated than the reality  Criminal justice system is best viewed as a network of individuals with a diversity of goals  Police, courts, and corrections all form an interacting network in which changes in one component have an impact on other components 6 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

7.  The public, with varying interests and concerns, is perhaps the most important component of the criminal justice system  Many assumptions that the criminal justice system is based on are thought to be questionable at best in practice  Justice means different things to different people 7 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.

8.  Public opinion, political considerations, media feedback, and the exercise of discretion are important factors in the criminal justice network 8 Copyright © 2009 Steven M.Cox and William P. McCamey. All rights reserved.