Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice Essay

The get together stirs Criminal Justice System is a fundmental part to beau monde that focuses on protecting citizens in the United introduces Constiution as intumesce as ensuring to each one individual is constabulary adbiding law and non commiting serious acts of crimes. Each law was put in assure and federal official statues to ensure it continues and as period has changed nearly of the laws have not changed. In bring out twenty-four hours, the twist exceptice dust expects comptemporary issues as strong as trends that not besides affect immediately but in the forthcoming and how important each member of society hold a momentous value to the wretched justness administration. For numerous decades the criminal legal expert trunk has endured many issues and problems that atomic issuance 18 currently questioning scarce how fair United States Criminal Justice system is to citizens and criminals that participate in both misdeameanor and uncivilized offens es.The Corrections Department is whiz specific department that faces many controversies involving the validilty of ones primitive right of the Eighth Amendment. The Founding Fathers created one of the celebrated amendments that prohibits the law from enforcing cruel and laughable punishment in capital punishment. At one time, capital punishment consisted of electrocution, firing squad, and the gas chamber. Unfortunately, many individuals suppose that this form of punishments were cruel and unusual and many states eliminated these methods in their public presentations. In present day, lethal injection is the young method apply in state executions that have not banned the goal penalty as a form of punishment. The death penalty is used in only 32 states as of 2014 besides the re-creation of lethal dose cocktail makes the world hypothesise if the lethal injection method is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.The issue of the new combination of lethal injections drugs have many opposers speculating should the death row bunko game have the legal right to know exactly what is behind the newly developed death penalty drugs as well as if it against the Eighth Amendment. Two death row convicts in the State of okay pleaded with the higher courts to display any information pertaining to the ingredients of the drugs however the Oklahoma Supreme mash specifically stated, This court holds that the secrecy provision does not violate the inmates constitutional right of access to the courts. The Oklahoma Supreme Court said the only remaining issue, then, is whether the states failure to disclose its source for the drugs prevents the prisoners from challenging their executions using the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.The court decided it did not(CNN,2014). Following the ruling, the appease of executions of Charles Warner and Clayton Lockett were uplifted and were schedu guide to a double execution on April 29, 2014 that wou ld invariably change the prim protocols of execution guidelines and the Cruel and Unusual Punishment article of the Eighth Amendment. Clayton Lockett received the first injection around 623 pm and ten minutes spare-time activity his injection he was unconscious. aft(prenominal) the doctor noticed he was unconscious he administered the last cardinal drugs that would execute Clayton Lockett. Between 644 and 656 pm the doctor that was administering the medical procedures of the execution processed that the inmates vein had collapased that led for the drugs to every absorb in his tissue or leaked out(The Guardian ,2014). Immediately the inmate passed away of a massive heart attack.Following the execution, the other inmate that was supposed to be execute right after Lockett did not face the punishment and currently he is on a 180 day stay until the state government can conduct a overflowing investigation into the botched execution. Supporters of the death penalty believe the execu tion was conducted suitably however opposers believe he faced a slow bothersome death. The question remains will the death penalty in the State of Oklahoma be abolished or test the drugs before they be administered on death row inmates. As much as soulfulness whitethorn commited such a heinous crime such as Lockett and Warner these offenders be given rights off all the amendments of the United States Constitution and it is their right to address violations to higher courts so they can de terminal figureine if it did occur. The death penalty has many advantages and disadvantages and the criminal justice system is constantly fighting the battle to up come on it alive and well.Prison overcrowding is another modern-day issue that is currently poignant the criminal justice throughout the United States. Society is aware of the consequences involving committing a crime, however for offenses that are considered non-violent and the offender who has not been in trouble with the law i n the by faces severe punishment such as a violent offender. medicate offenses is one crime that caused correctional facilities population to projectile and instead of finding the beat out alternative for punishment prisons face an unkinown number of crimes within the facilities. In the State of Oklahoma, approximately 26, 539 offenders are incarcerated in priosn whereas probation has a population of 21,085(American legislative Exchange Council,2014). statewide Harm Reduction Coalition(n.d.) states, front to the current prohibition era the U.S. Prison population was a cast of what it is today. But 30 geezerhood ago the War on Drugs was launched. ahead that the prison population had been level for over 5 decades. 70 to 75% of people in prison are drug war prisoners. Drug use, arrest and incarceration rates along with data on disapprobation length show that people of color unfairly bear the brunt of the drug war(para.4). The war on drugs is the primary reason for the incre asely marrow of prisoners in facilities throughout the United States and if state legislation ever comes to the decision to stop the battle more likely overcrowding will not be a substanstive issue. Additional reasons why the American Corrections system is overcrowded are mandatory minimum sentencing, denial of parole, unaffordable bail, poverty, and Post Incarceration Syndrome.The final contemporary issue that is facing the criminal justice today is the increasing get along of complaints involving law officers that are involving in police bruatility and immoderate use of twinge. As society has learned in the past of cases of Rodney King, it happened then and it is still happening. However, just because one cop does it does not mean all of them do it. The virtually current case involving police brutality and excessive use of force involves the Albuquerque Police Department. Recently, certain police officers went against their oath and maliciously killed members of society. Th e circumstances are unknown and the Justice Department has conducted a through investigation stating that the police department the officers kicked, punched and violently restrained nonthreatening people, and seldom were the officers reprimanded.Many of the victims suffered from mental illnesses, and some were disabled, elderly or drunk, the 16-month investigation concluded. The changes called for by the Justice Department 44 remedies in all included extensive revisions to the departments use-of-force policies. The term force would be more clearly defined, and officers would have to report to superiors when they used diverse tactics chokeholds, kicks, leg sweeps and tackles. Under the recommendations, officers would be trained to assert more on verbal warnings and less on stun guns, and new recruits would be required to undergo psychological, medical and polygraph examinations to assess their fitness for the business line( in the altogether York Times,2014). As much as the recommendations should be followed, more cases of police brutatlity and excessive force in Albuqueruqe happen however it seems officers refuse to listen to the recommendations and contract what is best for them.Some may feel threatened when they encounter someone but there are other methods instead of physically harming someone or murdering the subject. One of the most recent trends that is currently affecting the criminal justices that will more likely affect it in the future is the increasing amount of crimes involving youths. In the past, youths were not subjected to violence and since the internet evolved and other environmental factors so much is at stake. One particular area where society is seeing violence are in areas that at one time that they thought was safe such as schools and movies. The Aurora Thetre Shooting and various school shootings continue to happen and for innocent individuals fear is in their minds on a daily basis. The reasons the youth commits serious acts like these vary however most cases involved the lack of mental healthcare and as well as bullying.The perpertrators feel that the victims hurt them in some manner that led them to harm an entire school. In addition, technology is a severe problem for the criminal justice system today and will continue as long as the internet is available. Identity Theft is the newest trend in computer crimes and all it takes is a click of a button and the criminal soughting out the information can have access to someones life in a matter of seconds(Muraskin & Roberts,2009). Prevention is the only recommendation in both youth violence and cybercrimes that will finally decrease the current trends occurring in the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system hold a significant value in todays changing society by ensuring each citizen of the United States is legitimately protected by their consititutional rights as well as ensuring that local, state, and federal governments following prope r protocol, procedures, and polices on keeping society away from harm that he or she could possibly face.The only problem that society has with the criminal justice system is the lack of mistrust invididuals have based on past incidents and discrepanices that makes persons make the assumption that all professionals do not care of their well being or are not red ink above and beyond to protect them. Current trends and comtemproary issues within the criminal justice system will remain in society for many years to come. Capital punishment, prison overcrowding, and police brutality affect the justice system in a variety of ways but to society each problem can be fixed by following proper procedures. As for trends, technology and youth violence is uncertain but the best method is to find resources and methods to eliminate trends in the cirminla justice system in the future. As much as society places the criminal justice system as good or bad it is something needed to protect everyon e from constitutional violations as well as from heinous acts of crime.ReferenceAmerican Legislative Exchange Council . (2014). Prison Overcrowding Oklahoma. Retrieved from http//www.alec.org/initiatives/prison-overcrowding/prison-overcrowding-oklahoma/ CNN. (2014). Oklahoma executions back on, as court rules to keep lethal-drug sources secret. Retrieved from http//www.cnn.com/2014/04/24/justice/oklahoma-court-execution-drugs/ Muraskin, R., & Roberts, A. R. (2009). Visions For Change Crime and Justice in the 21st Century (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall. New York Times. (2014). Justice Dept. Accuses Albuquerque Police of Excessive Force. Retrieved from http//www.nytimes.com/2014/04/11/us/albuquerque-police-report-justice-department.html?_r=1 Statewide Harm Reduction Coalition (SHaRC). (n.d.). What Causes Overcrowding in Jails and Prisons?. Retrieved from http//www.massdecarcerate.org/download/overcrowding.pdf The Guardian. (2014). Oklahoma execution of Clayton Lock ett timeline of the botched procedure. Retrieved from http//www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2014/may/01/oklahoma-execution-clayton-lockett-timeline-document