Intro to Criminal

Justice
AHE 603-912- Jarkaria B. RIce
Table of contents

01 Definitions 02 History

03 Media
Influences 04 Bill of Rights
01.
Definitions
 Vocabulary
Criminal Justice- Society’s response
to crime

Crime: an act or qualifying

omission that is criminally punished
by the government at some level

Criminology : scientific study of

why criminals commit crimes
Type of
Criminology
- biological criminology
- psychological
criminology
- sociological criminology
Types of Criminology
Biological
Focuses on the
physiological factors, not
just genetic factors, which
may be related to antisocial
behavior.
Psychological Sociological
Encompasses science of The theory that there are
behavior and Mental societal influences that act
processes of the criminal. to cause a person to
commit crime.
02.
History
 150
Years of a formal Criminal Justice System
3 Main Components of the Criminal Justice System

Policing/law enforcement: Court system/judicial Corrections/prison,

local, state, federal process community (parole,
community service)
03.
Media
Influences
 Crime and Media
eclining over

y to present
ay that
citement, ● The illusion of choice"
y
s findings from
- almost all media comes from the same six
sources
make money
● Edward Bernays- known as the 'father of
propaganda', published a book called
Propaganda

● Peak crime committing years: age 16-24

years
- Age demographic is very important to look
at when understanding overall crime rate
Crime and Media
(cntd.)
● Media sensationalism- tendency
to present information about
crime in a way that provokes
public interest and excitement,
usually at the expense of reality

● Public opinion often contradicts

findings from actual crime data

● News outlets sensationalize to

make money (they are a business)
04.
Bill of Rights
Notable Amendments

4th Amendment 6th Amendment 14th Amendment

Protects people from
unreasonable searches and
seizures without a warrant.
A defendant has the right to a
trial that is judged by a jury of
his or her peers.
contributes greatly to the civil
rights of all Americans. It does
this on two fronts. Primarily, it
made anyone born in the United
States legal citizens, including
former slaves.

5th Amendment 8th Amendment

States that a person cannot be States that the court cannot set
prosecuted or punished without excessive bail.
being given due process.
Questions?
Jarkaria B. Rice