Crime Control Methods

Crime Control Methods

Due process and crime control are two separate ideals of the criminal justice system that coexist to eventually compliment each other. Due process works under the ideal "innocent until proven guilty." The crime control model is more of a "lock'em up now and ask questions later" mindset. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, however, they often balance each other out in the end.

Due process is what allow a person their day in court. Any person suspected of committing a crime has rights allowed to them by the United States Constitution. The most important of which is the right to a fair trail and the option of that trial to be in front of a jury of their peers. Once a person has committed or is believed to have committed a crime it is the responsibility of the legal system to produce evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused person actually committed the crimes and if they did to remit the consequences of that crime. It is the responsibility of the investigators to produce accurate evidence to avoid the incarceration of an innocent person. The evidence is then presented by the prosecution, against the accused party, to the jury. Once all the facts have been presented and the jury has heard both the prosecution and the defense, it is the jury's job to look at all the evidence and make a decision as to the accused party's innocence or guilt.

The crime control model, as stated earlier, follows a more aggressive ideal as it seems to accuse first and ask questions later. Crime control uses a more informal approach to its investigation as it tends to research for answers outside the courtroom (Packer, 15). The advantage of this is the feeling of some form of action being taken whether right or wrong. Another side, both positive and negative is that if the person caught is the true offender then the element has been removed