Criminal Justice in Britain

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how the criminal justice system of Britain embraces a range of agencies, cultures and objectives. The paper explains that from the police through the courts and from the prison systems to victim services, all agencies have a goal to reduce crime and punish the guilty. However, within each agency, specific objectives exist that embrace numerous cultural differences. The paper discusses the various agencies involved in the British criminal justice system, the objectives of each and the ways in which those agencies work together to cater to a wide range of cultures within the British society.

From the Paper:

"Each governmental department oversees a variety of agencies, each of which has specific objectives within the criminal justice system. The Home Office, or HO, directly oversees national and local police functions, as well as various district authorities, the prison services, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme and Victim Support services. The district authorities directly oversee the operations of three agencies, those of Local Magistrate's Court Committees, local police authorities, and local Probation Committees. The Local Magistrate's Court Committees directly oversee the operations of Magistrate's Courts, consisting of 328 divisions in England and Wales. The local police authorities directly oversee operations of the 43 police service districts. The Probation Committees oversee probation services (Chapman and Niven, 2000, 8)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Auld, J. S., 2001. A Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales. London: Criminal Courts Review.
• Chapman, B. and Niven, S., 2000. A Guide to the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales. London: RDS Communication and Development Unit.
• Home Office Prison Service, 2005. The Prison Service Associate Race Equality Scheme. London: HM Prison Service.
• IMB News, 2006. The IMB National Council. IMB News 10 (1), pp. 28.
• National Probation Service, 2003. Heart of the Dance. London: National Probation Service.

More papers on Criminal Justice in Britain:

• Essay # 37091 : "Criminal Justice in England and Wales"
• Research Paper # 147218 : "Active Citizenship and Criminal Justice"
• Persuasive Essay # 105612 : "The Criminal Justice Act 2003"

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