Compare & Contrast: Crime Control vs Due Process

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Compare & Contrast: Crime Control vs Due Process In the 1960s, Herbert Packer, a Stanford University law professor, constructed two models: the crime control model and the due process model (Marion & Oliver, 2006). The purpose of these models was to showcase the differing principles regarding policy standards and objectivities within the criminal justice system. The crime control model focuses more on aggressively sentencing criminals to jails or prisons to protect the innocent members of society. The due process model focuses more on the rights of the offenders and providing rehabilitation programs to prevent recidivism. Neither model allows for the “right” or “wrong” method, but simply debates the amount of government involvement, so both are equally important to understand. What role does law enforcement play? Under the crime control model, law enforcement plays a very large role as this model is based on the theory that crime is reduced from more arrests, convictions, and harsher sentencing. This increases the amount of officers in given areas to provide a more “tough on crime” standard of policing. According to Packers theory, the crime control model also leans more toward the idea that the costs associated with providing criminals “rights” are wasteful and would be better applied towards building new prisons and hiring more police officers (Packer, 1968). Under the due process model, law enforcement roles are dramatically reduced as this model leans more towards the constitutional rights of criminals and reduces the amount of officers in a given area. The attention here is put towards spending the money to rehabilitate the offenders instead of towards the hiring of more officers and building more prisons. What roles do the prosecutor and courts play? The crime control model is thought of as the “conveyor belt” of justice. Assuming that each offender
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