The Effects of Felony Convictions RaShawnda Anderson Kaplan University The Effects of Felony Convictions The effects of felony convictions are a very hot topic in America. This is because there are many Americans that commit crimes and are punished yet still deal with the effects for years to come. Felons are a part of society and should be treated as such especially if they are reformed. A person can commit a crime that results in a felony and twenty years later still suffer the harsh reality of certain privileges being taken away. Yes, an individual should be punished for their crimes but the effects of a felony conviction should not include or affect that person’s right to vote, finding employment, or the pursuance of a higher education.
Desmond LeSure Professor Bolton ENGL 1020 19 April 2012 “Is the Three-Strikes Law fair and ethical?” There are individuals who were known as habitual criminals who constantly repeated the cycle of committing a crime, getting arrested, and eventually getting released. In 1993, Americans noticed that this was very costly to the public because the process of arresting and trying these criminals was expensive. American tax payers were beginning to become concerned with this issue and wanted something to be done about habitual offenders. Society is pushing the issue that it was more logical to keep repeat criminals in jail and not release them to commit more crimes. Politicians listened to society and executed a law that would put an end to
Tonight he would overcome his fear of talking to the public about something he really cares deeply about. This topic was surprisingly unselfish in the reasons he was bringing it up as an issue. Dan has a problem with the ‘Three Strike’ law in California, stating that if you have obtained three felony accounts, violent or nonviolent, you will be sentenced to life imprisonment. The three strikes law in California, instituted in 1993, had the original purpose of taking career criminals off the streets, making out communities and our and streets more safe. However the real impact of the law was filling prisons with non-violent offenders for decades at a time.
Everyday juveniles are being tried in adult criminal court. Between 1992 and 1997 forty-four states and the District of Colombia passed laws facilitating the transfer of juveniles to the adult system. Senators are steadily weighing tougher standards for juvenile offenders, partly because of massacres like Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The juvenile system, which started in England, was invented to re-teach values and morals to the young, rehabilitate them, and give them a second chance at a happy life (Glick 25). Juvenile offenders should not be tried as adults because they will suffer physical and psychological damage, endure societal alienation, and possibly reoffend the law.
Our correctional system uses multiple approaches to punish criminal offenders depending on the severity of the crime, number of past crimes, and the potential of re-offending. It relies mostly on political clout which is used to shape public opinion and in turn determines what is a crime, and the appropriate punishment for a particular crime. It has rarely used science based methods, though it is beginning to see the benefits of such methodologies and will most likely implement more science base strategies in the years to come. Our current correctional system utilizes five general types of sentencing concepts to enact punishment on offenders, “retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and restoration” (Schmalleger, 2014, p. 341). Each of these represents a different philosophy which stems from a different understanding of human nature.
A common misconception of the funnel process is that it lets criminals off, however, this is not true, most cases are often dismissed or pleas are bargained for due to lack of evidence. Next I will discuss the wedding cake model; it is referred to as a wedding cake because with this model criminal justice officials decide how to deal with cases according to their informal discretionary definition of "seriousness." This model was developed by Samuel Walker, a scholar who analyzed the judicial system. This model divides the criminal justice system up into four different categories: celebrated cases, serious felonies, lesser felonies and misdemeanors. This model looks at the seriousness of the charge, past criminal record of the offender, relationship of the victim to the offender and strength of the
In his eyes he believed he did no such thing wrong. He blamed his outrageous behavior on alcohol. But one thing Jeff Dahmer had was wits because he did know how to out smart a judge. Dahmer at one time spoke on his own defense and the things he would say would make you think twice maybe he is truly sorry for his actions and deserves a second chance or maybe it’s just an extraordinary act which he plays well. The judge fell right into his trap in which lead Dahmer to be on probation for five years, serve a sentence for a year in the House of Correction and Dahmer would still be able to work during the day and return to jail at night.
But in 1967, the state's Court of Appeals reduced Moseley's sentence to life imprisonment. As a result, Moseley lived to see an opportunity of freedom, which he took in an attempt to break out, seizing five hostages and raping one before being recaptured. (www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/.../kitty_genovese/1.html) At his 1984 parole hearing, Moseley stated that he had written to Genovese's family and apologized for the "inconvenience" he had caused them. His parole was denied. In 1995, Moseley applied for a new trial and won a hearing before a federal court.
Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper page one Glenderlyn Henderson Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper Final Exam Axia University of Phoenix Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Paper page two During many years and decades, the sentencing roles that played an important part in reducing increased levels of incarceration focused on evidence, offender solutions that include how to help the offender be a repeater of crimes and ways to access diverse programs to alleviate working jobs for those offenders. This paper will provide many approaches to a better sentencing structure of the Justice System. For instance,
Word count : 1700 Criminal victimization and rational theories The classical approach to explain crime has always revolved around examining the personal motivations of offenders for committing crime. However, in the recent past decades researchers have focused not only on offender incentive, but also on the lifestyles and activities of those at risk of being victimized. The following article explores different risk determinants, rational choice and social control theories in an attempt to establish both victim and offender's crime circumstances. Cohen, Kluegel and Land present the opportunity model of predatory victimization perspective as a basic explanatory model for criminal victimization. In order to comprehend why race, age and income have the potential to affect criminal victimization, the authors portray five main risk factors which are: exposure, guardianship, proximity to potential offenders, attractiveness of targets and definitional properties of specific crimes.