Unit 1…. Johnathon

Posted: October 17th, 2013

Unit 1

Name:

Class:

Institution:

Instructor:

Date:

Unit 1

Part one

Comparative criminal justice system examines, compares, and contrasts the legal system of two or more countries, cultures and institutions. It focuses on how different countries examine crime, law and justice. It seeks to explain the reasons why crime occurs in different countries, with focus on the different types and levels of crime (Dammer & Albanese, 2010). International criminal justice system on the other hand refers to how a specific country will deal with a suspected offender from another country that has different custom, culture and practices. It is especially useful when resolving cases and conflicts involving two or more nations with different justice systems (Steverson, 2008). The international criminal justice system uses international law and norms. The international criminal court does not have to be in the same geographical location where the crime was committed and it is not part of the domestic criminal system. The judges and prosecutors in the international criminal justice system are not usually nationals of the particular country where the court is located (Nkansah, 2011). On the other hand, Comparative criminal justice uses the laws of a specific country.

Reference:

Dammer, R. H., & Albanese, S. J. (2010). Comparative criminal justice systems. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

Nkasah, A. L. (2011). International criminal justice in Africa: Some emerging dynamics. Journal of politics and law 4 (2) 74-85

Steverson, A. L. (2008). Policing in America: A reference handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO

Part two

Comparative criminal justice has influenced the US criminal justice system. Countries compare different justice systems so that they can learn from each other (Nelken, 2009). This begins in colleges and universities, where students have the option of studying comparative criminal justice courses. The United States has high crime rates and various government authorities have sought to learn from other countries, especially those that have a low crime rate. In police stations for instance, the police have modified the methods used by the Japanese police. The Japanese police use small police stations, which enable them to concentrate on a specified area. The US mostly uses the due process of the law. However, in recent times, it has adopted control efforts, which are mostly used in the UK. This is especially the case when it is dealing with immigrants from Mexico and Southern America (Deflem & Swygart, 2001).

References:

Deflem, M., & Swygart,  J. A. (2001). Comparative criminal justice. Retrieved from http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/zcompcj.htm

Nelken, D. (2009). Comparative criminal justice: Beyond ethnocentricism and relativism. European Journal of Criminology 6 (4) 291-311