1.6. The Four C’s: Cops, Courts, Corrections – and Citizens
1.6. The Four C’s: Cops, Courts, Corrections – and Citizens
Shanell Sanchez and Kate McLean
The Four C’s
As previously stated, the U.S. criminal justice system is not confined to one level of government and is made up of local, state, and federal governments. The agencies associated with these levels can work together or work separately. In the previous example about marijuana legalization, the federal government has not legalized recreational or medicinal marijuana, but some states have; states have disagreed with federal law, but federal law essentially has the final say. If the federal government wanted to punish states for selling marijuana, they certainly could, since it remains a Schedule I drug.
We will spend time exploring the three main components of the criminal justice system, or what some call the three C’s: cops, courts, and corrections. Yet, for the purposes of this class, you are encouraged to keep in mind a fourth “C,” without which the criminal justice system would not function: the citizens who report crimes. Even while most crime is not reported, relatively few crimes are observed “in progress” by the police, with citizen calls instead initiating police action. This section will briefly introduce the police, courts, and correctional systems and how they often function with each other, whereas subsequent chapters will further focus on how they each operate as their entity.
Cops
Imagine walking downtown on a Friday night and witnessing a robbery in action. The first thing a person would typically do is call 911. Then the person would tell the 911 operator, referred to as dispatch, what they saw, where the event occurred, and any other relevant information. The operator would then send out the call or dispatch it to nearby police on duty. The first point of contact with the criminal justice system for most individuals is the cops. We often refer to them as first responders. We will use a variety of terms for cops, such as police officers and law enforcement, but recognize we are always talking about the men and women who enforce laws and protect the people of the United States. The police respond to calls and can apprehend the offender. Indeed, policing in the United States is primarily reactive, not proactive.
Nevertheless, police may witness a crime while on patrol. In this case, officers will make initial contact, investigate crimes, apprehend offenders/potential offenders (arrest), and then book them in the local jail. Law enforcement does not determine guilt or innocence, hand down punishments, or implement the punishment. [1]
During an investigation, police officers may need to obtain a search warrant. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution requires that police officers have probable cause before they search a person’s home, clothing, car, or other property, with some exceptions explored later on in the class. In order to ensure due process, searches often require a search warrant, issued by a “neutral and detached” judge.