Criminal Justice System

The diagram below illustrates the sequence of events in the criminal

justice system.

Many are in prison for non-violent or minor offences. But using prison as an answer to
all offences committed by such individuals but the entry to prison causes a series of
problems about which we will speak later.
Sentencing and sanctions
After a conviction, sentence is imposed.
The judge decides on the sentence, but in some jurisdictions the sentence is decided by
the jury.

Sentences for a criminal conviction can take many forms, and a

conviction doesnt always mean a trip to jail or prison.
Criminal sentences may involve :
-incarceration (prison, jail)
- probation
- restitution (victim compensation)

- community service.
In some jurisdictions, offenders may be sentenced to alternatives to incarceration that
are considered more severe than straight probation but less severe than a prison term.
In this presentation we will talk about this: the alternatives measures to prison.

Judges determine alternative sentences based on :

-the type and severity of the crime
-the age of the defendant
-the defendants criminal history
-the effect of the crime on the victims
-the defendants remorse.

What are the alternatives to prison?

Definition
An alternative to incarceration: is any kind of punishment or
treatment other than time in prison or jail that can be given to a
person who is convicted of committing a crime.
Alternatives can take the form of:
- restorative justice.
- transformative justice
-the abolition of incarceration entirely.
What are?
Penal sanctions .
Objective
- To address the problem of overcrowding in prisons and seeking to reduce the number
of people being isolated from society for long periods.
The main objective: change in the approach to crime, offenders and their place in
society, changing the focus of penitentiary measures from punishment and isolation, to
restorative justice and reintegration.

Offers in the long-term better protection for society. When accompanied by adequate
support for offenders, it assists some of the most vulnerable members of society to lead
a life without having to relapse back into criminal behaviour patterns.
How?

Support the offender inside of his community.

At liberty serving a sentence
Examples:
(Successful examples include Zimbabwe, Latvia and Russia).
In Zimbabwe, for example, where a community service scheme was developed on this
basis in the early 90s, the monthly cost of supervising an offender on community
service was estimated to be about one third of that of keeping a person in prison.

In 2012, the Penitentiary and Correctional Service of Zimbabwe threw

the first phase of a project to rehabilitate the system of water supply
of the whole prison complex with support of the CICR and of the
National Authority of Water of Zimbabwe. This phase was started
officially in April, 2015, after be completing and the facilities to be
proved.
Who controls delinquency?
State -> Trials, police and prisons.
Proporcionates statistics and judicial information.

Reasons for Prison Alternatives

Problems of crime:
-Is expensive. The supervision of offenders within a probation system is normally
much less costly than the upkeep of a prisoner
Moreover the use of existing staff and volunteers for the supervision of noncustodial
sentences may be more viable and effective options.

-The impact on the victims. When we talk about the safety in the community

-Costs of society and to the criminal.

-The cost of keeping someone in prison.

-Rehabilitation of the defendant in the society. impoverishment, loss of jobs,

weakening of employment chances, damage to relationships, worsening of psychological
and mental illnesses and continued or increased drug use is perpetuated. There are also
many health risks associated with overcrowded prisons, including the spread of
infectious disease, such as tuberculosis and HIV.

Bibliography:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatives_to_incarceration
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sentencing-alternativesprison-probation-fines-30294.html
file:///C:/Users/HP/Downloads/alternatives_to_prison.pdf
http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-procedure/alternativesentences.html
http://www.justice.gov/
http://famm.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FS-Alternatives-in-a-Nutshell7.8.pdf
https://www.unodc.org/pdf/criminal_justice/Handbook_of_Basic_Principles_an
d_Promising_Practices_on_Alternatives_to_Imprisonment.pdf
http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/crime-punishment-andprison-alternatives.html
http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/opca/ati_description.htm
http://www.bjs.gov/content/justsys.cfm#sentencing
https://www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prisonreform/cjat_eng/3_Alternatives_Incarceration.pdf
https://www.icrc.org/es/document/zimbabue-mejora-del-acceso-al-agua-enel-complejo-carcelario-chikurubi