CJ Basics
The three primary components of the American criminal justice system.
What are police, courts, and corrections?
The criminal justice component primarily responsible for investigating crimes and making arrests.
What is law enforcement?
The unlawful taking of property from another person without force or threat of force.
What is larceny-theft?
The federal agency responsible for administering the Uniform Crime Reporting program.
What is the FBI?
A person steals a laptop from an unattended classroom without threatening anyone. This is the likely offense.
What is theft (larceny)?
The term for behavior that violates criminal law and is punishable by the government.
What is crime?
The court official responsible for presiding over trials and ruling on legal matters.
Who is a judge?
A crime involving the unlawful killing of another human being.
What is criminal homicide?
The abbreviation for the National Crime Victimization Survey.
What is NCVS?
An officer stops a vehicle and conducts a search without legal justification. This constitutional protection may be violated.
What is the Fourth Amendment?
The legal principle that a defendant is considered innocent until the government proves guilt.
What is the presumption of innocence?
The constitutional amendment that protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
What is the Fourth Amendment?
The unlawful entry into a building or structure with intent to commit a crime inside.
What is burglary?
The term describing crimes that are never reported to or recorded by police.
What is the dark figure of crime?
A student experiences an assault but never tells police. This incident illustrates this crime measurement problem.
What is the dark figure of crime?
This criminal justice model emphasizes the efficient identification, apprehension, and punishment of offenders.
What is the crime control model?
The standard of proof generally required for a criminal conviction in the United States.
What is beyond a reasonable doubt?
The taking of property directly from a person through force or threat of force.
What is robbery?
The FBI reporting system that collects detailed incident-level information about reported crimes.
What is NIBRS?
A suspect threatens a store clerk with a weapon and takes money from the register. This is the likely offense.
What is robbery?
This model prioritizes individual rights, legal safeguards, and protection against wrongful convictions.
What is the due process model?
This legal principle generally requires police to have sufficient facts to justify an arrest.
What is probable cause?
Nonviolent offenses typically committed through deception for financial or professional gain.
What are white-collar crimes?
One major reason official police crime statistics may underestimate actual criminal victimization.
What is the failure to report crimes to police?
A city reports a 20% increase in recorded crime after improving its reporting system. This is why the increase alone cannot establish that actual crime rose by 20%.
What is a change in crime recording or reporting practices?