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Criminal Justice Models

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Criminal Justice Models Paper

Criminal Justice Models Paper
There are three models within the criminal justice process. The first model is called the funnel model. The funnel model is wide at the top, and tapers down to a narrow end. The funnel model illustrates the fact that the number of crimes that are processed through the system decreases at each step due to case attrition. The criminal process begins with a crime being committed. The main benefit of the funnel system is that it prevents the criminal justice system from becoming overcrowded. Since there is a decrease in the number of trials and people incarcerated, the system saves money and man hours. A misconception about the funnel system is that it lets criminal off. The second model is called the wedding cake model. The wedding cake model illustrates how cases are sorted into layers depending upon their seriousness, with less serious cases forming the bottom layer of the cake and more serious cases forming the smaller layers on top. The wedding cake models assists in understanding the operation of the criminal justice system. How these cases fit into the overall justice system leads to a clearer understanding of the mechanics of the judiciary. The very top of the cakes, which is the smallest layer represents famous cases that attract a lot of publicity and, unfortunately, contribute to public misinformation about the criminal justice process. The layers of the wedding cake model illustrates two important points about case processing. First, each layer of the cake should be handled accordingly to each individual case, and secondly, with each layer cases that are similar should be treated consistently. The third model is called the net model. This process helps us to understand why some cases never make it to court. The net has characteristics that allow some offenders to exit the net at certain points.

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