What is the most important component of the criminal justice system?

Douglas Carroll, Ed.D.

In the traditional sense, we think of the criminal justice system as beginning with
laws made by legislatures, policing efforts, court systems, various alternatives to
incarceration, and the prison system. Thinking more conceptually, the criminal justice system is
based upon the notion that all people are equal under the law. We know, of course, the validity
of this notion is tested daily with mixed results, as arrests and incarceration rates appear
disproportionate in minority communities by comparison to majority communities. Nonetheless, an
argument can be made the most essential component of the criminal justice system is the faith
and confidence in which citizens place in the idea that the United States criminal justice
system makes an effort to be fundamentally fair, equitable, and just.

The
notion of equitable treatment is enshrined in numerous parts of the US Constitution and
replicated in state constitutions as well. Equality of the law is demonstrated in a citizen's
initial...

href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/10474/public-justice-system-fair-still-too-soft.aspx">https://news.gallup.com/poll/10474/public-justice-system-...
href="https://omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/fairness-criminal-justice-system">https://omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/fairness-criminal-justi...
href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/189106-1.pdf">https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/189106-1.pdf]]>