Topic > Two Models of Crime Processing in the United States and Their Characteristics

The following essay will be a comparison of the two main models used to control and process crimes in the United States. These two models are the crime control model and the due process model. We'll first look at how these models work individually. From this we will draw contrasts and comparisons between the two models. Furthermore, we will examine all the assumptions these models make about human behavior to the extent that all laws and methods make assumptions about what a citizen should be like. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first model explained will be the crime control model. This model seeks to address all crimes proportionately and expeditiously. Having said that, most crimes are believed to be committed through inhumane acts towards the “common man”. Three main assumptions are made here: A.) That people have free will. B.) That people are hedonistic (this means we are pleasure seeking). C.) People are rational. Now, as we can see, these axioms of this theory are strongly based on the fact that human morality is the source of good. That is, better judgment should come from within us. This model adheres to the “eye for an eye” model, as the punishment fits the crime. As stated previously, this model wants punishment to be carried out quickly and fairly among all citizens. In comparison, let's look at the due process model, which, as the title suggests, is a model that may take some time to work out. This model means that government power is too strong and perhaps civil rights are lost in the judicial process. That said, they firmly believe in treating everyone equally. This is exactly the opposite of what we saw with the crime control model where the process of convicting and serving a crime was quick. Here we see more jury cases. Unfortunately, we are also starting to see the shortcomings of judges not following their own sentencing guidelines. Judges begin to assume they understand how a crime should be punished and therefore sentence it in their own way. An interesting contrast to keep in mind is how the two models differ in their methods of sentencing a crime. Here we see that after being convicted you should be rehabilitated, which makes this model have a long time in the system. It is assumed that criminals can be transformed into the ideal citizen they were meant to be. This shows how this model would not believe in the death penalty. Finally, we look at the policy implications of each model. The crime control model is rapid and acts “eye for an eye”. However, here we see that everything needs to be done quickly to save time. In many cases, we see this results in repeat offenders who never actually learn from their punishments. With the due process model we try to ensure that every single criminal receives the same protection. This, however, takes a long time, which causes many cases to be fast-tracked through the system, compared to larger, bolder cases. This places a slight hypocrisy in the beliefs of this system to the extent that every criminal is not treated equally. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As seems to be evident with all systems, these two models have equal advantages and disadvantages within them. We could.