“What is the most discussed problem in the world? A BBC poll in 2010 found it was corruption” (Why a Supreme Court). Politics have had a major influence on crime and the criminal justice systems of countries around the world for centuries. There have been politics affecting the criminal justice system from the highest ranks to the lowest ranks for hundreds of years. Throughout history, politics have influenced criminal justice systems through negative means, such as corruption and bribery, and positive means, such as reform in the criminal justice system. The influences of politics reach far back into history around the world. One of the earliest recorded times that politics influenced the criminal justice system was the Republic of Rome (509
…show more content…
“Low-ranking officers, high-ranking police officials, and sometimes even entire departments were involved in corruption and misconduct” (Police: History). Throughout countries around the world, members of the criminal justice system have fallen to corruption. In many points in time, almost every member of the criminal justice system was susceptible, if not already involved in corruption. One of the most used incentives for corruption was bribery. Money is a very powerful incentive for many people, including those working in the criminal justice system. Accepting bribes has been one of the biggest and easiest ways to get what you want done to happen in the criminal justice system. For hundreds of years people in the criminal justice system have taken to corruption and accepted bribes to further their own careers and improve their personal lives. Wealth and money provide power when it comes to the criminal justice system. “Patrol officers often accepted bribes to not enforce laws controlling moral crimes (e.g., drinking, gambling, and prostitution)” (Engel, Police: History). Many of the bribes common officers such as police officers accepted were for minor crimes. It was not unheard of that officers themselves took part in these minor crimes, so accepting bribes to not enforce them was a common occurrence. Corruption in the criminal justice system still persists to …show more content…
There are politicians that are using their political influence to fight corruption in the system. “Fighting corruption, or at least undue influence of money in politics, requires more of a grass-roots effort than a top-down one” (Why a Supreme Court). This is talking of how to fight corruption the battle must begin at the root of the problem, the police forces of cities, before the fight can move to the more powerful abusers of political power. One of the biggest positive influences that politics can have on the criminal justice system in reform. As more and more politicians begin to view the corruption as a problem in our criminal justice system, more weight can be put into the idea of reform in the system. There is only one problem with the effort of reform in the criminal justice system. “Meaningful bills are tied up by law-and-order ideologues like Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, the 81-year-old who brands his adversaries as belonging to ‘the leniency industrial complex’”(Dickinson, Crime). The positive influence of politics on the criminal justice systems are being bottled up by the negative influences of politics. Reform within the criminal justice system will not happen unless politicians can come to an agreement on how corruption and politics should influence the
“Low-ranking officers, high-ranking police officials, and sometimes even entire departments were involved in corruption and misconduct” (Police: History). Throughout countries around the world, members of the criminal justice system have fallen to corruption. In many points in time, almost every member of the criminal justice system was susceptible, if not already involved in corruption. One of the most used incentives for corruption was bribery. Money is a very powerful incentive for many people, including those working in the criminal justice system. Accepting bribes has been one of the biggest and easiest ways to get what you want done to happen in the criminal justice system. For hundreds of years people in the criminal justice system have taken to corruption and accepted bribes to further their own careers and improve their personal lives. Wealth and money provide power when it comes to the criminal justice system. “Patrol officers often accepted bribes to not enforce laws controlling moral crimes (e.g., drinking, gambling, and prostitution)” (Engel, Police: History). Many of the bribes common officers such as police officers accepted were for minor crimes. It was not unheard of that officers themselves took part in these minor crimes, so accepting bribes to not enforce them was a common occurrence. Corruption in the criminal justice system still persists to …show more content…
There are politicians that are using their political influence to fight corruption in the system. “Fighting corruption, or at least undue influence of money in politics, requires more of a grass-roots effort than a top-down one” (Why a Supreme Court). This is talking of how to fight corruption the battle must begin at the root of the problem, the police forces of cities, before the fight can move to the more powerful abusers of political power. One of the biggest positive influences that politics can have on the criminal justice system in reform. As more and more politicians begin to view the corruption as a problem in our criminal justice system, more weight can be put into the idea of reform in the system. There is only one problem with the effort of reform in the criminal justice system. “Meaningful bills are tied up by law-and-order ideologues like Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, the 81-year-old who brands his adversaries as belonging to ‘the leniency industrial complex’”(Dickinson, Crime). The positive influence of politics on the criminal justice systems are being bottled up by the negative influences of politics. Reform within the criminal justice system will not happen unless politicians can come to an agreement on how corruption and politics should influence the