Criminal Justice System Quiz

Overview of the Criminal Justice System (CJS)

• The CJS is the machinery of the state or government that enforces rules of conduct to protect life, property, and maintain peace and order.
• The CJS process involves investigating crimes, taking suspects into custody, prosecuting in court, and punishing if found guilty, with provisions for correction and rehabilitation.
• The five pillars of the CJS in the Philippines are Law Enforcement, Prosecution, Court, Correction, and Community.
• Law Enforcement is responsible for maintaining peace and order, protecting lives and properties, enforcing laws and ordinances, apprehending offenders, and investigating cases.
• Prosecution gathers necessary evidence with the help of law enforcement, determines the existence of prima facie cases, and files and prosecutes the case in court.
• Court is the arbiter of justice, conducts hearings, and renders authoritative judgments.
• Correction controls those convicted by the court and segregates them from the community, with jails, prisons, and farms in the Philippines.
• Community is the informal and widest pillar of the CJS, responsible for an individual's change when they return.
• A person who is not yet judged by the court is considered a 'suspect,' while in correction, they are called a criminal or convict, and when they go back to the community, they are called an ex-convict.
• The American three criminal justice systems are Law Enforcement, Court, and Correction.
• The Philippine National Police (PNP) is responsible for enforcing laws and ordinances, maintaining peace and order, investigating and arresting criminal offenders, and exercising general powers to make arrests, search and seizure in accordance with the constitution and pertinent laws.
• The goals of the CJS include preventing crimes, maintaining peace and order, enforcing laws, apprehending criminals, investigating and prosecuting offenders, and rehabilitating and correcting those convicted.