Intro to Criminal Justice Flashcards
What is Criminal Justice
The system of agencies and practices established by governments to uphold social order, deter, mitigate crime, and impose penalties on those who violate laws
Accessory
a person who is not the chief offender but is involved in some kind of way; accomplice or abettor
Aggravation
behavior accompanying a crime which increases its intensity or adds to its consequences beyond what is necessary for the commission of the crime itself.
Burglary
entering a property or room with the intent to steal items from the premises
Conspiracy
agreement between two or more people to commit a crime
Detective
officer of the law responsible for investigating crimes (rather than patrolling or responding)
Homocide
unlawful killing of a person by another person; includes murder and manslaughter
Juvenile
a person between the ages 10 - 16 also known as a minor
Probable Cause
facts and circumstances providing reasonable justification for an seizure, search or warrant
Robbery
theft of property from a person using force or the threat of force.
Sheriff
elected chief officer of a county law enforcement agency
Warrant
written order issued by a judge directing an officer to perform an arrest, search or seizure
A/O
Arresting Officer
B/E
Breaking and Entering
DOA
Dead on Arrival
GSR
Gunshot residue
MO
modus operandi (Latin for method of operation); pattern of behavior typical for a particular offender committing a specific crime
Acquittal
legal judgment stating a person accused of a crime cannot be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
Appeal
request by defense or prosecution to have a higher court resolve a dispute with a decision
Bail
release, prior to trial, of an accused person under certain conditions; also refers to the money provided as a condition of release
Charge
formal accusation filed by prosecution
Clemency
reduction of the sentence of a convicted criminal
Conviction
legal judgment stating a person accused of a crime has been found guilty
Deposition
sworn testimony of a witness taken outside of court in the presence of prosecution and defense attorneys
Mistrial
trial deemed invalid because of a fundamental error in procedure, such as misconduct or a hung jury
Objection
protest or argument made concerning the activity of the opposing party in court
Plea
formal statement made by or on behalf of a defendant stating guilt or innocence in response to a charge
Pro Se
when a defendant represents him or herself rather than having a defense attorney
Recusal
when a court official disqualifies or withdraws him or herself from a case due to questions regarding bias
Subpoena
court order requiring a person to appear in court to give testimony or provide evidence
Voir Dire
procedure in which the prosecutor and defense attorney question potential jurors to pick a jury
A.L.R.
American Law Reports (followed by number to denote edition, e.g. A.L.R. 4th)
F.
Federal Reporter (followed by number or letters to denote edition, appendix, etc., e.g. F.3d or F. App’x)
Fed. R. Evid.
Federal Rules of Evidence, Vet. App.: West’s Veterans Appeals Reporter
Corrections
systems responsible for the punishment and supervision of convicted criminals; through incarceration, through rehabilitation
Absconder
person on parole who fails to report to his or her parole officer
Civillian Staff
staff within a correctional facility who have no law enforcement authority
Classification
process of determining type of housing and program access for a detainee or inmate by assessing risks of engaging in harmful behavior or being harmed while incarcerated
Incarcerated: imprison or confine
Community Service
performance of labor or services in the public’s interest without pay as required by a sentence
Concurrent Sentence
prison terms for two or more convictions to be served simultaneously rather than one following the other
Contraband
prohibited item or substance which is smuggled into a correctional facility
Ex) Illegal drugs/certain weapons
Detainee
person who is incarcerated while awaiting trial for an alleged crime
Good-time Credits
days deducted from an inmate’s incarceration sentence for good behavior
Inmate
individual convicted of a crime and committed to the custody of a jail or prison
Parole
release of a prisoner from imprisonment, but not from legal custody and supervision
Prison
correctional facility generally run by state or federal government and housing long-term inmates
Probation
sentencing option in which the convicted offender is required to fulfill certain conditions
Revocation
legal process in which an offender’s probation or parole is recalled because he or she fails to comply with the terms of release
Sentence
sanction ordered by a court for a convicted offender
Sworn Staff
uniformed staff in a correctional facility who have law enforcement powers and receive training to meet state and agency standards
Work Release Program
program in which detainees or inmates are permitted to be employed or participate in educational programs, but must return to the facility at the end of each workday
Alarm System
system of sensors, controls and annunciators arranged to detect and report an intrusion or other emergency
Annunciator
device which announces an alarm via sound, light or other means
Asset
any property, tangible or intangible, which is owned by an individual or company and can be assigned a monetary value
Canned Message
pre-recorded message to be used in case of an emergency
Contact List
list of contact information for team members and key players needed in an emergency
Damage Assessment
process of evaluating injuries and loss of life, damage to property and status of facilities resulting from an emergency or incident
Evacuation
planned, organized movement of people from a dangerous area
Perimeter Protection
safegaurding of a boundary
Silent Alarm
device which, when triggered, alerts security personnel and/or police of a disturbance without the knowledge of the intruder or criminal
Surveillance
direct and deliberate observation of people and/or property
