People have different ways of defining “crime prevention”. In my perspective, crime prevention can be looked at in different ways. It can refer to a way of eliminating the bad elements of behavior in the society by imposing rules that everyone should follow. For example, in our society, it is a norm that one should not steal and when a person is convicted to the crime of steal, he or she is subject to punishment by being banished from the society. In that way, it teaches other a lesson that stealing is a bad thing and they should avoid it at all costs. It means that, crime prevention involves placing different forms of punishments depending on the nature of the crime committed. In the second perspective, crime prevention can refer to rules, remedies or sanctions that have been developed by relevant authorities with an aim of warning and preventing people from engaging in criminal activities. For example, most agree that a person charged with murder should serve life imprisonment in jail or be sentenced to death. A good example is the case of Saddam Hussein who was convicted to death for his crimes against humanity when he was in power. It can be seen that crime prevention involved the punishment and the various sanctions that help to eliminate the criminal elements in the community.

                                                               Crime Prevention        

There is a close relationship between crime prevention and criminal justice system. The criminal justice system has been in existence since the dawn of human civilization. Around 2400 BC, the criminal justice system used clay tablet to provide listings of code of conduct. In the past, the criminal justice system developed standard ways of imposing penalties on criminal and which, were often handle informally. In the advent of the modern era, the criminal justice system has evolved in the nineteenth century, such as the development of the widespread distress of urban crime, as well as the creation penal institutions and reformatories. From this perspective, it is reasonable to argue that the criminal justice system has been charged with the responsibility of prevention crime in communities through programs in courts. The criminal justice system also includes correctional facilities that reduce the propensity of the offenders to engage in criminal activities (Fennelly, 2012).

Crime has been defined as any act that can cause or leads to harm to the victim by the offender. In that regard, the criminal justice system makes efforts to prevent crime through a number of ways. The justice system can decides to impose some interventions such as incapacitation; which means the offender is deprived of his capacity to commit crime through capital punishment or detention. The criminal justice system can decide to deter the offender. In such a case, the offender is subjected to repugnant punishment that acts as a lesson to prevent him and other from committing the crime in future, for example, death sentence for murder case. Rehabilitation is used to prevent crime by changing the behavior of the offender through some correctional institutions such as drug abuse rehabilitation centers. The rehabilitation centers treat individuals from committing criminal behaviors. The criminal justice system has also introduced community restraint measures such as supervision and surveillance of the offenders in the community. Community restraint has prevented crime by reducing the capacity and the opportunities to engage in the criminal activities. Criminal justice system other ways it has implemented to prevent crime including, discipline, structure and challenge programs that focus on stressful experiences of the offenders and help them not to participate in future crimes. All these measure show how the Criminal justice system is involved in crime prevention (Collins, Ricks & Meter, 2015).

There are many institutions through which crime prevention programs and practices can be delivered. Perhaps the family institution should be the most basic structure of prevention crime. The basic family practices in rearing of children contribute largely to their likelihood of criminal activities engagement. Also, family institution is suitable combating crimes such as driving under the influence of alcohol. Programs such as home confinement and “home arrests” can be imposed on offenders from committing further crimes by restricting their freedom within the community. Police institution has received a wide opinion poll from the public that it is the most recommended structure for implementing crime prevention programs. Apart from the police preventing crime through arresting offenders and patrols, the police have been credited for introducing the Community Oriented Policing Program. The program aims to prevent crime be working in a close with communities so that they can identify criminal elements and flush them out (Schneider, 2014).

Conclusion

The criminal justice system is responsible for using various punishments and remedies to stop criminal behavior. In addition, the justice system uses other institutions and programs to prevention crime which include the courts, prisons, family institution, the police and the correctional facilities. For instance, the justice system can use recommend close families to impose “home arrests” for minor offenders so that they can be assisted in stopping the criminal behavior.

References

Collins, P.A., Ricks, T.A., & Meter, C.W.V. (2015). Principles of security and crime prevention.

New Jersey: Routledge

Fennelly, L. (2012). Handbook of loss prevention and crime prevention. New York, NY:

Elsevier