The criminal justice system in the United States serves the purpose of upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety of citizens. It works under the notion that the country operates under certain rules, and that breaking those rules results in a punishment. However, the system is flawed and there are several reasons why it continues to fail the taxpayers who fund it.
One problem of the criminal justice system is that it relies on processes that are flawed by their very nature, such as human memories, fingerprints, DNA evidence and eyewitnesses. This can result in wrong convictions of innocent people.
Another problem of the system is that many people who work in it possess biases. Judges, lawyers, and the police can be biased towards certain races, gender, age groups or other groups of people. This makes it difficult for justice to be administered fairly to all people.
Finally, another problem of the criminal justice system is that over time, sentences have become longer, more serious, and more common. However, these sentences do not always deter crime, and often get in the way of the rehabilitation of past convicts. This defeats the purpose of the system and makes it difficult to ensure the safety of the population.
