Criminal Justice Vs Criminology

Many people have different viewpoints as to what criminal justice and criminology are, in my point of view I believe these two terms have a distinct definition and action. Although they might sound somewhat similar based on the textbook criminal justice is said to be defined as “institutions, policies, and practices with the goal of maintaining social control through sanctions and rehabilitation.” and it also states that criminology is “academic discipline that investigates the nature extent and causes of criminal offending”. In my own words, what my understanding of criminal justice is that it refers to the system of law enforcement, courts, and corrections in the U.S. that includes actions from the government in which aim to lessen the occurrence

It has two important theoretical views that emphasize on the shared nation of the system and argumentative nature of the system in which are consensus and conflict model. An example of this idea would be a social contract. With the benefit of a social contract it can give power to the government to provide protection and ensure well being. As long as there is an agreement being brought upon, actions should be able to run smoothly. We encounter evidence of both consensus and conflict models at all stages of the system.
Causes and social impact in Criminology
Alongside, there is also criminology in which has a different stance than criminal justice. Criminologists are dedicated to studying not only the causes of crime but the social impact as well. It is the study that attempts to better understand what motivates the criminal to act in such a criminal manner. They seek to gain answers to what really happens on the streets, police stations, behind prison bars and courtrooms, They collect much of their information by analyzing data sets and statistical studies mainly on topics relating to drug use and homicide rates. Not only does it attempt to explain crimes within a societal background and the variations between our society, but this brings me to the three distinct theories as stated in the book on page 67, that attempt to explain why criminals behave in a certain

These individuals are likely to believe that the better way to reduce crime is to give criminals a harsh punishment. A positivist theory tries to explain that several biological and social factors may lead to criminal behavior. For example, there might be a lack of poverty and education in some places in which could result in a cause of higher crime rates but can be reduced if employment and educational opportunities are being suggested. Last theory is Individual trait, in which suggests that the most distinguishable differences between noncriminal and criminals are physiological and biological. Therefore a suggestion for this would be to limit the interaction between the ones who have the same