Operation Streamline: The Crime Control Model And The Due Process Model

The criminal justice system is constructed by two competing models, the crime control model and the due process model. By examining Operation Streamline, we can see that it’s hard to simultaneously represent the two models since both system contains opposing values towards the criminal justice system. In 2005, Operation Streamline was first introduced in Tucson, Arizona in response to the increase in the amount of undocumented immigrants. Streamline is a Border-Patrol initiative that is used to deter immigrants from entering the US by sending them to federal prison. In 2014, Streamline modified the program so that those prosecuted were offered a plea deal that reduces the felony reentry charge and limits the criminal sentences up to 180 days.

Prior to the trial, defense attorneys gets half an hour with each of the streamline client to explain the procedure and the benefits of pleading guilty (Schats, 2017, p. 4). Inside the courtroom, there are approximately 50 undocumented immigrants sitting in groups of seven all waiting to plead guilty for the crime of illegally entering the United States (Schats, 2017, p. 1). Each group of detainees are brought before a judge and questioned in the order that they proceed in, the questioning takes almost one minute and then they are sentenced to prison (Schats, 2017, p. 2). After that, they will be deported back to where they came from (Schats, 2017, p. 2). Operation Streamline outlines the stages of the criminal process-- investigation, arrest, preparation for trial, entry of plea, conviction (Packer, 2013, p. 31)-- that helps move the cases through the criminal justice system as quickly as possible. It provides a “quick efficient method” of handling caseloads and allocates more “prosecutorial resources” efficiently (Guidorizzi, 2013, p. 195). In contrast, the due process model insists on the “prevention and elimination on mistakes” in determining guilt (Packer, 2013, p. 34). The main objective of the crime control model is to repress crime since there is a high volume of cases and not a lot of resources to allocate. For that

In this model, speed is depended on the “informality” of the plea bargain (Packer, 2013, p. 30). Contrary to the due process model, there isn’t any “formal adjudication” where the accused is heard by the partial jury (Packer, 2013, p. 33). Instead, they are presented in front of a judge and given their sentences which in turn “reduces the expense of providing jury trials” (Guidorizzi, 2013, p. 195). The cases are handled uniformly since the basis of a plea bargain are basically the same; only the amount of time for each sentence deals differs. For example, a couple detainees are sentenced to 30 days in prison, some 60, and others 180; it all depends on the history of the offender (Schats, 2017, p. 3). Moreover, once the detainees agree to the plea guilty, they give up their right to contest or appeal their sentence and brings finality to each case. In that situation, the become legally guilty since the defendant is “guilty as charged” (The Courts, 2013, p. 151). The method of plea bargaining streamlines and reduces the time needed for each case, thus, creating a mechanism for achieving efficiency. Under the crime control model, it is important to have finality mainly because it allows cases to be disposed of quickly and it makes sure that there will be a deterrent