The criminal justice system (police, courts, prisons)

The Criminal Justice System (CJS) comprises the agencies of social control—police, courts, and corrections—tasked with maintaining order and enforcing law. Candidates must analyze the CJS not merely as a neutral administrative apparatus, but as a mechanism of formal social control subject to sociological scrutiny regarding bias, effectiveness, and power dynamics. Analysis must integrate theoretical perspectives (Functionalist, Marxist, Interactionist, Realist) to evaluate the distribution of justice across class, gender, and ethnicity. Critical focus is required on the shift from sovereign power to disciplinary power (Foucault), the validity of Official Crime Statistics versus Victim Surveys, and the efficacy of punishment strategies such as deterrence, rehabilitation, and incapacitation.