Discuss the consensus model of criminal justice.
What will be an ideal response?
Answers will vary. The term consensus refers to general agreement among the majority of any particular group. Thus, the consensus model rests on the assumption that as people gather together to form a society, its members will naturally share similar norms and values. Those individuals whose actions deviate from the established norms and values are considered to pose a threat to the well-being of society as a whole and must be sanctioned (punished). The society passes laws to control and prevent unacceptable behavior, thereby setting the boundaries for acceptable behavior within the group.The consensus model, to a certain extent, assumes that a diverse group of people can have similar morals. In other words, they share an ideal of what is "right" and "wrong." Consequently, as public attitudes toward morality change, so do laws. In seventeenth-century America, a person found guilty of adultery (having sexual relations with someone other than one's spouse) could expect to be publicly whipped, branded, or even executed. Furthermore, a century ago, one could walk into a pharmacy and purchase heroin. Today, social attitudes have shifted to consider adultery a personal issue, beyond the reach of the state, and to consider the sale of heroin a criminal act.
You might also like to view...
When a jury is sequestered, the jurors are isolated from members of the public
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Jumping to premature conclusions is an example of an inaccurate observation.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
According to Messner and Rosenfeld's theory, serious crime results when which part of the social structure begins to penetrate and devalue the importance of other parts of the social structure?
a. Economic b. Political c. Family d. Education
The stress affecting police officers rarely affects their families
a. True b. False Indicate whether the statement is true or false