Penology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Penology - Essay Example However, not all the issues stem from the judicial system, nor those who enforce the regulations, as some of the literature in the following paper suggest that with such a high rate of incarcerated individuals who also have mental health issues, perhaps the approach to punishment should take a more â€Å"person-centered† approach, taking into account the mental capacity and possible illnesses that may be present prior to the crime being committed. The following paper will attempt to address both sides of the judicial process, including some possible suggestions to address the faults identified. In order to fully appreciate the power and transformation of the judicial system, it is important to know the origins, as it is quite different from the present day system in place. The judicial process varies from location to location, with different countries having vastly different acceptable practices, which further complicate the quest for justice. The judicial system of the United Kingdom is actually comprised of three different and distinct legal jurisdictions, each with its own system in place. The three jurisdictions include English Law, Northern Ireland Law, and Scots Law. In the United Kingdom, the history of the legal process is traced back over 1000 years ago, when one of the biggest problems the judiciary system had was finding out who had killed a deer that had belonged to another person (http://www.judiciary.gov.uk), which proved just as challenging to come to a conclusion as the present day legal problems presented in the variety of UK court systems. In contrast to the UK judicial system, the United States legal system, while having different branches, is fully interconnected, working at the federal, state, and local levels. Under the Constitution of the United States, a main guide to the legal and political culture, there is to be but one court (the Supreme Court), which protects the right to trial by jury (http://www.constitution.org/constit_.htm).