Future trends in the internatonal criminal justcie Essay

Future trends in the internatonal criminal justcie - Essay Example Predictions for the future of the domestic and the international criminal justice for the 21st century had started as the new millennium approached. The other aspects of criminal justice whose past, current, and future trends should be assessed are the roles of individuals and that of the public, privatization of the criminal justice system, service-oriented ideas, and professionalism. This paper explores the future of international criminal justice, mentioning the past and the current trends that could influence the future of the profession. The Future of Criminal Justice What the criminal justice system will look like in the future can be estimated by certain criminal acts and trends, including terrorism, multicultural populations, large scale immigration, age and composition demographics, technological and scientific advances, and globalization among other factors. Nonetheless, there are certain forces or factors that will have greater effect than others and current and future cri minal justice system practitioners have no choice but to be conversant and compliant with these changes. One of these factors is the co-evolution of crime. Crime, like disease-causing microorganisms, will change with time in a manner corresponding to the more effective defense mechanisms put in place by its likely victims (Garland, 2002). For instance, while people may insert wheel locks and alarms to prevent auto theft, car thieves will apply devices that would neutralize such security measures. Notwithstanding the co-evolution of different types of crimes, the future will still see crime fighting being categorized into crime opportunity reduction, de-motivation of would-be criminals, and the changing of society’s and individuals’ basic values.... ng being categorized into crime opportunity reduction, de-motivation of would-be criminals, and the changing of society’s and individuals’ basic values. The purpose of the category of crime fighting that will change peoples’ value will be to target the nurturing of the youth so that they pick positive values, hence minimize their chances of becoming criminals and indulging in other disorderly behaviors (Sunga, 1997). All these categories of crime fighting will however be implemented according to the changing demographics, which are expected to be more flexible in the future. For instance, it has been postulated that the population of the most crime-prone group, males of age 15 to 29, will decline to a small extent while the population portion of 30-65 years old is expected to increases substantially. These foreseen demographic changes have the implication that more people will either be criminals or victims in the future. For example, the postulated increase in t hose aged above 60 years old implies that there could be more victims of crime in the future (Wolfgang, 1990). On the other hand, the increased percentage of this elderly portion in a given population could imply that these elders will use their discretionary time to guide the young on positive values or to report crimes, thus helping in the fight against crime (Wolfgang, 1990). Public Rights versus Individual Rights One of the future aspects of the international criminal justice system that is likely to be influenced by past and current trends is the individual versus public rights issue, often encountered in the system. In the future, the international criminal justice system will be expected to ensure that a steady and delicate balance is maintained between the interests of individuals and those of the