In his 1964 seminal work, “Two Models of the Criminal Process,” Herbert Packer characterized the criminal justice system as a continuous processing assembly line of endless criminal cases. This foundational conceptualization delineates the sequential stages and gradual attrition of cases within the criminal justice system, and it demonstrates the ways in which cases could be diverted at any stage of the process, thereby preventing them from reaching the end of the assembly line.

As depicted in Figure 1.14, for every 1,000 serious felonies committed, only half are ever reported to the police, with the remaining 500 serious felonies categorized as dark figures due to never having been reported. Among the 500 reported felonies, only 100 arrests will be made; the remaining 400 cases will go unsolved. Out of these 100 arrests, 35 cases are diverted to the juvenile court, while the remaining 65 cases are sent to the prosecutor’s office to await consideration for prosecution. Among the 35 juvenile cases, 30 are either dismissed or placed on probation, and five juveniles are incarcerated. Of the 65 adult cases sent to the prosecutor’s office, 40 cases are accepted by the prosecutor and the other 25 are dropped. Out of the 40 prosecuted cases, 10 defendants either abscond or jump bail, leaving only 30 cases for the trial process. Among these, 27 cases end in a guilty plea, two result in a guilty verdict, and one concludes with an acquittal. Ultimately, for approximately every 1,000 serious felony crimes committed, only 20 adult offenders are incarcerated, and nine are placed on probation.

Attributions

1. Figure 1.14: The Criminal Justice Funnel by Kadence C. Maier, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0