Read the information about discretion in the criminal justice system:

Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Justice System Description (Links to an external site.)

https://www.bjs.gov/content/justsys.cfm

Focus on the decision points related to the courts system (after arrest and before punishment).

• How might discretion be abused at the different decision points on the chart?
• If abuse is likely at these decision points, why is discretion allowed?