The criminal justice system plays a vital role in the organizational structure of the United States. Without the criminal justice system to administer deserved punishments, this country would be disorganized, unstructured, cruel, unjustified and a chaotic habitat for its citizens. “The criminal justice system is a group of organizations involved in the arrest, prosecution, defense, conviction, and imprisonment of people involved in crimes” (Dictionary.com). The foundations of the criminal justice system are certainly a deep and interesting topic to discuss and debate. In the American criminal justice system, the most serious and heinous cases can receive the death penalty, where appropriate. “The death penalty is a sentence of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime” (Farlex). “In most U.S. states, capital crimes include first-degree murder, rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason” (Farlex). These offenses endanger the safety of all Americans. Therefore, the death penalty should be applied for major crimes. The history and origin of capital punishment in the United States has a primary effect on the perfection of the American criminal justice system in the future. The first recorded law establishing the death penalty dates back to when the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon set an important milestone for the future of the American criminal justice system. These codes constituted one of the first sets of laws in history. “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” said to show that people who believe that if someone does something wrong, then that person should be punished by doing the same thing to them. “The phrase is a par... .... middle of paper ......-gets-probation-for-rape-3-year-old-girl >Matscha Design Inc. “Justice for all – A criminal justice reform organization. » Justice for All – A criminal justice reform organization. Web.02 April 2014.Mitchell, Mitch. “A teenager sentenced to 10 years of probation and rehabilitation following 4 deaths.” Star-Telegram-Star, December 13, 2013. Web. April 2, 2014. < http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/12/nation/la-na-nn-texas-teen-drunk-riving-probation-affluenza-20131212 >Muskal, Michael. "Texas teen's probation for killing 4 while driving drunk sparks anger." Los Angeles Times, December 12, 2013. Web. April 2, 2014. “Part 1. History of the death penalty. » DPIC. Death Penalty Information Center, April 2. Web. April 2, 2014. < http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/>