The justice system seeks to prevent crimes and capture those who commit crimes. But what causes crime, perhaps poverty, or greed, or is it sometimes caused by the system? Is the risk worth the reward and is the reward worth risking the punishment? Power and influence are deeply embedded in the criminal justice system. Are all offenders arrested and treated with the same behavior and receive the same punishment? The system must be impartial towards all offenders, regardless of their social position, employment or annual income. The general punishment for most crimes is incarceration in most states, with a different length of time to be adjusted depending on each crime. It is the deterrent to crime. This is what should stop people from committing crime. When comparing reward and punishment, criminals should realize that it is not worth it. The punishment itself is imperfect, once incarcerated, a person is labeled a criminal, job interviews, travel, everything will be more difficult for the criminal. Incarceration rates for both men and women are increasing every year. If a deterrent worked, incarceration rates would decrease instead of increase, but instead of changing and creating a better deterrent, the justice system continues to use a broken system. Racism and bias are a problem the justice system has faced for centuries. People can't help but be racist or prejudiced, everyone is racist and prejudiced to some extent, it all depends on our environment as we grow and mature. Racism and prejudice will cause the system to pursue the wrong people. Even if the offender is guilty, this can cause the system to continue arresting the wrong people in hopes of catching middle of paper......//jimkinmartin.com/2012/01/10/ticket -large-california-traffic-fines-effective-01062012/>.2. “Bureau of Justice Statistics Prisoners in 2012 – Early Counts.” Bureau of Justice Statistics Prisoners in 2012 - Advance Counts. Np, and Web. May 13, 2014. .3. “Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).” Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Np, and Web. May 13, 2014. .4. "Arrests by race and age: 2009". Np, and Web. May 13, 2014. .5. “Lancaster District Judge Kelly Ballentine has yet to be exonerated.” LancasterOnline. Np, and Web. May 13 2014. .