Consensus Model

A model that proposes that the three main agencies of the criminal justice system—that is, the police, the courts, and the prisons—work or should work together and cooperatively to achieve the same goals. The criminal law embodies the values, norms, goals, and beliefs of the citizen majority. The law provides a vital social control function; it precludes offenders from taking advantage of others' vulner abilities for their own personal gain. Behavior that is inherently destructive seeks to undermine the social harmony and the social fabric of society. Hence, the majority believe that the law serves the purpose of protecting all citizens, and all behavior prohibited under the law is agreed on by the citizen majority as being reprehensible. This differs from the conflict model, which views the system as a competition for resources and power.