County police officers have traditionally been reluctant to make arrests for cases involving possession of a small amount of drugs, knowing that offenders would not get the help they need in a correctional facility. Recently, the county established an alternative that enables defendants to avoid prosecution upon completion of a drug treatment program. However, the only way to enter the program is through referral by the prosecutor's office. The police now make far more arrests for small amounts of drugs in order to get offenders into treatment. This is an example of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Net-widening occurs when the criminal justice system expands its reach to include more people, often through increased arrests for minor offenses. In this case, the police are making more arrests for small amounts of drugs in order to get offenders into treatment, which is an example of net-widening.

County Police Officers Have Traditionally Been Reluctant to Make Arrests