They did still exist, let's not baby with bathwater something just because the Left over exaggerates it. It not being codified institutionally doesn't mean it wasn't a thing that happened and was expected to happen in places where the law didn't give a shit to even show up.

Especially as without trust in the legal system being "fair and impartial" most people would absolutely turn to either vigilantism or lynch mobs to solve crime problems. Which is what they are trying to do away with.