Category: Criminal Justice

Many leaders and policymakers in the United States acknowledge that the country’s criminal justice system faces numerous challenges, including mass incarceration, erroneous incarcerations, racial disparities throughout the process, the school-to-prison pipeline, and increased recidivism rates. Members of the public are worried since the existing zero-tolerance programs and retributive sentencing have triggered numerous problems in this country.

Such developments have compelled American citizens, politicians, and human rights coalitions to offer evidence-based measures to transform the situation. The purpose of this paper is to present, define, and propose restorative justice as the best model for addressing the challenges affecting the effectiveness of the United States’ criminal justice process.

Restorative Justice

Meaning

The gaps associated with the United States’ criminal justice and judicial systems have led to superior concepts for addressing the problems of crime. The term “restorative justice” refers to an evidence-based model that focuses on the most appropriate initiatives to rehabilitate and empower offenders and make them successful members of society (Pavelka, 2016). This initiative is achievable through constant reconciliation with the identified victims and all other community members. The guiding aspects of restorative justice have managed to deliver desirable results in different working environments and learning institutions in the United States.

Implementation

Restorative justice takes a simple approach to initiate or implement. Those involved will arrange for a conference whereby the offender and victim meet regularly. Letters and videos are resourceful when such individuals are unable to interact. Since each society has its unique expectations, norms, and challenges, the model creates the best opportunity for providing culturally sensitive and personalized services to all stakeholders (Wood, 2015). Such a model can deliver better results since all persons will feel confident, engaged, empowered, and comfortable.

The proposed option is informed by this principle: crime is capable of harming human beings and any form of justice should be aimed at repairing this kind of injury (Curtis, 2016). Another guideline is that all persons affected by different offenses should be part of the resolution process. A neutral venue is essential to facilitate forgiveness and make it possible for the facilitator to record positive results. From this analysis, it is evident that implementing restorative justice supports a deviation from the standard procedures of the criminal justice system (Karp & Frank, 2016). This initiative will empower more people and societies, thereby making it possible for them to overcome most of the above challenges affecting different citizens.

Proposed Implementation Method

Participants and stakeholders can consider various approaches to implement restorative justice in their respective regions. Some of them include community engagement, promotion and presentation of superior guidelines, the involvement of judicial services and experts, and consideration of cultural aspects. This section identifies the most appropriate strategy that is capable of making this practice part of the judicial system (Beckett & Kartman, 2016). This initiative follows four key steps that are applicable and evidence-based.

The first one is to formulate guidelines for empowering facilitators and monitoring offenders. Such attributes will be presented to become part of the entire system. The second phase is building capacity through continuous training (Beckett & Kartman, 2016). This should be done locally or nationally depending on the targeted region. The third stage is ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the nature and importance of restorative justice (Pavelka, 2016). The last step is to implement the proposed concept of restorative justice and meet the expectations of the greatest number of community members and offenders.

Supporting Restorative Justice: Conceptual Framework

Sociologists propose or use various theories and ideologies to explain why communities should function efficiently, create the best environment for empowering all citizens, and address challenges that might emerge. Experts in this field have gone to consider the current relationships existing between the state and its citizens and the relevance of creating policies that can serve people instead of victimizing them (Pavelka, 2016).

Although no standard or recognizable theory is describing the relevance of restorative justice, sociologists focus on various societal problems and propose strategies that can improve people’s lives and experiences.

The traditions of criminal justice have informed the current direction or movement towards restorative justice. For example, Karp and Frank (2016) indicate that this practice is a response to “acts of genocide, gross violations of human rights, transitional justice in post-conflict societies, and the repairing of historical injustices such as slavery” (p. 51). This assertion explains why there is a need for populations and countries to embrace the power of restorative justice. Such an initiative will ensure that citizens who have faced discrimination within the criminal justice system record positive experiences or outcomes.

Within the past two decades, learning institutions and workplaces have benefited from this idea of restorative justice. Many students and employees have managed to address specific issues and challenges affecting them. They have also presented superior solutions to most of the problems affecting performance (Beckett & Kartman, 2016). Using this knowledge, some sociologists have indicated that restorative justice is applicable in the wider criminal justice system to meet the needs of more people and make it easier for them to achieve their goals in life.

Different scholars in the field of criminology present evidence-based guidelines to ensure that the United States reform their policies aimed at providing judicial services to different citizens. Both left and right wings continue to propose similar ideas since they are capable of minimizing all forms of discrimination. They can also deal with the predicament of crime and do away with punitive measures associated with the current criminal justice system (Karp & Frank, 2016). Consequently, more Americans will achieve their potential and eventually lead high-quality lives.

The restorative justice movement has become a superior model for the United States to record evidence-based practices and eventually create a new model for tackling crime. In different states, legislators and administrators have proposed new approaches for pursuing juvenile justice goals or agendas (Beckett & Kartman, 2016). Such initiatives revolve around the implementation of restorative policies.

Consequently, it has been possible for government agencies to balance the unique needs of all offenders, community members, and victims. Such measures continue to address the gaps catalyzed by wrongdoings and delinquent acts (Karp & Frank, 2016). When more American societies embrace this movement, chances are high that a new program will emerge whereby the government will find it easier to address the challenge of crime.

The other aspect many sociologists present whenever supporting the power and importance of restorative justice is that of race relations. If implemented effectively, the RJ movement can promote partnerships among ethnic groups across this country (Karp & Frank, 2016). Such measures have the potential to decrease disparities in the wider criminal justice system. The final result is that the country will address historical injustices and any form of marginalization that has existed in the United States for many years.

From the above discussion, it is agreeable that there is adequate evidence to support the role and importance of restorative justice. Nonpartisan individuals and associations will embrace the idea since they can overcome all issues associated with punitive practices. The move will minimize cases of inequality and support the delivery of exemplary support to all wrongdoers instead of convicting them (Curtis, 2016).

This approach will create a superior strategy that addresses the problem of congestion in American courts, improves the speed of justice delivery, and empowers more citizens to achieve their potential. Unfortunately, researchers are unable to predict the future of this country’s criminal justice system since different groups do not appreciate the importance of restorative approaches. For example, Wood (2015) asserts that such measures will never minimize the problem of incarceration. Sociologists and experts in this field should, therefore, present evidence-based ideas and concepts to support restorative justice and tackle most of the issues many citizens encounter.

Conclusion

The discussions and conceptual framework presented above have revealed that restorative justice is a powerful model that can transform and improve the nature of America’s criminal justice system. This initiative is supported by evidence-based practices that have delivered numerous benefits in different learning institutions and companies. According to the described theoretical concepts, restorative justice will overcome most of the challenges many citizens experience in this country. This new approach will promote the engagement of different stakeholders, reduce the negative implications of crime, and eventually empower Americans with diverse backgrounds to achieve their potential.

References

Beckett, K., & Kartman, M. (2016). Violence, mass incarceration and restorative justice: Promising possibilities. Web.

Curtis, C. (2016). Anti-social behaviour: A multi-national perspective of the everyday to the extreme. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Karp, D. R., & Frank, O. (2016). Anxiously awaiting the future of restorative justice in the United States. Victims & Offenders, 11(1), 50-70. Web.

Pavelka, S. (2016). Restorative justice in the states: An analysis of statutory legislation and policy. Justice Policy Journal, 2(13), 1-23.

Wood, W. R. (2015). Why restorative justice will not reduce incarceration. The British Journal of Criminology, 55(5), 883-900. Web.

Binswanger, I. A., Nguyen, A. P., Morenoff, J. D., Xu, S., & Harding, D. J. (2020). The association of criminal justice supervision setting with overdose mortality: A longitudinal cohort study.Addiction, 115(12), 2329-2338. Web.

In this article, the role of criminal justice supervision is viewed as a potentially significant factor in reducing the death rate of prisoners from an overdose, including synthetic opioids as dangerous substances gaining popularity. Based on the results of the study, about 15% of prison deaths were due to overdoses. The findings prove that control through the provision of harm reduction and treatment services to the target public is an important initiative to prevent mortality.

This article is important to my research work as a resource that offers relevant statistics on deaths in American correctional facilities. In addition, the role of the criminal justice system is viewed from the perspective of assistance rather than punishment, which is also a significant incentive to promote efficient preventive practices. The findings can be utilized to prove the value of targeted activities to reduce the use of dangerous synthetic drugs in populations at risk.

Collins, M. (2021). Synthetic cannabinomimetics: A brief history and the challenges they pose for the forensic chemist.Australian Journal of Chemistry, 74(6), 405-415. Web.

The authors describe the history of the appearance of synthetic drugs in the illegal market and mention the difficulties that forensic chemists have faced in identifying the compounds of illicit substances. In particular, to identify the composition of new drugs that began to be produced in large quantities, criminologists needed special spectrometers, which were in short supply in many laboratories. As a result, the massive hit of synthetic drugs in the market was a challenge for forensic chemists due to problems in identifying the composition of these substances and, therefore, their legality.

When applied to my research work, this article offers a valuable rationale in support of the difficulty of bans on synthetic drugs. Arguments about ever-changing formulations can be utilized usefully as justification for the complex work that forensic chemists face. The findings also highlight the unique problems associated with synthetic drugs, particularly the ever-changing composition and the inability to control new formulas due to the lack of equipment.

Maxwell, J. C. (2018). The changing face of synthetic cannabinoids in Texas.Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 50(4), 281-286. Web.

The key purpose of this study is to examine changes in the dynamics of synthetic cannabinoid use by Texas residents from 2009 to 2016. One of the main findings is identifying relevant trends from a demographic perspective, and the Hispanic and Latino males are the population with the most frequent use of this type of drug. Compared to 2011, the situation worsened in 2016, but in 2014, the indicators of the medical outcomes of synthetic substances use were the highest and most alarming.

For my research, this article can be used as a valuable resource containing accurate statistics for a specific region. In addition, the analysis of demographic variables reinforces the practical value of the work done, and these findings can be included in the discussion of vulnerable populations. The medical effects of substance abuse, which are also described in the article, can be cited as crucial health impacts.

Miller, J. M., Stogner, J. M., Miller, B. L., & Blough, S. (2018). Exploring synthetic heroin: Accounts of acetyl fentanyl use from a sample of dually diagnosed drug offenders.Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(1), 121-127. Web.

This study evaluates the destructive nature of acetyl fentanyl as a dangerous synthetic drug causing numerous deaths in the United States and abroad. Through interviews with inmates of one of the American prisons, the authors identify trends in the use of this substance and motives. An important finding is that in most cases, drug addicts were unaware that the drug they were using was of a synthetic nature, which, in turn, increased health risks.

The value of the article in relation to my research lies in an opportunity to expand the knowledge about the threat of synthetic drugs and how they are distributed. Criminal justice representatives should pay attention to the control over the sale of this illegal drug since the interviewed participants confirmed its danger. The case for increased supervision of the illicit marketing of acetyl fentanyl can also be included in the research paper.

Ravisankar, P., Rao, P. R., Babu, P. S., Srikanth, D., Reddy, C. V., Deepthi, O. V., & Divya, G. (2018). The latest statistical report of the global synthetic drugs. Indian Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Biotechnology, 6(2), 59-64.

This study offers extensive findings on global synthetic drug use statistics. The authors evaluate the reports of different countries on the dynamics of the increase in the number of addicts and divide the population in accordance with specific criteria, particularly nationality and gender. One of the main outcomes of the work done is identifying the total number of synthetic drug addicts, which is important information for the criminal justice field.

With regard to my research, the proposed statistics may help prove the idea of a significant threat that synthetic drugs pose. The data from individual countries can be collated to identify regions at risk and assess local activities to prevent the illicit spread of these substances. The efforts of global health agencies can also be cited as important additions to the assessment of the problem.

Roman-Urrestarazu, A., Yang, J., Robertson, R., McCallum, A., Gray, C., McKee, M., & Middleton, J. (2019). Brexit threatens the UK’s ability to tackle illicit drugs and organised crime: What needs to happen now?Health Policy, 123(6), 521-525. Web.

The authors examine the political restraints that prevent representatives of criminal justice from controlling the sale of illegal substances, including synthetic drugs. The main emphasis is on the UK and Brexit as a process that distracts from effective work in this direction and complicates the interaction of British medical institutions with European ones. The findings suggest that the end of this collaboration may negatively impact synthetic drug control in the UK.

The arguments from this study can be used in my work as evidence that sustainable interaction between the criminal justice and healthcare systems is necessary. Moreover, the arguments for political participation in drug regulation should be included to analyze what measures to address the issue may be taken at the national level. Control mechanisms will be presented as multi-vector activities in which different stakeholders are involved.

Smith, K. E., Bunting, A. M., Staton, M., Walker, R., Shalash, S., Winston, E., & Pangburn, K. (2017). Examination of synthetic cannabinoid and cathinone use among a drug-using offender sample, 2013-2015.Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 49(5), 436-445. Web.

The article offers the analysis of the use of synthetic drugs by addicts from the perspective of changes in this indicator in the period from 2013 to 2015. According to the study, those drug addicts who used synthetic substances confirmed a higher dependence and frequency of use, in contrast to those who did not use such drugs. The authors emphasize the importance of adequate measures to control the trafficking of such substances to reduce mortality and negative health outcomes of the population.

The breadth of statistics and the exact dynamics of cases are critical criteria to mention in my work. In addition, the practical relevance of my research paper can be enhanced due to temporal correlations that support deterioration in health outcomes caused by persistent synthetic drug use. This article is an important source demonstrating the relevance of the work of preventive services and criminal justice representatives.

Smith, K. E., & Staton, M. (2019). Synthetic cannabinoid use among a sample of individuals enrolled in community-based recovery programs: Are synthetic cannabinoids actually preferred to other drugs?Substance Abuse, 40(2), 160-169. Web.

The article’s goal is to determine the dynamics of the use of synthetic drugs among citizens participating in several community rehabilitation programs. The key findings relate to confirmed correlations between the use of these drugs and criminal behavior manifestations. However, the authors argue that drugs of this nature are not preferred by those surveyed during the study due to their severe health and life-threatening effects.

I can use the findings of this article in my research to show that synthetic drugs are dangerous substances that can stimulate criminal behaviors and be addictive. The arguments about their destructive nature may also be included in the discussion to highlight health risks. Proposals to criminal justice representatives can be made about the need for careful control over the illicit trafficking of these drugs.

Introduction

California has passed a bill to reduce the number of prisons. The state considers this a big step towards serious judicial reform, because the number of people in custody will decrease. My research question is to find out how this Realignment was a viable remedy to the California prison system overcrowding. We should care about the question because overcrowding in places of detention is a serious humanitarian problem. Such conditions restrict the rights and freedoms of prisoners. They increase the potential for conflict situations and circumstances that can lead to destabilization of the operational situation inside correctional institutions.

It is important to know the answer to decide whether to apply prison reductions in regions where the problem of overcrowding is particularly sensitive. The confirmation or refutation of the effectiveness of the mechanism used in California depends on its further application to solve an acute problem. When investigating the similar research question previous scholars have found that the reform used in California has serious drawbacks. In particular, when the area of detention was reduced, there was no significant reduction in crime.

The basic themes I use as headings in my literature review area are the humanity of prison reductions, the consequences of reforming the penitentiary system and access to justice. The current research is missing research regarding the assessment of how the implementation of the prison system reform program takes into account the needs of society. In this paper, I will use empirical research methods, namely the study of scientific research and the analysis of the information received. This proposed study will advance knowledge and fill holes in the current research record by focusing on the new aspect of the problem. Instead of using the number of prisoners per square meter as indicators of overpopulation, the conditions of detention will serve as a guideline in this work.

Literature Review

Intro

The independent variable in this research is the number of prisons. The two dependent variables are the number of prisoners and their conditions of detention. The existing research says that there are currently six prison facilities in California. Moreover, according to researchers, there are 9 prisoners per one employee of the penitentiary system in California (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). In addition, according to the report, California is among the five states with the highest proportion of female prisoners (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). Researchers claim that this is a special group of prisoners who need certain conditions.

The existing experience of reducing the number of prisons in California is of some interest to researchers. The three trends in the research record are primarily a discussion of the humanity of keeping prisoners in new conditions. The articles attempt to study a number of humanitarian problems of the detention of citizens of California (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). Also, existing studies discuss the consequences of reforming the penitentiary system both for the prisoners themselves and for society (Lin 2018). The third trend that can be noticed in research is the raising of the issue of methods for reducing prisoners (Grattet, Bird, and Nguyen 2017). The authors are concerned about the associated reduction in access to justice.

Humanity of Prison Reductions

The gaps in the current state of knowledge related to this research question are connected with the fact that numerical values are usually provided in research. For example, overcrowding in California prisons is proved by calculating the population density or the number of employees per inmate (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). However, the studies do not use comparisons of the compliance of the content of the execution of punishment with international standards in this area. The deterioration of the order of serving sentences for California convicts is not determined by the conditions of their imprisonment. The worsening of the medical and sanitary and material support of convicts mentioned in the studies is brief and insignificant (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). They are not described in sufficient detail and are mainly presented in the form of numerical values.

The sources of uncertainty are the criteria by which it is necessary to determine the humanitarian well-being of prisoners. With the reduction in the number of prisons in California, the number of people per institution has increased (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). However, scientists cannot come to a consensus on how much should be spent on food and personal belongings of prisoners per month (Welsh 2019). There are also disagreements about the area of the cell and the location of the beds (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). In addition, there are different points of view regarding the need to take into account the psychological state of prisoners (Grattet, Bird, and Nguyen 2017). Any discrimination can become one of the criteria for increased density.

Consequences of Reforming the Penitentiary System

It is known that reducing the number of prison buildings is not equivalent to reducing the number of persons serving a criminal sentence. However, it has not yet been fully investigated how the reform affected prisoners. The opinions of scientists were divided as to how the changes affected compliance with international penitentiary standards (Welsh 2019). The list of problems faced by the California penitentiary system is not fully defined (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). There is a normative consolidation of the rights of prisoners, but the possibility of practical implementation and protection of the rights and legitimate interests of convicts remains unclear.

The sources of disagreement are the assessment of the problems of ensuring the conditions of serving sentences in California correctional institutions and ways to solve them. Some scientists are not sure that the problems that have arisen in the execution of custodial sentences face the same problems (Grattet, Bird, and Nguyen 2017). Some researchers believe that as a result of the reform, the conditions of detention have ceased to comply with the normative ones (Lin 2018). Other scientists tend to think that California prisons have strict conditions of detention, but do not violate international norms (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). Therefore, there is a certain interest in the organization of ensuring the regime and safety of prisoners in California prisons from the point of view of the prisoners themselves.

Access to Justice

Scientists agree that it is possible to avoid overcrowding in prisons in conditions of a reduction in their number only with a decrease in the crime rate. However, it is not known which mechanisms to achieve this goal will be really effective. Some researchers advocate the humanization and improvement of criminal legislation (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). Other scientists see the threat that the introduction of forced labor instead of imprisonment will lead to the opposite effect (Welsh 2019). Mitigation of punishment may cause an increase in motivation to commit criminally punishable crimes. Eventually, this will lead to overcrowding of prisons.

Experts disagreed: some believe that the decrease in the number of people in prison is not due to a decrease in the growth of crime. They support the policy of consistent humanization of criminal penalties implemented in California (Bartos and Kubrin 2018). Other researchers fear an increase in violent crimes associated with mitigation of punishment (Bird, Nguyen, and Grattet 2021). They claim that there are no fewer offenders, punishments have become less severe. The number of convicts in the colonies is getting smaller, but the number of persons registered with the criminal executive inspections is increasing. Thus, it is not fully understood how the liberalization of penal enforcement policy affects the number of prisoners in California.

Summary

The research proposal of this paper aims to study the conditions of detention of prisoners in California prisons in order to compare them with established international standards. The data specified in the official documentation will be taken as the criterion of the prison overcrowding. Crime statistics will also be compared before and after the implementation of the reform in California. Based on statistics, a potential increase in the level of crimes in the future will be predicted using a special computer program.

Methodology

Independent data – the number of prisons – will be needed after calculating the further increase in crimes according to statistics. Dividing them by the number of prisons, it will be possible to predict the possibility of overpopulation of California prisons in the near future. Dependent variables – the conditions of detention of prisoners and their number – will be used to determine the compliance of imprisonment in California with international standards. Indicators such as the area of residential premises, as well as the presence of conditions of detention that may cause discrimination, will be considered.

To collect data, I plan to use various international documents containing standards for the detention of prisoners. I will also use crime data published on the official websites of California and state executive agencies. In order to collect information about the conditions of detention, it seems to me important to pay attention to the testimony of the prisoners themselves, so I will use interviews with them. I will mainly turn to video interviews to pay attention not only to verbal, but also to non-verbal signals. In addition, in this way I will be able to give an approximate external description of the prisoner’s condition. Accordingly, if there are signs of obvious physical and mental distress, it will be possible to assert non-compliance with the standards of detention, which in most cases arise as a result of overcrowding in prisons.

I have a research hypothesis about the nature and direction of the relationship between my independent and dependent variables. I think that by dividing the number of criminals by the number of prisons in California, I can calculate their occupancy. Further, to obtain the value of another variable – the conditions of detention – it is necessary to use numerical values of the area of premises in the building, the number of employees, funding per prisoner.

I do not have sufficient psychological knowledge to conduct a survey with prisoners. Some of them may intentionally describe the conditions of detention as unbearable in order to shorten their time in places of restriction of freedom. Therefore, it seems to me more appropriate to analyze existing interviews with California prisoners recorded on video. Thus, it will be possible, based on the behavior of the convict, to determine whether he is experiencing psychological or physical discomfort, indicating violations of the conditions of detention and overpopulation. This study is a trend, since the signs of improper conditions of detention appear quite quickly and persist for a long time.

Findings

Official statistics show that the number of prisoners in California colonies has significantly decreased and has become minimal. However, crime rates have not decreased: they continue to grow. Many crimes have been decriminalized, which has caused an increase in their commission. Instead of imprisonment, criminals are punished with compulsory, correctional and forced labor. The area of the prison divided by the number of prisoners obtained according to statistics is less than the values prescribed by international standards. Prisoners in interviews have signs of uncomfortable confinement, such as excessive thinness, dark circles under the eyes, strangled speech and monosyllabic answers.

Discussion

The findings obtained confirm the hypothesis that the unsatisfactory physical and mental condition of prisoners indicates a violation of conditions of detention and overpopulation. Statistics show that, indeed, the replacement of imprisonment with more lenient punishments has not solved the problem of overcrowding in prisons. On the contrary, the system proved to be ineffective, as the number of more serious crimes increased. The appearance of the prisoners showed that they lacked the allocated funding, and the conditions of detention did not correspond to satisfactory. Thus, the reform of the prison system in California has shown itself to be an ineffective way to combat the problem of overcrowding in prisons. The reduction in the number of prisons has only exacerbated the existing problem, even despite the introduction of legislative initiatives to mitigate penalties.

Conclusion

The decrease in the number of prisons in California did not lead to a solution to the problem of overpopulation, since it did not affect the cause of the problem, but only its result. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to preventive work. The root of most crimes should be sought in economic and social inequality, which leads to the marginalization of society. The majority of prisoners around the world end up in prison from socially disadvantaged families. Often such people live in conditions of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, which in turn contributes to the destruction of families, the narcosis of society and alcohol abuse. Conducting a fair social policy and receiving public support for people below the poverty line in California would be more effective, since they would affect the cause of the problem, not its result.

References

Bartos, Bradley, and Charis Kubrin. 2018. ” Can We Downsize Our Prisons and Jails Without Compromising Public Safety: Findings from California’s Prop 47.” Criminology and Public Policy 17 (3): 693-715.

Bird, Mia, Viet Nguyen, and Ryken Grattet. 2021. ” Realignment and Recidivism Revisited: A Closer Look at the Effects of California’s Historic Correctional Reform on Recidivism Outcomes.” Criminal Justice Policy Review 665 (1): 177-196.

Grattet, Ryken, Mia Bird, and Viet Nguyen. 2017. ” California Jails under Realignment and Proposition 47.” California Journal of Politics and Policy 9 (3): 1-15.

Lin, Jeffrey. 2018. ” The Diversity of Decarceration: Examining First-Year County Realignment Spending in California.” Criminal Justice Policy Review 29 (8): 242-246.

Welsh, Megan. 2019. ” How Formerly Incarcerated Women Confront the Limits of Caring and the Burdens of Control Amid California’s Carceral Realignment.” Feminist Criminology 14 (1): 89-114.

Internships are fundamentally advantageous for companies, organization facilities, and students as well. Internships in the criminal justice field allow students to put what they have learned in their criminal justice classes to the test by gaining firsthand exposure to how the American criminal justice system works (Fabianic, 2018). Internships modify young professionals’ perspectives by exposing them to new experiences which also play a vital role in expounding their mindset. The primary goals of the course are to expose students to new contexts and environments, broaden and deepen knowledge of key concepts and theories relevant to the field, and improve an overall learning experience. Internships in the criminal justice sector provide hands-on experience in the field while providing students with a chance to network and develop professionally through hands-on exposure to real-world scenarios (Fabianic, 2018). The purpose of this paper is to provide a report for my internship at New York Edge (NYE), Woodside, New York, United States.

Background of the Internship at New York Edge

New York Edge (NYE) is a non-profit agency that is one of the major providers of school-based educational services in New York City and the surrounding area. NYE has an influence on approximately 40,000 K-12 children from over 100 campuses, most of whom live in underserved communities (New York Edge, 2022). Year-round programs are available either before or after the regular school day. Students from low-resource areas in New York benefit from New York Edge’s efforts to improve their academic achievement, health and wellbeing, self-confidence, and leadership abilities so that they can pursue their full potential in life. Literacy, STEAM, leadership, HSTCT, and MSTHST, music, visual and performing arts, and field visits to museums are all part of the organizations’ bundled academic enrichment programs (New York Edge, 2022). Their flagship after-school Champions Clubs operate through pathways to success and are open anywhere from three to five days a week for a whole 36 weeks during the school year (New York Edge, 2022). New York Edge’s mission is to provide students from underserved areas a better shot at a successful future by providing them with programs that boost their academic achievement, health and wellbeing, self-confidence, and leadership skills.

The reason for selecting New York Edge as the agency for my internship is based on their focus on equipping students with hands-on experience in whichever field. The agency has invested in the field of criminal justice by helping students put into practice vital concepts and knowledge acquired in class. Additionally, its intelligence and investigation services provide reliable data that may be put to use immediately. In addition, the criminal justice department in the agency has a proven track record of assisting the US government in developing the knowledge, connections, and tools necessary to deliver first-rate intelligence and investigation services.

Identification and Securing of the Internship at NYE

Acquiring an internship opportunity in any agency across the globe always proves to be challenging for students. Different organizations have different regulations guiding internship and provision of practical skills to the students. However, the value of interning at a company cannot be understated. Employers today are increasingly looking for candidates who have participated in not just one internship but several (Williams et al., 2020). One’s academic skill in numerous theoretical and practical examples of how a job could be conducted is demonstrated by the degree awarded upon graduation, which in turn serves to propel the graduate into a profession. Internships have historically been a fantastic opportunity to make connections in the field of work that one would eventually seek employment in (Williams et al., 2020). Internships are a great way to obtain valuable experience in a variety of industries while also saving valuable time.

I learned about the available internship opportunity at New York Edge agency via the Indeed Job Board Website. The millions of job postings that populate the Indeed website employment search engines come from many web resources, such as specialized job boards (Knabenreich, 2021). Indeed, uses a wide variety of sources to provide approximately half of all hiring in the United States. The website also has a powerful tool that can help employers locate qualified candidates to either internship or employ. I therefore applied online and went through an extensive criminal background check and authorization. I also had to take various trainings and later got certified to work with children in the agency.

This internship will play a vital role in my effort to secure an employment opportunity in my future career as a Youth Correctional Counselor after graduation. The fact that I interacted with children during the internship has laid a solid foundation on how I can establish long lasting relationship with the youth. This is a significant aspect that will ensure that youths are properly counselled and educated on various crimes and how they may avoid falling victims (Knabenreich, 2021). Additionally, the internship expanded my pool of knowledge on drug enforcement administration considering the constant training opportunities on drugs and substance abuse among the youth.

Duties and Tasks at NYE

In my role at New York Edge agency, I was responsible for managing the facility’s security system. I was given the responsibility of figuring out who should be granted access to what areas, facilities, and data. In addition, I was responsible for greeting guests and doing a complete pre-access control security screening of them in order to determine their purpose in coming to the facility. If a visitor presented a valid national ID, I was to note the identifying information in the visitors’ notebook; if they did not, I was to request an ID badge and note the specifics of its issuance in the visitors’ logbook. The next step was to arrange a security escort as per the access control policy and fill out the entry log. I was also given the responsibility of figuring out who should be granted access to what areas, facilities, and data.

New York Edge agency requires that the authorized specialists to ensure that the school age children are granted a positive and safe environment. I was therefore tasked with ensuring that the children are provided with a conducive learning environment by overseeing their activities and trips to prevent any form of crime in their working areas. I was also required to moderate their groups by ensuring appropriate and reliable group ratios based on the CDC guidelines and that of the agency. NYE had established the New York Edge’s Summer Programs and all interns in the criminal justice department were required to ensure that the program was successful. This had to be done by ensuring that we maintain the safety for campers and take leadership roles in providing updates to the caregivers.

In a bid to ensure that all forms of crimes are prevented, the organization had a well- established patrollers unit which helped to deter crime. The interns in the criminal justice department were therefore required to act as law enforcers by creating and maintaining a strength-based, youth-focused atmosphere that is consistent and sensitive to the needs of participants with learning, emotional, or behavioral differences. We were also required to serve as a positive role model for participants and act as a community support while providing a safe place for the youth to keep them out of trouble or harm’s way. At one point, I was required to promote and realize positive relationships between guardians and parents by overseeing regular communication about the children’s weaknesses and strength.

Amid the COVID-19 period, I was responsible for assisting in COVID-19 wellness screening and other health related concerns for the children. I was also required to engage participants in meaningful activities, lesson plans and special events that are structured and age- appropriate. This lesson plans had to be fun, exciting, challenging, and based in the fields of arts, STEM, character development, creative expression, community service, physical fitness and/or nutrition. To realize the leadership aspect, all interns were required to take part in training sessions, special events and designated meeting related to criminal justice. We were tasked with ensuring that providing appropriate supervision to realize the health, safety and well-being of the participants while reporting to the supervisor of the daily concerns related to staff and facilities.

Professional Skills Learned and Relation to Curriculum Classes

My internship at NYE agency provided me with invaluable knowledge and training that will serve me well in both my personal and professional endeavors. Business communication is one example of the things that I learnt. We did this through regular in-person visits, electronic mail exchanges, and spoken chats with various site personnel. Thanks to the attachment, I was able to learn the material covered in the messages, workshops, and training and receive recognition for my clear corporate connections. As a bonus, I picked up a lot of information about making networking and connections. Through my internship, I was able to network with people in my intended sector of work. Networking will help me get a full-time job through referrals into a certain group, positive character references, and introductions to potential employers (Fabianic, 2018). I was juggling a number of tasks at once while working at NYE. Learning to juggle multiple tasks at once is an essential skill in both the workplace and everyday life, and I have mastered this skill.

I was able to acquire knowledge and abilities useful in my chosen field of criminal justice. One more goal was to improve my capacity to communicate effectively in writing and verbally across cultural boundaries. In addition to achieving these other aims, I have also improved my communication and interpersonal skills. This internship allowed me to put into practice what I had studied in school, improve my abilities, gain exposure to the working environment, and gain insight from my supervisor. The primary goal of visiting this location was to accumulate as much practical experience as possible. Even though I was not always given major responsibilities, I always made it a point to pay attention to every aspect of a task from start to finish. I had the competitive drive to work extra hard and complete the assignments and the positive enthusiasm and attitude about the opportunity to grow. I also had the willingness to keep an open mind to learn new things, and the social skills to interact with others.

Working at NYE helped me to apply various ideas and understand different information learned in the classroom curriculum. Various concepts related to law enforcement as a patroller became evident in the internship period. I fully understood the differences between a detective and a patroller after taking up various tasks and duties assigned by the supervisors. Other aspects such as the roles of the court system, wardens and the parole officers became vivid during the internship.

Career Goals and Internship Significance

Currently, I am considering a career as a Youth Correctional Counselor, Crime Prevention Specialist, Drug Enforcement Administration Agent, Parole or Probation Officer, Court Officer, Customs Inspector or a FBI Agent. The internship opportunity provided me with a chance to interact with children and youth of various ages and discover their experiences. These experiences will be vital if I will take up the Youth Correctional Counselor career in the future. Additionally, the internship equipped me with leadership skills and knowledge which will be helpful while working as a court officer, youth correctional leader and crime prevention specialist. We were also exposed to training sessions and special criminal justice meetings whose focus was on drug enforcement. The skills and knowledge acquired in this meeting will serve a great deal in my future career as a drug enforcement administration agent.

Strength, Weaknesses and Recommendations of the Internship

The key strength for this internship was the fact that there were well defined roles for each intern making it easier to go about duties. However, during my first day on the job, I was introduced to far too many people for me to easily remember their names, titles, and relative department. Since only a brief introduction to the site’s profile, its operations, and all of the HR features was provided, the second weakness was an overload of information. The data was coming in so fast that it would be impossible to process it in its entirety before more of it arrived. I therefore had a hard time settling into the office culture and making friends amongst my coworkers and superiors.

The main strength of the New York Edge agency lies in its ability to maintain a strict adherence to their schedules and plans. The organization has well stipulated management system guiding the various departments and can manage a large number of interns at once (New York Edge, 2022). However, I came to understand that New York Edge’s weakness was finding the correct fit employees because the hiring team lacked a dependable hiring and certification verification procedure. The recommendation to this challenge is finding the best selection practices and top-notch training that guarantees the highest level of service requirements for the client’s security programs. Retaining key employees is another weakness that I spotted in the agency. Almost all security programs are unique and keeping the proper people once they have been employed has its own issues. This difficulty can be overcome by taking great satisfaction in making sure that they find the most qualified and compatible candidates and keep the talented people who provide excellent customer service and uphold the site’s reputation.

References

Fabianic, D. A. (2018). Criminal justice internships. Just. Prof., 2(2), 19.

Knabenreich, H. (2021). What Does Google for Jobs Mean for Job Search, Recruiting—and Job Boards: In Google for Jobs. Springe. Web.

New York Edge (2022). New York Edge. Web.

Williams, T., Pryce, D. K., Clark, T., & Wilfong, H. (2020). The benefits of criminal justice internships at a historically black university: An analysis of site supervisors’ evaluations of interns’ professional development. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 31(1), 124-140.

The criminal justice system portrayed in the news is what the American people are most exposed to. Although it may not be very reliable it has become a part of American life and most Americans have become accustomed to getting news from these media. The CJS as portrayed in the media may not be representative of the facts and maybe doctored news, but this is what the American people are happy about, given that It has widespread effects in that its impact impinges upon the manner in which the American people cast their votes, exercise discretionary powers as law-abiding citizens and also affects the conduct of their day to day affairs. It is seen that the news that is being portrayed may be either underrepresented or overrepresented. In the case it is underrepresented, it means that the news has not been depicted in full and in a truthful manner and in accordance with the wishes of the American people. Seen in terms “as a cultural product, television programs and images are conceived as reflections of society.” (McNeely, 1995, p.1-20).

These media projections of crime in radio and television and other mass media are seen as reflections of society itself, in the public eye.

In other words, a large part of the work has been expunged, which shows the news is not justified, fair, and accurate in its portrayal. Again, it is quite possible that the news may be overrepresented, in which case, there has been fabrication and slight exaggeration of the news in order to attract and retain readerships. Both under-representation and overrepresentation are against public policies and deserve to be rectified. However, it is also seen that the aspect of under or over-representation needs to be confirmed by an independent body and not by the newspaper itself. Therefore, it could be seen that it is necessary that news need to be distilled for exaggerations, sensationalism, and deviations from the truth before being presented to the readers. It could also be seen in terms of the fact that newspapers should always present the truth as it is, and not the way politicians, lawmakers, or other vested interests would like it to be. It could also be in terms of the fact that the truth cannot be kept away from the people for all, as was seen in the major scams and scandals like the Watergate scandal, Enron, Arthur Anderson, and others.

Coming to the second part of the question, it could be said that some news may be far from being justified, fair, and accurate for printing. It is common knowledge that an alleged defendant is innocent until he is proved guilty in a competent court of justice. In the Court, he is given ample opportunities to testify and prove his innocence, or otherwise. However, in most cases, it is seen that the defendant is proved guilty by the media and press even before proceedings have begun. Public opinion is a major determinant of political will cover America’s chequered history, and the American criminal justice system is no exception. Thus, over the years, the jurors have been cautious in allowing media portray to transgress their closely guarded officialdom, lest public opinion or political influences, or a combination of both contaminate the future course of dispensing justice with equanimity and righteousness. In the deliverance of criminal justice it is necessary “to allow the players and pictures to speak for themselves — provides a rare, valuable, and unvarnished view of a system that struggles under its own weight every day.” (Ronald S. Sullivan Jr, Jeffrey Berman: “Emergency from Triage- A reviewed “real justice’.” (Sullivan & Berman, 2008).

It is believed that extraneous factors, facilitated by television, could mount pressures on the judiciary system and vitiate the course of justice and fair play.

The public needs to know about criminal justice actions and the correct media portrayal of actions that are accurate, fair, and justified. Therefore, it is very imperative that the media tones down its sensationalism attitude and gets down to the core of facts and deliberations in the carriage of criminal justice.

References

McNeely, Connie. L. (1995). Perceptions of the criminal justice system. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 3 (1), 1-20. Web.

Sullivan, Ronald. S., & Berman, Jeffrey. (2008). Emergency room triage: A review of real justice. Frontline. Web.

Abstract

Criminal justice departments are touted to be one of the most inefficient and morally impaired sectors of the government. Among other reasons, financial problems have been the cause of disparities within the criminal justice system. Misappropriation of resources and poor financial planning has been the major cause.

For a properly functioning criminal justice system, sound financial planning has to be done even where budget allocation by the government is in surplus. This is because the number of possible financial needs in the system is virtually infinite.

Proper allocation of financial resources will ensure optimum efficiency in the system. In addition, government policy must allow the administrations to be able to manage their departments’ spending. Administrators must also have good planning and monitoring capabilities for proper utilisation of the available resources.

Financial Management in Criminal Justice Systems

Public administration is the management of resources for effective running of a public department or sector. Like any other public domain, the criminal justice sector and its supporting public institutions need proper administration of resources for effective functioning.

Officials in charge of the sector have the responsibility of ensuring that available resources are used to counter the challenges of the particular public department with utmost efficiency.

Managing the criminal justice system is like managing a business enterprise. Different disciplines of operation are present in the criminal justice system. An administrator might have to deal with different and diverse fields such as narcotics, intelligence systems, terrorism, freedom of use of electronic resources, common homicide offences, fraud and a myriad of other crimes whose nature is obviously offensive (Allen & Sawhney, 2010).

Apart from management of other professional duties of subordinate staff, financial management of these disciplines is the most challenging of the tasks. To be successful in effective administration of these disciplines, the administrators have to create a governance substructure which is to be monitored and kept under control for good management.

For different disciplines in the sector, an administrator might choose to create an independent structure for each sector or decide to create a unified system of administration with differentiated branches for each discipline.

Once a challenge that needs to be countered or solved has been established, the management has to liaise between different levels of administration and come up with a possible solution. In modern governments, all financial strategies of a public sector are influenced by the government policies. Consequently, suggested solutions have to be compliant with government policies.

Since the law governs all aspects of administration, the adopted possible solution has to be sanctioned by the relevant institutions and offices before final financial strategy is laid down. A budgetary plan is then drawn on how to allocate financial resources to various stages of implementation.

After completion of laying down the strategies, the plan is then implemented. Furthermore, a follow up to establish whether the challenge has been solved is done (Allen, & Sawhney, 2010).

Administrators in the criminal justice system should be aware that the junior officials need to be financially controlled to a reasonable level. A budget projection in the criminal justice administration cannot be built on strict terms since crime and its implications can only be predicted to a limited accuracy level. In this essence, the management should avoid incurring unnecessary financial responsibilities.

Spending of the junior officers in a particular discipline affiliated to criminal justice should be controlled by their immediate senior manager. For example, avoidable mistreatment of a suspected offender may leads to adverse financial implications in the court process and disciplinary issues (Starling, 2010).

Most criminal justice systems loose a substantial part of their monetary resources in settling compensations for misconduct of their officials. Therefore, discipline in law enforcement officers and other members of the criminal justice system is essential for sound financial management. In addition, motivation of officers in the criminal justice system is vital and helps to boost morale and accountability of the officials.

The nature of activities in the criminal justice system is random and often the financial requirements exceed the capacity of financial resources. Some activities in the system may be critical and thus are of priority in financial planning. An administrator should be able to make comparison and come up with an appropriate order of priority.

Financial management of the criminal justice system is conclusively a multidisciplinary task that requires more than knowledge of financial planning. An administrator in criminal justice system or an affiliated field must be acquainted with these multiple abilities. However, a manager must not necessarily be an expert in all these fields to accomplish effective financial management.

References

Allen, J. M., & Sawhney, R. (2010). Administration and management in criminal justice: a service quality approach. Los Angeles: Sage.

Starling, G. (2010). Managing the public sector (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Educational requirements for probation and parole officers

According to (Birks, 1995), this family is made of four levels depending on the type of work and how complex it is as well as supervision received. Level one is the most basic where the incumbent does entry-level duties of supervising probationers and parolees in re-entry programs. Regarding the knowledge and skills required, one must be knowledgeable in laws, regulations and general procedures in relation to offenders and correction department. Knowledge in evidence based practice when supervising offenders is required as well as in community resources. One must also be conversant with counseling techniques as well as motivational interviewing. The officer must be conversant with testing of substances and means of collecting them. He/she must be able to relate well with the members of community and inspire client in stopping their anti-social behaviors. Regarding the educational experience, one must be a holder of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with a twenty-four hour semester in respective combination of required subject.

(Birks, 1995) argued that, level II officers have the responsibility of full performance in supervising probationers and parolees. They also train others through routine assignments. Knowledge required is similar to that of level I but an additional two years of experience in correctional program at social casework is needed. Level III comprises of a specialist incumbent serving as an expert in areas such as motivational interviewing. similar knowledge to level II is required with additional knowledge in specific areas such as provision of consultation and training for other staff in similar areas. Two additional years are also required for this level. Level IV is of leadership where the incumbent supervises other officers and coordinate their work as well as manage district and subdivision. All the requirements of level III are also required in this level but the officer must have an additional year of experience

Jobs and job requirements for probation and parole officers

Parole and probation officers perform many similar duties in assisting the courts to ensure that, offenders comply with the sentences made on them outside the courts. The only difference between parole officers and probation officers is the type of offenders they handle. Parole officers are assigned the offenders after they are released from prison and work together with pretrial services officers who investigate to determine if the suspect deserves release before trial. On the other hand, probation officers supervise offenders sentenced on probation instead of being sent to prison. Majority of criminal convicts are put on probation as an alternative of being sent to prison. Some states combine the work of both parole and probation officers when they are on the program. Both types of officers ensure the offenders are out of trouble as they meet other requirements. Probation officers in some states are referred to as supervision officers as they supervise those on probation. The probation officers supervise those under the program through personal contact with them and their families. Usually the offenders do not meet their supervisors in their offices but most probation officers meet them in their places of employment, homes or therapy. Both parole and probation officers also receive assistance from community organizations that include religious institutions, local residents as well as neighborhood groups in monitoring behavior of the offenders. The officers also install electronic devices on the offenders to monitor their location as well as movements (Franzen, 2001).The officers are also required to make arrangements for the offenders to receive job training as well as rehabilitation if they were victims of substance abuse. The officers normally specialize with either adults or juveniles although in small rural areas, probation officers counsel adults as well as juveniles. Probation officers also work with the courts in providing the background information of the offenders and help in recommending sentences. They review the recommendations for the sentences with the help of the family members of the offenders before a final submission is made to the courts. They testify to the courts using their findings. They also keep updating the courts with the progress made by the offenders in the rehabilitation process by attending hearings and informing the courts on whether the offenders are complying with the sentences.

According to (Franzen, 2001), the number of offenders probation and parole officers handles largely depends on their needs and the risk they pose. If the offenders pose a higher risk, they require more counseling and consequently more time as well as resources. Therefore, the number offenders handled by the officers ranges from 20-100 at any given time. The caseload is made even more manageable by computers, fax machines and telephones making the communication possible even from home.

Corrections

Students who aspire to learn about public safety or law enforcement require courses in correctional program, probation as well as parole field. Correctional officers in the field of probation engage in supervision of criminals and juvenile delinquent who have been put on probation. Parole officers also have similar duties but they also handle those who have been put on parole. Specialists in Correctional treatment handle inmates as well as facilities used in their correctional programs. They monitor progress in the institution regarding inmates and their facilities and design parole plans for them. The general nature of work as a correctional officer is good and research done by bureau of labor indicated that, law enforcement should allow the population in prison to increase. Background requirements for students pursuing programs in the field of correction are necessary and this include age, citizenship and level of education as well as job stability. The age required by majority of employers for their correctional officer ranges between18-21 and must be citizens of United States. (Franzen, 2001)

Job opportunities

A student who has successfully completed his/her studies can become a correctional program specialist dealing with inmates’ behavior and policies on social services. One can also become a health specialist responsible for handling health programs. A health specialist provides as well as regulates policies regarding correctional health of offenders under rehabilitation. They ensure the medical rights of inmates as well as those that are put on probation are observed through regular attendance of their health needs. They also provide services to the offenders who have special needs such as physically or mentally disabled. A student who has specialized in counseling can be employed to be a correctional counselor handling developmental programs regarding disability and general compliance of the programs. (Franzen, 2001).

Job functions in diversionary correctional programs

A manager in diversionary correctional program has a duty to see that the development as well as maintenance of the programs of the offenders and especially inmates is observed properly. This is in order to promote the well being of the inmates in terms of both physical as well as social development while they are still on correctional programs. The manager prepares schedules and provides good coordination of personnel dealing with volunteer programs. He/she also works closely with concerned community in program development aimed at assisting incarcerated inmates benefit from the correctional facilities. (Franzen, 2001).

Outside agencies are involved in development of internal programs organized by correction officers while volunteers are involved in making their generous contribution. With that in place, adequate space can be provided and sufficient materials be used by correction officers to ensure all the programs run effectively. Deputy director involved in corrections ensure there is enough time for all the programs in the jail to be established and implemented. Inmates in the jail are allowed to take part in religious services of their own choice and engage in religious activities all the time so that they can grow spiritually and develop good virtues that are encouraged by the entire society where they come from.

Correctional programs ensure there are referral agencies to be used by families and all the inmates. Correctional officers appear in public to take care of public relations in the entire community so that, people are encouraged to live well with each other without becoming security threat through engaging in criminal activities. Outreach services are coordinated in a responsible manner and security officers work according to the guidelines provided to them. Statistical data is maintained properly using files and records that act as future reference to provide evidence of the activities that have been carried out. Reviews are provided on quarterly basis on the quality of the programs and how effective standards in the jail have been so that the required recommendations can be effected immediately. (Franzen, 2001).

Qualifications of correction officer

Correction officers are required to perform their job successfully and perform all essential duties in a satisfactory manner. They must meet all the requirements such as knowledge acquired through education, skills in the assigned job and ability required in performing all the duties in a successful manner. Improved knowledge and good understanding of all the principles involved in modern corrections is very significant. This is in order to perform duties in a professional manner and ensure all the duties are done successfully. Understanding of all the principles used in human psychology is essential in dealing with group detention. This allows those who are detained to be understood properly and be helped to change their behavior for the better without repeating the same mistake again. (Birks, 1995).

Correction officers should be informed about rules on how the jail operates so that they can know the areas they are best talented and can perform at best. This also helps them to follow all the regulations in ensuring that they do not fail to perform duties in the areas assigned at the right time and in the right manner as described to them initially when the job was assigned. Correction officers should have knowledge about the rights of inmates so that they do not violate the rights of inmates through mistreatment, discrimination, favor or even abusing them.

A correction officer need to have ability of analyzing problems concerned with administration in order to establish the necessary action to be carried out in dealing with the problem in the right manner. These administrative problems occur most of the times and at varying degrees. Therefore, ability to analyze them helps to know how to deal with each and every problem even if the problem is encountered for the first time. There are situations where judgment need to be exercised and therefore requires correction officers to have the ability in making proper judgment in different situation. They should also oversee implementation of policies in every department and ensure all the relevant procedures are properly followed. (Birks, 1995).

Proper communication that is effective is required in dealing with management so that the assigned job is done effectively. Subordinates should also be talked to all the time to ensure they are working properly and assisted in areas where they need correction officer to intervene and help. Inmates should be communicated to in a proper manner regardless of what made them to be imprisoned. In that way, they can be helped to be morally upright and the public should be taught the importance of accepting inmates back to the society immediately they are released from prison.

A correction officer should be able to perform duties independently and be creative in the way he solves problems in order to come up with sound judgment of all cases brought before him through demonstrating his initiative. Oral and written communication skills are necessary and correction officer should be excellent in both. This is important so that he can read and interpret all the complex documents with ease and respond to all inquiries and complaints in an effective way.

There are situations where management and officers require to be given persuasive presentations about complex topics which are controversial. This requires correction officer to make effective presentation without failing to concentrate on all required issues. Correction office should define all the problems, gather all the facts and derive conclusions. All the technical instructions should be interpreted when dealing with concrete variables.

There are correction officers who are supposed to use computers when performing their duties and therefore computer literacy is very necessary in word processing and preparation of spreadsheets. Good typing skills are required so that correction officer can type his work without having to involve secretary in situations where the typed information is required to be confidential. Competency of the job is necessary if the job is to be performed successfully so that correction officer has the ability to synthesize diverse information, collect data and be experienced in complementing data. The problems should be identified at the right time and analyzed in skillful manner so that alternative solutions can be developed. Correction officer should communicate about changes that have occurred, manage all the team activities, and come up with implementation plans which are workable and evaluate the results effectively. Correction officer with all these qualification will benefit a lot through performing the assigned duties well without facing difficult time with management. (Birks, 1995).

References

Birks P. (1995): Criminal Justice & Human Rights: Reshaping the Criminal Justice: Literary criticism.

Franzen J. (2001): the corrections, award for fiction, twenty-seventh city: Macmillan Books.

Management means the act, manner or practice of controlling, handling something. The person or persons who manage a business establishment, organization or institution are the core groups of management. In this context, it is important to understand the Structure, function and roles of management and its managers. According to Bissell, collaborative adult learning is important to help institutions in designing and implementing professional development procedures to support learning and progress of the administrators. She says that the principles and supers of the institutions have realized a need for developing a wider knowledge base of the curriculum to achieve their goals. Their instructional leadership capabilities need to be developed and professional learning groups must be encouraged. For the improvement of institutions, the managers have to develop skills for collecting and using data from various sources. This is the fundamental structure of management. (Bissell, 167)

Furthermore, if the managers are reluctant and display lack of enthusiasm to present changes it will take away success achieved by the students through their formal education. Bissell says that there is always a resistance to a new change as they produce unexpected and unknown fear among the people. One way of overcoming this is that the leaders need to properly hear out and understand the staff members and also listen to them. The resistance change is better since it realizes that there is nothing new about changes and only those people who can accept change will be the ultimate winner. It emphasizes that other than the things that are taught in the schools, there is also the need to understand how change can be managed and form guidelines for the success of its students and staff members. According to this theory, change is better if it is exercised and accepted slowly and gradually. It is also better since it is consistent with the changing ways of our present millennium. This is a better model since unlike the older models, which believed that if people had to know something they would be informed about it. According to this model, the people in the organization should be responsible for their needs and this sense of responsibility can be enumerated as basic function of management.

The first and foremost effect of change among the individuals of an institution is that they become fearful of the change, as they do not know what to expect of it. The implementation of the change is in a way shut down due to this fear. Sometimes there are misunderstandings among the leaders and staff members, which need to be clarified. Thus, this affects the leaders who in the process of understanding the staff themselves become learners, making them powerful leaders. However, dealing with change is not easy. It requires sustainable relations. “Sustainable improvement requires investment in building long-term capacity for improvement”. (Hargreaves, 3) This proves to be most beneficial during the event of changes. Nevertheless, sometimes the leaders themselves become angry. Unresolved anger also creates low morale among the staff and this becomes an overhead cost for the institution. Changes are always followed by stress thus, requiring everyone to take care of their need, both emotionally and physically. If we neglect them then we may get depressed for working too long and too hard. The fundamental role of management is to develop the enthusiasm to start afresh.

These principals appear to be at par with Huxley’s novel ‘Brave new World’ where management is used to its zenith to attain its goals. It is mentioned, “If you allowed yourselves to think of God, you wouldn’t allow yourselves to be degraded by pleasant vices. You’d have a reason for bearing things patiently, for doing things with courage….” (Huxley, 236) All the roles, functions and structures taken together would sum up towards an effective management system that can well be implemented in the course of criminal justice system. In criminal justice system, to implement any new change and reduce its negative effects on the people, the leaders must first increase the flow of information among them so that the people are informed and do not resist to the change. If people have no information about a certain change rumors will be created which can sometimes be harmful. They also should not withhold any information from the staff as it may make them feel incompetent. The staff members should also take individual responsibility to learn about the changes. When changes take place, people’s perceptions become vague, thus the leaders should make sure that the staff properly understands the tasks and goals.

The leaders should clearly listen to the staff and set limits to the time they can give them. This will make them stick to the important points and not blabber around. Both the leaders and staff members should not bottle up their feelings and speak out so that no one gets hurt and problems are solved. As changes bring about weariness and tired people are not able to express, listen or learn self-care becomes a priority for all. Leaders and staff members should also maintain a social life outside their workplaces. Thus, a Management leader in the context of criminal justice is to take correct decisions, communication, motivation, selection of accurate people fit for the job and to developing people or the work force. In criminal justice, proper judgment is required for taking appropriate action in order to reach a correct mode of decision making thus, it is obvious that management principals are necessary for criminal justice procedure.

Works Cited

Bissell, B, Resistance Change, Auckland: Ebsco publishing, 2006.

Hargreaves, A, Sustaining Leadership, Auckland: Ebsco publishing, 2007.

Huxley, A, Brave New World, NEW YORK: Klett Ernst /Schulbuch, 2006.

The respondent for this exercise was a criminal justice system (CJS) practitioner working at Jane/Finch Community and Family Center. The individual was a man aged 37 years and engaged in casework with children below 18 years in the facility. Specifically, his primary assignment included supporting young individuals affected by drug addiction or experiencing different forms of domestic abuse. The professional relied on numerous resources and ideas in an effort to complete his duties diligently.

Guiding Philosophy and Professional Values

The practitioner relied on the presented professional values, worldview, and philosophy to identify, handle, and support the rights of the identified clients. By examining the nature of each individual case, the CJS professional succeeded in establishing a positive working relationship (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, 2008). He would focus on the best ways to promote justice while ensuring that the individuals achieve their social goals. The move to improve his philosophy continuously was an evidence-based strategy that would support his future goals.

The outlined best practices in the CJS field intended to uphold clients’ rights revolve around the formulated policies. For example, the CASW ethical guidelines require that workers focus on the interest of the client as a topmost priority (Government of Canada, 2022). The professional promoted unique values and practices in an effort to promote healing, recovery, and well-being. Another CASW requirement is for social workers to advocate for the interests of the client. By interacting with all stakeholders, the worker was able to promote the rights of the client. However, the profession’s approach failed to consider the guidelines on the protection of underserved individuals in the society. By failing to report the identified abuse to the relevant authority, the worker failed to focus on the client’s rights.

Organizational Policies and Practices

The professional revealed that he received timely support from the Department of Justice and the identified social community center. Specifically, Ontario’s Department of Justice branch provided adequate resources, policy guidelines, and frameworks that defined the roles and expectations from CJS practitioners. However, the reported case amounting to an ethical dilemma revealed that the management was not involved. The absence of support from the senior compelled to practitioner to make his personal decision (Salcedo et al., 2021). He focused on the outlined guidelines and considered the best way to support the client’s rehabilitation.

Ethical Dilemma and Client’s Rights

In his practice, the professional encountered a number of cases that presented diverse ethical dilemmas. The narrated one revolved around a young boy who had become addicted to drugs. The child was associated with incidents of truancy and petty theft. The astonishing part was that the parents revealed that their son was stealing household items and selling them to get money for buying addictive drugs. While this child could have been reported for such offenses, the professional was keen to propose counseling strategies to empower the child (Johnson et al., 2018). His father remained reluctant and willing to punish the child for such mistakes.

This scenario presented a unique dilemma for the professional since the malpractices could attract legal proceedings. The practitioner had to engage the father since he believed that punitive measures could have resolved the misbehavior. To minimize escalation, the practitioner encouraged the parents to remain sympathetic and supportive of the child. He proposed the inclusion of his teachers to be part of the counseling process. The proposed strategy was informed by the respondent’s philosophy and values (Salcedo et al., 2021). Based on the nature of the presented scenario, the professional chose to remain committed to supporting the rehabilitation of the young individual.

The notable tension that arose from the handling of the reported ethical dilemma revolved around the legal rights of the child. The professional chose not to report the abuse the individual had gone through in the hands of his family members. This form of anxiety became a learning point for the professional to remain more involved and ready to uphold client’s rights. The move to focus on counseling and rehabilitation of the child was in conflict with the necessary legal requirements (Salcedo et al., 2021). Based on the nature of this case, it would be appropriate to indicate that the professional did not address all the rights of the client. Specifically, the possible form of abuse in the family setting remained unreported.

Level of Support

The respondent revealed that the supervisor at the Jane/Finch Community and Family Center remained involved and willing to provide timely support. For instance, the leader would offer resources and materials to ensure that the practitioner handled emerging issues diligently. The center supported the idea of multidisciplinary teams to handle reported issues and meet the needs of the identified clients. To achieve desirable results, the individual partnered with members of the formulated multidisciplinary teams to ensure that the rights and goals of the targeted beneficiaries were taken seriously (Duke et al., 2021). This kind of support empowered the practitioner to complete his tasks diligently.

Emerging Observations

From the respondents’ viewpoints, it is agreeable that his practices are informed by the best practices regarding the rights and liberties of clients. The individual remains committed to clients’ justice, autonomy, and overall outcomes. These initiatives resonate with the developed code of ethics for professionals in the CJS field (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005). The exercise indicated that the community social center had proper mechanisms to support the involved practitioners. The supervisor remained committed and willing to outline the relevant policies. The worker relied on the formulated consultation model to ensure that timely results were eventually realized.

While the practitioner succeeded in handling most of the experienced ethical dilemmas, some tensions emerged during the process. For example, the parents of the child, especially the father, believed in punitive measures. The emerging challenge was how to meet the child’s needs and ensure that he received the necessary support. The professional followed the outlined procedures and guidelines to uphold the rights of the young individual. The move to propose counseling and personalized support upheld the client’s rights (Duke et al., 2021). The reasoning behind such a decision is that the child will receive timely support, stop missing classes, and become a responsible student.

The completed investigation has presented new ideas for professional practice in the criminal justice system. For instance, I now understand the importance of developing a powerful philosophy to guide my actions, decision-making processes, and goals. The consideration of critical values is essential if I am to uphold the rights of the clients being served. Being ethical is an important approach for addressing most of the recorded challenges and doing what is acceptable (Johnson et al., 2018). I have realized that it is always necessary to liaise with different supervisors and leaders if I am to build healthy, empowering, and positive working relationships in the field.

References

Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Guidelines for ethical practice.

Duke, K., Gleeson, H., Dąbrowskab, K., Herold, M., & Rolando, S. (2021). The engagement of young people in drug interventions in coercive contexts: Findings from a cross-national European study. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 28(1), 26-35.

Government of Canada. (2022). Values and ethics code of the Department of Justice.

Johnson, L. M., Elam, P., Lebold, S. M., & Burroughs, R. (2018). Use of research evidence by criminal justice professionals. Justice Policy Journal, 16(2), 1-23.

Module 1: Professional skills: Work ethics [Word document]. Lecture.

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. (2008).Code of ethics and standards of practice.

Salcedo, D., DiLeo, R., &Szydlowski, S. (2021). Substance use disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. Journal of Mental and Substance Abuse, 2(1), 116-123.