...FFLIC’s mission is to transform the oppressive juvenile justice system in Louisiana into one that provides a nurturing and rehabilitative environment. While interning with FFLIC, I met with the community organizer on a regular basis who has a child currently imprisoned. I listened to his personal experiences with Louisiana’s juvenile justice system and learned about the need for therapeutic environments, interactions, and opportunities for underrepresented prison populations. In order to help FFLIC advocate for policy change at a state level, my colleagues and I authored a white paper that outlined recommendations to reduce recidivism rates for juvenile offenders in Louisiana, such as offering more educational and vocational programs in prisons and implementing community-based alternatives to incarceration. Through my research, I discovered that community-based alternatives that embody therapeutic philosophies, through emphasizing skills training, counseling, and behavioral programs, can be more successful at reducing recidivism than incarceration. This experience prompted my desire to continue research on recidivism reduction in graduate school and learn more about the impact clinical psychology practices can have on reforming the criminal justice...
Words: 1115 - Pages: 5
...EXAM ONE When Guenther describes the Criminal Justice System, he labels it something that is unequal, and does not show the fairness it is supposed to promise. One of the first aspects to look at is the perceptions and stereotypes that society has about the current offender. Many times, social media is the reason people have skewed perceptions on who is likely to be an offender and who is not. Media’s influence on crime can change what the reality of a criminal looks like to those who are believing everything media says or shows. One example of society being influenced by media is a racial hoax. Furthermore, this is “when someone fabricates a crime and blames it on another person because of his race OR when an actual crime has been committed and the perpetrator falsely blames someone because of his race” (Russell-Brown, K. 1998). Not only does this make it...
Words: 1319 - Pages: 6
...vast majority of those cases that reach court to conviction”. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the statement above , highlighting on key aspects like Adversarial Battle, Conveyer Belt , and Routinised Procedure in determining the accuracy of the proclamation made by the authors; as well as utilising personal experience from my court visits to reach a conclusion. While the statement above specified that 2“(Over 90%) of defendants whose cases proceed to trail plea guilty and forgo their right to an adversarial battle” , many would agree that this statement is true. For example, Andrew Ashworth claims that “3 even among either way...
Words: 1138 - Pages: 5
...Victims and Crime Evaluation Paper Criminal Law/CJA/354 An alarming amount of innocent people become victims of crime every year, and the victim’s rights are every bit as important as the offender’s rights. There are certain tendencies that appear within patterns of crime and victimization, such as adolescents are most likely to be victimized, men become crime victims more often than women, and African Americans experience more crime than other racial groups (Newmark, 2008). Victims of crime suffer from physical, emotional, psychological, and financial issues. Some of the issues victims of crime face are physical injury, fear for personal safety, medical expenses, counseling expenses, feelings of fear, grief, shame, and anger, and lost income. Victims of crime needing assistance may believe they are overlooked or even revictimized by the criminal justice system, a system that may appear to be more concerned with the criminal’s rights than with the needs and rights of the victim. This paper will address the role the prosecutor, defense attorney, criminal, and victim play within the criminal justice system and how victimization affects each. The Prosecutor The prosecutor plays a critical role in the criminal justice system and serves many functions throughout the criminal justice process. Some of these functions are as follows: * Investigating * Helping the police build a case against the person(s) * Bringing charges against a person(s) * Arranging...
Words: 1585 - Pages: 7
...Abstract The aim of this dissertation, which is based on secondary research involving analysing a range of books, journal articles, Government publications, newspaper articles and videos, is to critically examine the position of the victim in the criminal justice system. The paper looks at the role of political interests in establishing victimfocus policies and the direction towards their placement at the heart of the justice system. This includes the managerialistic values, modernization of the Government and covering-up of punitive measures taken against the offender that all point to the political rhetoric around the centeredness of the victim. Furthermore, the view of traditional justice is accounted for in order to get a grasp of the many underlying factors that can be attributed to the so called rebirth and the consequent concentration on the victim. The paper firstly discusses characteristics of victims, the impact of crime on victims and also their needs for a better understanding of who they are and what can be done to help them. Particular attention is drawn to stereotypes associated with victims and constructions of the ideal victim. Secondly, the adversarial nature of English justice and implications for victims are discussed, as well as some tensions between the interests of the offender and the victim, and the opposed nature of the two. Procedural and service rights especially play an important role in defining whether victims are given appropriate...
Words: 20228 - Pages: 81
...Concept Matrix Donna Conahan Dr. Marina Stakic PSY110008VA016-1134-001 May 3, 2013 Social Psychology Concept | Definition | Application to SocietyProvide Example | Application to Criminal JusticeProvide Example | Application to the IndividualProvide Example | Survey Research | Survey research begins with a set of well-defined structured statements and/or questions that have been given to a select group of people allowing for the mathematical measurement of personal beliefs, attitudes, values and/or behavioral tendencies. | An example of a survey that would be applicable to society would be the issues and effects of marital separation that brings about disruption in the household and negatively affects the children as well as the spouses ability to cope and adjust which ultimately prevents reconciliation thereby leads to divorce. | An example of a survey that applies to criminal justice would be a survey that addresses how to change the public’s opinions and attitudes toward the criminal justices system. This survey would include the common criminal acts in their community, how they are currently being handled, what would like to see in the way of changing their community, what their expectations are of the local police, the changes they would like to see with how the police and criminal justice system handle these perpetrators. | Due to today’s economic hard times, I think a great survey could be how this nation’s economy has brought about change in the average...
Words: 3077 - Pages: 13
...Punishment In Criminal Justice CRJ 301 Juvenile Justice Iesia Mitchell Instructor: Diane Williams April 30 2012 Punishment In Criminal Justice CRJ 301 Juvenile Justice Iesia Mitchell Instructor: Diane Williams April 30 2012 | | There are five general aims or functions or justifications of punishment. The first being Deterrence There is a belief that punishment for crime can deter people from offending. There are two forms where deterrence is concerned with punishing an individual offender in the expectation that he will not offend again, and General deterrence is related to the possibility that people in general will be deterred from committing crime by the threat of punishment if they are caught. There is also the theory that criminal laws are passed with well-defined punishments to discourage individual criminal defendants from becoming repeat offenders and to discourage others in society from engaging in similar criminal activity. Deterrence is one of the primary objects of the Criminal Law. Its primary goal is to discourage members of society from committing criminal acts out of fear of punishment. The most powerful deterrent would be a criminal justice system that guaranteed with certainty that all persons who broke the law would be apprehended, convicted, and punished, and would receive no personal benefit from their wrongdoing this aim is effective by long prison sentence and heavy fines (Criminal Deterrence and Sentence Severity, 1999). ...
Words: 1388 - Pages: 6
...Crime victims rights Advocates for victims' rights have long complained that they have been sidelined by a criminal justice system that is focused on the interplay between the state and the defendant. With the enactment of the Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008, that is changing. The authors examine the current state of victims' rights, the evolution of the enforcement mechanisms, and the emerging role of the criminal practitioner in regards to these rights. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] Advocates for victims' rights have long complained that they have been sidelined by a criminal justice system that is focused on the interplay between the state and the defendant. With the enactment of the Victims' Bill of Rights Act of 2008, that is changing. The authors examine the current state of victims' rights, the evolution of the enforcement mechanisms, and the emerging role of the criminal practitioner in regards to these rights. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING...
Words: 5571 - Pages: 23
...Name CJA/334 - RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE Date Instructor Research Process and Terminology When I hear the word research, I usually think of scientists in a lab wearing white lab gowns but, this is not always the case in the Criminal Justice field. Research can be used to fight crime, prove evidence in court or even help improve police response without the city. There are many terminology’s that has to be known to be successful when working in the field. How will this new terminology and knowledge apply to a career in criminal justice? There are hundreds of jobs within the criminal justice field. This new terminology will help throughout the research and will and aid in whichever branch or specialty the person is undertaking. The Terminology will help the person understand the different performances of the research and how it can be applied to his or her performance in job duties. This will give anyone a better understanding for research and how it should be carried out to assist them How will not knowing the proper terminology affect you as you conduct criminal justice research? Anyone that works in the criminal justice field knows that at any time people rely on the system to help them when needed. The system basically has control of all our lives and can determine what may happen next. Not knowing the proper terminology can have a huge effect on someone’s life, safety, and can even death. For example a police detective has to know...
Words: 1106 - Pages: 5
...Restorative Justice XXXXXXXXX American Military University Professor Michael Beshears CMRJ316 Correction and Incarceration January 20, 2011 Abstract The general disillusion with the present punishment-based and rehabilitative approaches to crime control has created a political climate ripe for reform. A new move based on the premise of accountability and remedial has great appeal. While restorative justice seems to guarantee a distinct third alternative, the imprecise use of the emerging "vocabulary of restoration" has created as much confusion as clarity about the fundamental concepts of the new paradigm. Restorative justice has come to mean all things to all people. I agree with Walgrave and Bazemore: “A coherent definition and vision should serve as a unifying focus for reflection and experimentation among practitioners and scientists, and should inform policy makers and the public about what restorative justice is and is not” (Bazemore and Walgrave, 1999a, p. 46). Restorative justice, as a practice, has a history older than state justice does, yet the example of restorative justice has only recently begun to be expressed. Since Howard Zehr's book Changing Lenses (1990) first sketched the outlines of the restorative justice example, little agreement principles have evolved (McCold, 1998c). Recently, two competing definitions of restorative justice have been brought...
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
...Communication in Criminal Justice Settings Communication is defined as the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. In other terms, communication is the process of sharing information or conveying a message from one individual or party to another through the use of many different mediums. One of the primary reasons for success in business and social settings is competent information sharing and because of this, significant strides have been made to advance technological resources to assist contemporary needs of communication. The importance of communication, in every field of life cannot be neglected making these advances that much more important. Effective communication plays a major role in criminal justice settings as well. Without understanding communication methods, individuals could not properly communicate. Police officers are a great example of this. For police officers, oftentimes, the stakes are much greater since his or her actions are more severely scrutinized while conducting their daily investigations, validating his or her position in court, and also before the press. Expressing good verbal skills and non-verbal gestures or postures helps the officer perform their job at a higher level. Effective communications play a large role not only at the business, social, political, and economic levels but it is also a significant advantage to use efficient and sophisticated communication in the criminal justice field as...
Words: 1525 - Pages: 7
...Effective Communication in Criminal Justice Settings CJA 304 August 5, 2013 Effective Communication in Criminal Justice Settings Communication is defined as the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. In other words, communication is the process of sharing information or conveying a message from one individual or party to another through the use of many different mediums. One of the primary reasons for success in business and social settings is competent information sharing and because of this, significant strides have been made to advance technological resources to assist contemporary needs of communication. The importance of communication, in every field of life, cannot be neglected, making these advances that much more paramount. Keeping the importance of communication in consideration it can be stated that effective communication plays a major role in criminal justice settings as well since without having a grasp over communication methods, the individual cannot win the favors of the opponent and using a police officer as an example is great evidence in this regard. For a police officer, oftentimes, the stakes are much greater since his or her actions are more severely scrutinized while investigating a case, validating his or her position in court, and also before the press. Having excellent verbal skills as well as non-verbal gestures or postures helps the officer perform their job at a higher level. Not only...
Words: 1581 - Pages: 7
...The development of social skills starts with the family and continues with influences most will encounter throughout their lifespan. These values will be embedded in most individuals and become part of their very being. The problems that arise with criminal justice ethics may come from the foundation of the criminal justice system. In law enforcement ethics has become a topic of interest for most individuals. Those in the criminal justice system should represent high levels of ethical conduct in the community. The dissatisfaction of police and their departments have been attributed to the negative incidents America has witnessed from numerous negative incidents that have been displayed by officers of the law and departments upholding wrongful...
Words: 436 - Pages: 2
...The 2004 Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CRVA) the has been marginally successful according to (Boland & Butler, 2009). We now see more victims being able to voice their case as a means of providing the court with the way these crimes have affected them and their families. Meaning that this act has provided victims with more rights, more treatment and services to address the violations or conditions suffered because of criminal acts, the voice of the victim is still somewhat suppressed and even excluded (2009). Often times the voice of the victim is excluded to protect the rights of the defendant. Some may argue that victims can now claim more restitution, damages or even inform sentencing by being able to attend sentencing hearings and express some thoughts and contentions, the CRVA still victimizes victims (Trueblood, 2011, p. 605). My personal stance is that I would like to see the victims' rights more favored than that of the defendant. Mostly because I feel it is the victim and their family that will suffer more than the defendant, especially in case that involves murder or homicide. Often times the defendant gets life in prison for these types of crimes and if that is the outcome the defendant and his or her family still have the ability to see one another or talk to each other. The victims never get that time back. In these types of cases I think it especially important to hold the victims' rights to a higher standard. In some ways, it is far less formidable...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, The present system does not adequately focus on justice to the victims. The formal criminal justice system directs its attention primarily toward the offender, first with regard to guilt or innocence and second with regard to appropriate punishment, treatment, or monitoring. The informal justice system is often an abstract and distant concern. So, the victims have been repeatedly neglected as stakeholders in both formal and informal justice approaches, it is important to give special attention to their role in the criminal justice system. Presenting the report to Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani, who held the home portfolio. Malimath said the changes were proposed for the first time in 150 years. He also recommended that from now on, criminal laws be reviewed every 15 years so that they are in tune with the “changing times”. The “Criminal justice system is virtually collapsing under its own weight as it is slow, inefficient and ineffective” due to which “people are losing confidence in the system”, the report said. The present system of the prosecution have to prove the guilt of an accused “places a very unreasonable burden on the prosecution”, the committee said in its report and recommended that in India, like in the continental countries, a “clear and convincing” standard of proof should be statutorily prescribed. For example, ministers and other VIPs caught...
Words: 6125 - Pages: 25
