Societal expectations change whenever a new crime surfaces or when there are delays in the Criminal Justice System. However, a drastic change usually occurs when a criminal act is particularly horrific or an officer involved shooting does not seem justified. During these times, the expectations of the society from the Criminal Justice System will change dramatically and within a short period of time. In the United Kingdom, the release of Mary Bell, a child serial killer created uproar, and demanded reforms in the system. In the United States, the murder of Megan Kanka by a known sexual predator brought about such a situation. The outcome was the passing of Megan’s Law during the Clinton Administration.
In recent times, cases of Trayvon Martin, Kendrec McDade, and Michael Brown Jr involving police shootings, the San Bernardino and Orlando shootings involving terrorism created similar expectations from the society. The primary role which society expects from the Criminal Justice system is to actively prevent crime and for justice when a crime occurs. The police related shootings did not yield any action against the officers involved and the terrorist related shootings keep increasing. By definition, the society does not believe the crime eradication is possible. They however, expect avoidable crimes to cease.
Leadership within the Criminal Justice System is the primary influence which can diffuse the situation with short-term goals and by preventing similar incidents with the implementation of long-term programs. Without Criminal Justice leadership, the situation will have violent repercussions. In the aftermath of 9/11, all Indian, Muslim, and Arab citizens faced wide scale verbal or physical attacks in retaliation. The attacks continued for almost a year. However, there are no such attacks reported after the Boston Marathon bombing, or the San Bernardino and Orlando shooting incidents. This is an example of how effective leadership can influence key goals within their ranks and influence the society to relinquish demands for greater expectations. Leadership in these cases created diverse workforces and reached out to affected communities. The ability to transform, and influence positive attitudes towards organizational goals is critical in such ominous circumstances. This is why Criminal Justice Leadership is critical in such times. They bridge the gaps, create innovative solutions, and instill responsibility in all parties involved (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014).
References
Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D., and Klofas, J. (2014). Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management. Cengage Learning. Stamford: CT. Pp. 189-218.
