The Criminal Justice system is not just a crime solving entity. It has several other functions besides dealing with criminal activity. The leadership roles within this institution require a variety of skills to conduct daily operations. There are several administrative considerations for any law enforcement or correctional agency. Accuracy in the selection of suitable leadership within these institutions is difficult. For example, in the police department, an officer who makes the most collars in a year might not make detective grade based on number of cases. The reasons can range from poor communication skills to inadequate interpersonal skills. However, to that police officer, the passing over for a promotion might seem unfair. Hence, perception is the key issue when it comes to selecting the suitable candidate.
The statues of the law do not only bind Criminal Justice institutions, they have political influence to deal with. The final authority on budgets remains with politicians and legislature. The leadership to lead a Criminal Justice institution, therefore, requires diplomacy skills, communication skills, employee engagement skills, office management skills, financial accounting skills, and strategic thinking. The principal problem in finding someone with the majority of these skills is highly unlikely. The police academy does not provide management training or office management skills. However, the political leaders will have sufficient experience in these skills and their decision-making will not be understandable by a reputed high-ranking police leader. Disconnects in the management will lead to unnecessary stress and eventually lead to decisions which are not in favor of everyone. For example, instead of forming an auxiliary unit for the correctional institutions and create opportunities for volunteers to help out the overburdened correctional officers, the wardens increase shift hours.
There are lessons to take from the Criminal organization in this respect. They use accountants, financial consultants, investment bankers, and security agencies to meet their managerial requirements. They reserve their criminal leadership for operations only. In addition, they always have someone to replace existing leadership. Using new ideas from lesser criminal elements to meet central goals is what keeps them ahead. Their leadership encourages new talent and ideas. They value political relationships and maintain cordial relationships with the local politicians. The Criminal Justice system, however, is unable to cope up with taking feedback from its own officers. They are unable to recognize real issues due to their inability perceive continual improvement opportunities in every shortcoming. Owning responsibility is a character trait and it will reflect in behavior (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014). The lack of this behavior is a major hurdle in selecting suitable candidates for Criminal Justice leadership roles.
References
Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D., and Klofas, J. (2014). Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management. Cengage Learning. Stamford: CT. Pp. 189-218.
