Introduction
The governments’ institutions and system of practices that are directed at safeguarding social control, sanctioning those individuals who violate the land laws with rehabilitation efforts and criminal penalties, or deterring and mitigating the crime should be capable to address various diversity issues facing them and particularly the cultural diversity issues. The concept of diversity in the criminal justice actually encompasses respect and acceptance.
This means that diversity in criminal justice requires all the society members to understand that everyone is unique and in addition we should be aware of our individual differences (Roleff 2003). Thus, these differences can actually be along the social economic status, gender, ethnicity, race, age, religious beliefs, political beliefs, physical abilities, or other ideologies. In addition, diversity is exploration of the above mentioned differences in a positive, safe, and nurturing environment. On top of this, diversity holds that we should understand each other and move beyond the simple tolerance to both embrace and celebrate diversity rich dimensions as contained within each person.
As mentioned above, cultural diversity is among the diversity issues in criminal justice. Cultural diversity is simply the cultural differences, which exist between the individuals such as, traditions, language, and religious beliefs along with how the society carries itself. In U.S it is inevitable to notice wide variety of cultures, which with years have actually come to share this country with the Americans. Therefore, with the rise of diversity in the United States, comes a wide range of all sorts of issues that face all the sectors, criminal justice being one of them (Hendricks 2011). This research paper is more about the cultural diversity in the United States criminal justice. Therefore, the objective of this assignment is to provide us with a view and good understanding of effects that diversity issues have brought to the criminal justice system.
For that reason, this attitude will negatively affect Sherriff Jones leadership role with his officers. As a leader, Sherriff Jones is expected to create an enabling environment where all officials working under him or those from FBI will feel comfortable hence this will serve to bring the required justice. However, we observe that Sherriff Jones’ force is composed of Caucasian officers and that this sheriff does not do what the American criminal justice system requires (Blaine 2007). Therefore, his way of behaving will present a bad picture to his juniors hence this will undermine justice in the county. This is to say that his officers will follow his behaviors and since they all come from the same descent they will not uphold the issues of diversity as expected by the criminal justice. These officers are expected to work together with the FBI officers who as we are told that they are from diverse cultures. However, since their leader is someone who does not embrace diversity issues, they will also fail to embrace this imperative requirement in criminal justice and as a result it will be difficult for them to comfortably work with the FBI officers.
Apart from affecting his leadership role with his juniors, this will also affect his interaction with a different agency. Sherriff Jones way of behaving will present difficulties to the officers from FBI. As we can see, this agency recognizes the advantages that come with upholding diversity issues in criminal justice from its composition. FBI offices from diverse cultures have come to work with Sherriff jones to serve justice. We expect this sheriff to create an enabling environment for this agency officers but this does not happen because Sherriff Jones is a leader who does not recognize cultural diversity. Therefore, this will make it difficult for this agency to accomplish its task in the county. As a result of this, those who require justice will not easily get it.
The situation at hand requires cooperation and relation between the FBI officers and the county community. However, this will negatively affect this cooperation and relation. From the information given, community policing philosophy does not take place in the county. Sherriff Jones leadership does not recognize this imperative policing that is helps to serve justice. This sheriff lacks the qualities of a good leader since instead of bringing good relationship between the citizens and police, he deteriorates this relationship. The community members already know that the suspected perpetrator in the murder is a serial killer. In addition, the community knows Sherriff Jones as a bad leader who has the tendency to denigrate the minorities. Therefore, this shows that there already exists poor relationship between the community members and the county police under Sherriff Jones. This will negatively affect the cooperation and relation between the FBI and the community.
If the perpetrator flees the area as a result of the continuation of this attitude where Sherriff Jones does not provide the required information to the FBI, it will cause moral problems within Jones’ department. The department under Sherriff Jones is expected to uphold moral standards. This means that it is a requirement for this department to do what is morally upright or what the morals in the community demands (John Jay College of Criminal Justice 2000). By Sherriff jones refusing to provide pertinent information to the FBI and eventually causing the perpetrator to flee the area, there will occur moral problems within the department. The problem will occur because those who are supposed to uphold the moral standards in the community are the ones who will be violating them. These moral problems will affect the officers. It is going to be difficult for these officers to work with the community members because these members of the community will feel betrayed. Therefore, the relationship between officers and community will weaken hence this will make their duties difficult.
References
Roleff, T. L. (2003). Criminal justice. San Diego, Calif: Greenhaven Press
Northern Arizona University. (2009). Investigating difference: Human and cultural relations in criminal justice. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall
Hendricks, J. E., Byers, B., & Warren-Gordon, K. (2011). Multicultural Perspectives in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Springfield: Charles C Thomas.
Blaine, B. E. (2007). Understanding the psychology of diversity. Los Angeles: SAGE
John Jay College of Criminal Justice. (2000). Criminal justice ethics. New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics.
