Limitations Of Leadership In Different Criminal Justice Organizations Essay Sample

- Introduction
- Criminal justice is a wide landscape today compared to what it used to be in the last century. Crimes have escalated and new avenues such as cyber crime have evolved along with the advancements in technology. Moreover, criminal justice and law enforcement incorporate sophisticated and advanced forensic technology to unmask even the most slippery perpetrators.
- Although criminal justice bridges the gap to fight crime, it’s not always successful. There are cases where sex offenders get away with light sentences or early release from prison citing good behavior. A vast majority of them indulge in criminal activities once more. Where is the gap? Who is to blame when a rapist walks free after serving only two years? Is it the lack of instinctive premonition or simply prompted by someone unfit for the job of power?
- Moreover, the debate constantly rages on whether technical know-how is to blame or is it something more serious. Leadership is an area of concern in any organizational structure. The criminal justice system is no different. Is lack of leadership allowing criminals to slip through the gaps? Is it not? This paper unveils potential gaps in the criminal justice leadership arena.
- Essential qualities required for criminal justice organizations
- The qualities mandatory for a leadership role in the criminal justice system are Integrity, ethically Sensitive, zeal to promote justice, innovative visionary, in-depth knowledge of laws and their application in different situations, people skills to manage subordinates, communicate effectively with the public, relating to victims, delivering press releases and reading between the lines when interacting with criminals, quick thinking and decision making skills, financial management skills, physical fitness, ability to resolve conflicts, manage stress effectively, possessing the technical know-how of the job at hand.
- (“Top 10 Qualities of Criminal Justice Professionals” 1)
- Limitations of leadership in criminal justice organizations
- Leadership in criminal justice organizations do not merely depend on seniority or the number of examinations an individual had cleared. It beckons a person’s ability to operate like a corporate manager and yet possess the ability to discern like a law enforcement officer.
- There are a variety of factors that limit the performance of leaders within criminal justice organizations. They range from politics to lack of technological expertise. Moreover the added burdens of shrinking budgets have clearly added to the already ailing systems. The key factors have been discussed briefly in this section.
- Political Interference
- Politics always play a major factor especially during election months of judges or district attorneys. There are a slew of changes bearing significant impact to the criminal justice organizations. These changes don’t allow leaders to realize the results of existing programs. Hence, there is a lot of apprehension on how any new and innovative program would fly; always bearing political influence to destabilize.
- Lack of comprehensive communication between organizations
- Communication and comprehension are almost always found wanting in criminal justice organizations. Their inability to interact and work out difference of opinions effectively cause havoc in the functioning itself. For example, law enforcement would be looking to take an habitual junkie with a thieving habit off the streets whereas, the justice department or the correctional facility might think of community service and rehabilitation.
- Shortcomings in research findings of criminal justice problems
- Research findings are often the source of increasing funding for criminal justice organizations. However, on most occasions, researchers pick topics and set outcomes that benefit them rather than improving ailing units within the criminal justice system. This effectively cripples the institutions’ chance at persuading legislators to increase their struggling budgets.
- Inadequate funding
- Any institution requires adequate funding to sustain existing facilities and personnel. Nevertheless, criminal justice organizations usually find themselves at the wrong side of budget planning. Without adequate funding, several social programs are stopped without notice. The law of any developed nation is framed, keeping in mind, the rehabilitation and reintroducing of prison population to the community. However stopping social programs will have serious implications such as the California correction facility overcrowding problem.
- Inadequate manpower
- Manpower shortage is one of the leading factors that prevent leaders in the country’s criminal justice organizations from accomplishing set goals. Morale spirals down whenever a program is shelved for participants as well as the organizers. This in turn makes a career in criminal justice organizations less than fulfilling and effected the movement of many able administrators. A leader will steer from the helm, however, the absence of experienced supervisors, counselors, forensic experts and investigators will have a telling effect the operations of the organization.
- Officer Safety
- Officer safety is probably the Damocles’ sword that hangs over the head of every leader in the criminal justice organizations. Lack of personnel often results in violence towards officers. Moreover, this is the primary task of any leader in the criminal justice system; keeping their personnel safe.
- Keeping up with high tech felons
- In recent years, the advent of cyber crime has penetrated a variety of illegal operations that were never deemed possible at the turn of the previous century. Furthermore, cyber criminals come up with newer variants of scams, identity thefts, virus attacks, espionage, terrorist recruitment, financial frauds and impersonation. There are two sub factors that haunt law enforcement agencies regularly; Jurisdiction and inability to keep up with the technological upgrades. The lack of keeping up with these high end felons exerts a lot out of our officers, supervisors and their leaders.
- Do the best candidates make the grade? Why not?
- Candidates who are screened for leadership positions in criminal justice organizations have extensive experience in the field of work ranging from fifteen to twenty years. They are highly respected within their organizations and are known for their innovation. Moreover, these candidates are required to clear certain examinations and fitness requirements.
- Although they seem to be the perfect fit for the job, most of them would have never handled finances. Despite expertise in individual contribution subjects or even handling a team of individuals is not the same as running the entire organization that includes various departments and contractors.
- The need of the hour is to engage leadership aspirants in hands-on training process that would enable them to get familiar with the job description. However, inadequate budgeting does not allow effective succession planning in criminal justice organizations.
- (“Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations” 4)
- Are Leadership issues prevalent in criminal justice leadership or are they pertaining to other issues?
- The issues prevalent in criminal justice leadership aren’t actual leadership issues. The lack of funding for training in corporate and financial management for leadership aspirants is the key issue.
- Inter-Department Communication is also an important issue. This requires the system to set up periodic workshops in helping aspirants comprehend the priorities and reasoning of other agencies.
- Prison overcrowding
- According to Richard Kania, Prison overcrowding is a result of poor planning and management of the detention center. This situation occurs when the actual population exceeds the admissible population by 30%. Further, Lancy Rose states that prison overcrowding affects the mental stability, personal hygiene, lack of adequate medical attention, increased suicide risks and increase in spread of contagious diseases to the prison population. This situation also poses a serious risk to all correctional staff. The worst form of this predicament was highlighted in 2011 with the California Correctional System.
- What should a prison warden do when faced with an overcrowded prison?
- The primary task of a prison warden with an overcrowded prison is to classify the inmates into different categories. A sample classification is listed below.
- Once the classification is completed, the warden will next look at the various out of prison walls programs. A sample list is provided below.
- Work Release: Inmates can pursue employment outside the prison walls while placed in a halfway house. Applicable for Class B.
- Drug Rehabilitation: Inmates are allowed to be part of drug rehabilitation and stay at the center or at a halfway house. Applicable for Class B and C.
- Study Release: Inmates can pursue their education outside prison walls and reside in halfway houses. Applicable for Class B, C and D.
- Delancey Street Foundation: This foundation employs convicted felons in its various centers that engage in community service and commercial industry. Inmates can stay at a halfway house or even complete the vocation from the confines of a prison. Applicable for Class A (Confinement), B, C and D.
- Community service: Inmates performing various communities work while housed in halfway houses. Applicable for Class C and D.
- All of the above activities will be monitored by correctional officers. The classification allows correctional staff from segregating inmates for the above programs.
- Apart from this, the warden can consider permanent conditional release or reducing the sentence based on the conviction charge and the inmates’ rehabilitation progress during time served. This clemency should not be extended to Class A. Discharge: Early release of inmates based on progress made during incarceration. Suitable for Class B, C and D inmates who have served 70% of the actual sentence. Furloughs: Temporary discharge from prison for a stipulated period of time. Applicable for Class B and D for inmates who served 30% of the actual sentence.
- Parole: Conditional release of inmates who have to periodically check in with designated parole officers. Suitable for Class B and D.
- At the end of implementing the above plan, the prison population would have considerably reduced and with little or no risk to the community.
- Conclusion
-   This paper outlined the problems faced by the criminal justice organization leaders in running a smooth ship. Although there are avenues for improved training amongst the leadership aspirants and those in office, most of the issues are a result of politics and reduced funding. Moreover, legislators continue to come up with hard hitting laws that hit crime and criminal activity. Little do they realize that shrinking budgets for criminal justice institutions eventually will boomerang the very laws enacted to keep the public safe. (“Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations” 7)
- Works Cited
- Education.org. Top 10 Qualities of Criminal Justice Professionals, 2014. Web. 6 November 2014.
- Kania, Richard R. E., Davis, Richards P “Managing Criminal Justice Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.” Anderson Publishing (2014): 25 – 40. Print.
- Forbes.com. Q&A: The Prison Warden, 2006. Web. 6 November 2014.
- Researchomatic.com. Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations, 2012. Web. 6 November 2014.
- Studymode.com. Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations, 2014. Web. 6 November 2014.