Select a topic that will allow them to examine a specific issue in the field of Criminal Justice.
Select a topic that will allow them to examine a specific issue in the field of Criminal Justice. For this week’s discussion students are to post and discuss two to three ideas of current issues and trends in Criminal Justice they feel may be an interesting topic to tackle for this course.
The first topic will be gun violence.
The second topic will be about legalizing marijuana/edibles in the US.
Peer 1
Topic/Problem Statement #1: Enforcing a federal law to mandate the tracking and testing of rape kits will lead to justice and healing for sexual violence survivors, but no state or agency has the necessary resources to test the 100,000 untested rape kits that remain in storage.Rape kits are known to be collected after a sexual assault occurs and the victim reports the crime to the police. It entails a thorough search of the body with samples collected from various parts; the basic evidence looked for is DNA through hair, saliva, and semen. As rapes occur every 68 seconds in the United States, there is a backlog of approximately 100,000 untested rape kits because of the shortage of resources and the lack of testing requirements (Curington, 2021). With such perception that rape cases are not priority, there is an increased threat to public safety as the offenders are free and able to attack someone else, there is a lack in justice as the victim and/or survivor goes unheard, and there is an interruption in the healing process for survivors as they fear and lack trust with others (Quinlan, 2020, p. 226). The way to battle this negative perception is to enforce a federal requirement to test each kit; however, it is understood that the resources of personnel, equipment, and money are not readily available. In the meantime, while agencies submit for grants and earn funding through fundraisers and awareness programs, states should incorporate a proposed solution from the Joyful Heart Foundation, that includes six steps: 1. Conduct an inventory of the current backlogged kits, 2. Mandate testing of those kits, 3. Mandate testing of more recent collections, 4. Develop and maintain a tracking system, 5. Establish an ability for survivors to retrieve updates on the testing of their kits, and 6. Advocate for funding for reform of the current, ineffective system (Curington, 2021). These steps also take resources but utilizing what is available to the fullest potential can decrease the backlog and provide justice for survivors who have waited months or even years for closure.Curington, M. (2021, March 31). The Injustice of America’s Rape Kit Backlog. The Arkansas Journal of Social Change and Public Service. https://ualr.edu/socialchange/2021/03/31/the-injustice-of-americas-rape-kit-backlog/Quinlan, A. (2020). Visions of Public Safety, Justice, and Healing: The Making of the Rape Kit Backlog in the United States. Social & Legal Studies, 29(2), 225–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/0964663919829848Topic/Problem Statement #2: A reform to mandatory minimum sentencing laws may reduce overcrowding in prisons, but it will not deter the occurrence of crime or mitigate concerns of public safety.Prior to the 1980s indeterminate sentencing was used to determine an offender’s ultimate sentence. The judge and parole officers worked together to configure the proportionate amount of time necessary for rehabilitation and then offer parole once they were determined to not be a danger to society. Barkow (2019) provides the example of a judge setting a ranged sentence of 2-5 years with the parole board looking at the possibility of parole after two years have been served (p. 209). As this model was deemed ineffective Congress developed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act (CCCA) of 1984 and included the Sentencing Reform Act that got rid of indeterminate sentencing and parole in favor of enacting the determinate model. This Act further passed mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines that limited the range of punishments for judges to impose on an offender (Barkow, 2019, p. 211). With the drastic change in sentencing outcomes for guilty verdicts, Congress assumed that harsher punishments and longer sentences would deter crime and prevent repeat offenses, but there is not a lot of supporting research that dictates these mandatory sentencing laws have accomplished that goal. Instead, there are negative impacts as prisons are severely overcrowded and there are major concerns to public safety. According to MacDonald (2018) there are over 10 million people incarcerated with 22 national prison systems exceeding their capacity two times and 27 countries operating at 150-200% (p. 65). With harsher and longer sentences being used as a deterrence method, more offenders are being placed behind bars rather than serving their time on probation, suspended sentences, or community service. With the mindset of these laws preventing crime, prisons have become overcrowded, and the concern of public safety has grown as those who are released on parole are deemed more dangerous and prone to violence because they were surrounded by it for many years. A way to try and correct this Act is to reform once again; however, as history has shown crime rates will remain high regardless of sentencing guidelines. The most important aspects to remember is to be fair and give a proportionate sentence for the crime based on evidence and criminal history rather than just the crime itself.Barkow, R.E. (2019). Categorical mistakes: The flawed framework of the “Armed Career Criminal Act” and mandatory minimum sentencing. Harvard Law Review, 133(1), 200–240.MacDonald, M. (2018). Overcrowding and its impact on prison conditions and health. International Journal of Prisoner Health, 14(2), 65-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-04-2018-0014
Peer 2
Issue #1: Police Recruitment and RetentionThesis Statement: Police must find ways to improve recruitment and retention.Topic discussion: I think many people in the world, and specifically the United States, especially police officers, know how much fallout (justifiably) there was following the death of George Floyd. My own agency has experienced record numbers of people leaving the law enforcement field, and I am getting weary of it myself for various reasons. Police recruitment and retention is a problem and departments may need to sell the idea of being a cop these days. After all, why should people bother? What incentive is there to do the job, especially when facing a dangerous anti-cop environment for low pay? Columbia Southern University (2022) cites 75% of responding departments in a 2021 survey had higher difficulties recruiting than in the past; reasons for recruitment challenges have been officers quitting to find other work, the anti-cop environment, weariness from COVID-19, and family members talking people into getting out of law enforcement. Less police may not be such a good thing, but this is certainly an issue which could be explored. Issue #2: Utilizing advancing technologies to enhance law enforcementThesis Statement: Law enforcement agencies should explore the usage of advanced technology.Topic discussion: It is evident to much of the world that drone technology is not going away. In fact, when I lived in the Seattle area, I saw Amazon field testing a drone delivery service they hope to implement in the future. Yes, deliveries via robots. It is coming. Similarly, when I lived in England, many of their cities were wired with cameras to better facilitate police response and catching evidence of crime. Some might say it is an invasion of privacy, but I disagree. Anybody in public is subject to someone seeing them. If the cameras were zooming in on private residences or using infrared thermal imaging to detect certain people, then I would say that is going too far. Some innovative new technologies include handheld scanners, facial recognition tools, gunshot detectors, drones, and vehicle pursuit darts (Columbia Southern University, 2022). This could be an interesting topic to explore.Reference:Columbia Southern University. (2022, February 14). Current issues in law enforcement: What will departments face in 2022? Retrieved July 6, 2022, from https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2022/february/current-issues-in-law-enforcement/
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