issues in criminal justice PROJECT
Running head: PHASE 4 – GROUP COLLABORATION 0
CCJS 495 – Issues in Criminal Justice
Group 2 – Phase 4
Virtual Police Department –
Office of the District Attorney –
State Correctional Facility –
State Department of Parole –
Virtual Private Security Force –
For over a decade, the Very Bad Bike Club (VBBC) has inflicted crime and terror upon Virtual City and its citizens through a wide range of criminal activities, including violent and drug-related offences. Until this point, the Virtual City Police Department has been solitary in its efforts to target the VBBC and its members. Investigations and arrests have been made, but case dismissals and reduced plea bargains resulted in little impact on the club's workings. Coordinated raids have successfully produced multiple convictions, however, evidence suggests imprisoned VBBC members not only maintain contact with outside members, but are continuing illicit activities from within prison.
The VBBC is now comprised of a network of individuals, both inside and out of Virtual City's Criminal Justice System. A concerted, multi-agency collaboration is required to bring the VBBC to justice, for which the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance has been assembled. To accomplish this, the alliance is focusing on two approaches, (1) the pursuit of the current police investigations and prosecutions, and (2) a strategic plan to work collaboratively to reduce crime in Virtual. Using the influence and resources available to each participating agency, the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is tasked with bringing an end to the illicit activities committed by the VBBC.
The success of the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is dependent upon each collaborative agency working effectively and efficiently. Part of enacting a successful alliance is through understanding the individual responsibilities of each agency in dealing with this problem. The Virtual Police Department, Office of the District Attorney, State Correctional Facility, State Department of Parole and the Virtual Security force must work both within their traditional roles and simultaneously provide inter-alliance support.
The function and purpose of the police department can vary depending on the mission statement however “crime fighting is the hallmark of the law-enforcement style of policing” (The american, n.d., p 3). Though, in general, the purpose of the police department is to fight crime, there are multiple manners in which this can be accomplished depending on the style of the department as well as the jurisdiction.
In the fight for crime reduction and “in maintaining public order, the police use discretion in preventing disorder from occurring” (The american, n.d., p 3). This may include an “emphasis [on] professional policing” (the american, n.d., p 3) and could “[stress] addressing social problems and neighborhood concerns” (The american, n.d., p 3). In many ways, the police agency attempts to both prevent crime and enhance community relations. Traditionally, the police have been the face of the criminal justice system; police agencies patrol communities, arrest individuals, investigate crimes and respond to calls for service. Police have used individual arrests, criminal charges and raids/sweeps, as an attempt at suppression, to combat concerns such as those stemming from the VBBC members.
Being deeply involved in the prosecution of suspected criminals, in addition to maintaining an intimate understanding of the court system, is the primary function of the District Attorney’s Office. A strong prosecution is compulsory, in court, in order to make a solid, winning case. The DA’s Office approaches cases on the basis of evidence provided by the Police Department, and other agency, investigations; regular communication between the DA and Police, then, is vital in evaluating the strength of evidence available, in the pursuit of criminal charges. Prosecution by the DA depends heavily on not only the availability of evidence, but the type of evidence presented. For the DA, evidence in form of facts and figures, often resultant from forensic analysis, is stronger as compared to statements, such as made by witnesses.
Depending on the charges the DA is attempting to prosecute, and the evidence available, there are various court proceedings which a DA may be involved in. In more serious crimes, such as those perpetrated by the VBBC, the DA may present a case before a grand jury. Unlike a trial jury, a grand jury determines when the evidence is sufficient to indict an individual. For these scenarios, the DA prepares a summary file of the case to present to the grand jury, which must justify the application of criminal charges.
Additionally, the DA is responsible for ethically prosecuting cases, as their position is intended to be for the public’s best interest. This includes the responsibility of information an accused of their rights and treating them with fairness (Cole, Smith & DeJong, 2015). The DA is a representative of the state, unlike many other legal aids, and as such they must conduct themselves with propriety and without bias. Overall, the position of the DA is intended to be based on the available evidence; therefore, deep cooperation is needed between the DA and other criminal justice agencies. Though the DA fights crime through the prosecution of criminal offenders, thus far their efforts at convicting members of the VBBC have been limited at best.
The State Correctional Facility manages criminal offenders once they have been sentenced to internal incarceration. The function of the correctional facility is to securely manage these inmates, as they serve their debt to society, in addition to maintaining their welfare and encouraging rehabilitative efforts. The specific day-to-day operations of a correctional facility can vary and “are based on the size and scope of the security program or other operations, including the responsibilities assigned for minimum, medium or maximum-security programs” (State of Oklahoma, 2012, para. 3).
One of the most important jobs of the correctional facility is to ensure the safety and security of inmates and as well as staff members. This involves the use of correctional officers to manage and observe the facility, in addition to numerous security features such as automatic locks and surveillance systems (Correctional Officer, n.d.). Offenders are regularly monitored and often provided with strict scheduling in an effort to maintain order. With the continued increase of VBBC members, inside the correctional facility, there has been a lack of success in terms of rehabilitation and crime reduction. Furthermore, the tense but cooperative relations between VBBC and other gang entities have created further problems when attempting to safely maintain order over inmates.
The department of parole serves “to allow criminals to avoid prison or to be released from prison after serving only portion of their sentences” (Justia, n.d., para. 1). In lieu of using the State Correctional Facility to incarcerate individuals, the Department of Parole is an attempt at community based corrections. The number one goal of this agency is to rehabilitate offenders and to guide them back into society; the community-based corrections system attempts to keep those individuals, who are on probation or parole, from going back to prison. There are “5 million Americans on parole, probation or some other form of correctional supervision” (Walshe, 2012, para. 1).
While community based corrections aim to reduce the prison population, and encourage rehabilitation, not all offenders may utilize this agency. “Parole and probation are intended as alternatives to incarceration for eligible offenders not deemed a threat to public safety, with parole being granted at the end of a stint in prison and probation generally in lieu of one.” (Walshe, 2012, para. 2). This system is used to help rehabilitate those offenders who have been found guilty of a lesser crime, in the hopes that these offenders will be easier and safer to rehabilitate. Though parole and probation are used to lieu of jail/prison time, there are still two ways in which individuals may be sent to prison. This includes committing a new crime and committing a technical violation of their probation terms. Efforts at enforcing both parole and probation have been used with members of the VBBC; however, these individuals have frequently ended up back in prison due to continued criminal activities. Unfortunately, the department of parole has been unable to effectively administer the provisions of parole, hindering both the efforts of rehabilitation and public safety.
The final agency within the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance is private security. Private security, in some ways, serves similar functions to the police department without necessarily the same legal protections or restrictions (Gunter & Kidwell, 2004). Traditionally, private security forces are hired by other agencies or businesses who need assistance with surveillance or safety. Unlike the other agencies within the alliance, however, Virtual Security Force is a for-profit entity. While this can be concerning, in so far as motivation goes, it also allows for private security to maintain more flexible budgeting and resource use (ISSC, 2014). In an effort to tackle VBBC crime, the Virtual Security Force has been assigned to provide support resources to the Virtual Police Department. This assignment is directly in response to the creation of the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance and, as such, Virtual Security Force has had little direct experience with combating members of VBBC nor their criminal behavior.
The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance was formed through multi-disciplinary collaboration efforts between the aforementioned Virtual City justice agencies to determine the most effective means to tackle the challenges of the VBBC. The goal of the alliance was to consider the resources and roles of its respective members, and how those could be best utilized in this endeavor. To that end, inter-agency communications were critical; Each member required an understanding of what their counterparts contributed to capably utilize the interplay between them. While the members of this task force were familiar with how their agencies contributed to the varying influences of the VBBC, an open discourse allowed all agencies to form an efficient and effective strategy.
The alliance quickly recognized that community-oriented policing was a critical element that could reduce the impact of the VBBC in all aspects of the community. By elucidating each agency's role and strategies within, the members of the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance were able to create a comprehensive plan of action that best utilized resources available to each representative. Through productive dialog, the task force was able to both eliminate redundancies, and tailor a plan of action to maximize each department's impact.
After much discussion, The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance has established a collaborative solution to the VBBC problem which involves multi-agency communication, a focus on continual law enforcement techniques and citizen driven rehabilitative efforts. Each agency will continue to serve their primary function; the major changes will come in the way the agencies work together to enhance the use of alliance resources. Combating the continual crime of VBBC members will be comprised of three detailed parts: An increase in street security, a reduction in communication for incarcerated VBBC members, and a heavy focus on preventative and rehabilitative strategies through the formation of agency run community meetings.
The Virtual Police Department, in the past, has worked alone to monitor community safety; the first part of the proposed solution involves increasing the resources put toward surveillance and security efforts. Virtual Police will continue to patrol; however, there will be an increase in footpatrol, especially in areas such as the Virtual Mall and commercial centers which are frequent hangouts of the VBBC. Furthermore, in an effort to assist the police in monitoring VBBC and criminal activities, the Virtual Security Force will contribute both man power and resources to surveillance. This will include adding security patrols as well as the use of surveillance equipment such as cameras. Virtual Security Force is authorized to make arrests and will assist in the areas with the highest incidence of crime.
The second portion of the solution comes from a need to cut both internal and external communications with VBBC inmates. The state correctional facility will strive to identify and separate all VBBC members upon entrance. While the VBBC has made ties with other inmate gangs, the intent of separation is to prevent the continuance of any criminal activity through a reduction in power. Additionally, the state department of parole will increase communications between corrections and police, in an effort to better monitor parolees who are affiliated with the VBBC. The implementation of this portion of the solution will necessitate occasional review by the alliance; both to assess the efficacy and to ensure that the officers involve maintain propriety in conduct.
The final part of the solution works toward preventative and rehabilitative goals with a bi-monthly community meeting; these meetings will be hosted by the Virtual Police, the District Attorney’s office and another agency representative (on a rotating basis) at the local library. The meetings will present relevant community information, such as changes in state laws or the location of rehab facilities, as well as provide an opportunity for the community members to interact directly with law enforcement. There will be a time for concerns to be expressed, by the community, and children will be encouraged to come and participate. Ideally, this portion of the solution will work long term to increase police-community relations; an increase in communication leads to more trust and ultimately can reduce the incidence of VBBC crime.
The Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance, with team members “drawn from different agencies, different branches of government, and perhaps different political parties or beliefs, can function as a true management body, working together on jointly identified goals, addressing problems that affect the entire system, and using the collective wisdom of their varied experiences and perspectives to deliver safety and justice” (McGarry & Ney, 2006, p xix). “Collaborations bring separate organizations into a new structure with full commitment to a common mission. Such relationships require comprehensive planning and well-defined communication channels operating on many levels.” (CJSP, 2004, p 10). With the function and purpose of law enforcement to fight crime, collaborative relationships create an opportunity for increased efficiency, both within and outside the Virtual Criminal Justice Alliance.
References
References
The american criminal justice system an overview. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2017 from https://studysites.sagepub.com/haganintrocrim8e/study/materials/42347_cjsystem.pdf
Cole, G. F., Smith, C. E. & DeJong, C. (2015). The American system of criminal justice: Nelson Education
The Criminal Justice System Project (CJSP). (2004). What does it take to make collaboration work? Lessons learned through the criminal justice system project. NIJ Journal, 251, pp 8-13. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/jr000251c.pdf
Correctional Officer (n.d.). What are the duties of a correctional officer? Retrieved February 24, 2017 from http://www.correctionalofficer.org/faq/correctional-officer-job-description
Gunter, W. & Kidwell, J. (2004). Law enforcement and private security liaison: Partnerships for cooperation. International Foundation for Protection Officers. Retrieved from http://www.ifpo.org/resource-links/articles-and-reports/security-management-and-supervision/law-enforcement-and-private-security-liaison-partnerships-for-cooperation/
Inter State Security Corp (ISSC). (2014). Public policing vs private security. Retrieved from http://www.interstatesecuritycorp.com/private-security-2016/
Justia. (n.d.). Parole & Probation. Retrieved February 24, 2017 from https://www.justia.com/criminal/parole-and-probation/
McGarry, P. & Ney, B. (2006). Getting it right, Collaborative problem solving for criminal justice. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/019834.pdf
State of Oklahoma. (2012). Correctional chief of security, I12. Retrieved February 23, 2017 from Oklahoma: https://www.ok.gov/opm/HR_and_Employee_Services/Job_Family_Descriptors/I000_-_Corrections_&_Custody/I12_-_CORRECTIONAL_CHIEF_OF_SECURITY.html
Walshe, S. (2012, April 26). Probation and parole: a study in criminal justice dysfunction. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/apr/26/probation-parole-study-dysfunction
