Criminal Justice Organizations - Essay Example

Leadership Challenges in Criminal Justice al Affiliation Leadership Challenges in Criminal Justice Criminal justice organizations include courts, police stations, courts, and correction institutions. All of these organizations play a significant role in correcting antisocial and illegal behaviors. Leaders of such institutions face a variety of challenges especially in the current world. The challenges range from skyrocketing criminal activities, budgeting, staffing, political-legal, power and conflicts, terrorism, ethical and moral issues, and communication (In Parry & In Richardson, 2013). They threaten to render the organizations useless, and if not solved, they may have an adverse effect on a country, region, and even the world. Every facet of life such as the economy, social gatherings, political ambitions, and government activities depends upon improved security to flourish. Leaders thus need immediate solutions for a better future in the criminal justice institutions. Solving one challenge may help solve a few others, given the nature of their inter-relationships. Criminal activities have been rising in most countries. Criminal activities have increased mainly due to the ever increasing population exert pressure on the available resources, leading to situations like unemployment and lack of social amenities. The situation has been worsened by most countries failing to employ enough police officers and establish adequate criminal institutions to serve the increasing population. Lack of enough and modern equipments has also hindered the fight against illegal activities. More agents and equipments need to be trained and brought. Additionally, the world needs more community programs aimed at encouraging good conducts in the society. The recommendations bring another challenge- budgeting. The shortages in budgets are one of the reasons there are small staffing, community programs, and equipments. Leaders in criminal justice and private security organizations also have to deal with politico-legal, conflict and power issues. Politically, officers such as judges and prosecutors may be changed in the process of elections and appointments. Changing leaderships may slow down the administration of justice and other activities, as the new officers have to catch up with the activities. The changes in policies, laws, and procedures may require organizations to take a considerable amount of time and resources in implementing the changes. When it comes to conflicts and power, several people, or agencies may fail to understand each other in the process of carrying out their duties. For instance, a police may arrest a person or seize property but fail to make charges against the accused due to favoritism by judges or being unaware of some constitutional stipulations. The conflicts between courts and police bodies may hinder the administration of justice while resources become wasted. A communication barrier is another significant challenge that gives the leaders a headache (In Parry & In Richardson, 2013). Individual communication barriers may cause wrong interpretation of messages. Organizational barriers to communication mainly include the corporate culture. Rigidity in the hierarchical order of command coupled with official jargons in the criminal justice and private security institutions bars smooth flow of information and orders inside and outside the organization. Criminal justice and security professionals may also have difficulties in communicating with the public. The increase in population, free movement of races, and intertwining of cultures and languages only makes the matter worse. Issues that pertain to ethical and moral issues are confronting today’s leadership in criminal justice organizations. Ethics is a vehicle through which humans use moral reasoning in making choices in an uncertain moral situation. The fact that morals and ethics vary with societies poses a challenge in administering uniform justice or rehabilitation. Consequently, criminal justice and security officers may find themselves in a moral dilemma in carrying out their constitutional duties. The professionals hence face a challenge of having to incorporate and pass into law most ethical and moral standards that guide duties of officers. Ethics is needed to reduce power abuse by ensuring that decision- making process is legal. The issue of domestic terrorism cannot be ignored, as more and more terrorist groups want to gain influence and foster their agenda. It affects every role in all criminal justice and private security organizations. It is important to note that terrorist groups are mostly financial stable and have significant connections with people in security systems, political arenas, and other affluent people. The people in the security systems inform them of police activities and may even give them security and firearms in their illegal activities. The terrorist groups can also access money from politicians in exchange for support, protection, drugs, and stolen property. As a result, terrorism is a very complex challenge facing leaders in security institutions. A criminal justice or security professional hence needs to take several steps to affect change for the future of their organizations. Professionals should reduce opportunities for crime and alter people’s fundamental values (In Parry & In Richardson, 2013). The agencies must collaborate with communities in instilling good values in children and youths. They should increase public awareness of criminal activities by educating the people about the importance reporting criminal suspects and shunning away from crime. Intelligence databases for use by the police officers, public, and analysts must be improved. Another step is to embrace advanced technology and scientific investigations in DNA analysis, surveillance, forensic testing, biometrics, spotlight cameras, and microchips. A good example is access to information pertaining tom inmates and registries for sex offenders. There is also need to address the communication barriers, staffing, and terrorism. Communications can be improved by enhancing information sharing between leaders and FBI. The leaders should initiate increased access to the FBI Law Enforcement Online system and the regional information systems (In Parry & In Richardson, 2013). The combination and coordination of the security bodies will enhance networking and sharing of information concerning different law enforcements. A secure network that allows quick flow of information will remove barriers between organizations and security agencies. Governments and criminal justice leaders should liaise to identify and fill the gaps in staffing by hiring more security professionals and providing necessary training. The training should involve ethical and cultural elements, laws, equipments, and communication skills. When it comes to combating terrorism, intelligence services should be beefed up in identifying relationships between terrorists and other crimes such as drug trafficking, cybercrime and identity theft. Countries should corporate in fighting terrorism as it affects every nation. Leaders in criminal justice and private security organizations encounter a variety of challenges that threaten to hinder the efficiency of the organizations. They range from communication barriers, power and conflicts, staffing, terrorism, ethical issues, budgeting, and politico-legal challenges. The leaders need to solve these problems to affect future changes. They need to create collaboration between each other, with the FBI, and with other countries. The public should be involved in the fight against criminal activities. The government needs to funnel more money in these institutions to boost staffing, acquisition of modern equipments, and other areas. Fishing out terrorism and criminal activities must also intelligence services to identify the suspects and their connections in governments, security ranks, homes, and other places. References In Parry, J. T., & In Richardson, L. S. (2013). The future of criminal justice (2nd ed.). New York: Prenticehall. Read More