Supervision in the Criminal Justice Field - Essay Example

Criminal Justice System Introduction The criminal justice system is managed and controlled by stakeholders which are a collaborative team which is joining hands to work for the achievement of the goals set by the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system needs to be operated and managed by a team which understands its needs, aims and procedures. The criminal justice system is associated with many groups of people who assess its success and works for a positive change in the system. The criminal justice system may be controlled and supervised by many bodies such as the courts, the representatives of the parole, the correction personnel and the law enforcement agencies. These groups administer and monitor the proceedings of the criminal justice system (Dike, 2012). However, when these groups manage, assist, monitor and supervise the criminal justice system, there are more chances that they will achieve their goals quicker and more efficiently. Thus, if the criminal justice system stakeholders supervise effectively, it is bound to bring a social and ethical impact on the system. Criminal justice system deals with highly unethical people who have violated someone’s rights and thus are in great need to be under rehabilitation facilities and therapies. The social and ethical aspect of these criminals’ lives is very important which is why the goal of the supervision and management committees is to impact these aspects positively and advance the criminal justice system (Kalinich, 2011). Supervision, Leadership and Management in the Criminal Justice System The criminal justice stakeholders may include a number of people who are required to administer the complex system. Good management and supervision in a system is always effective for the ones who carry it out and the ones for whom it is planned. Criminal justice system is one of those systems where supervision is not only difficult but also very important. The criminal justice system deals with the criminals who need proper supervision in accordance to their crimes. Those criminals who are involved in serious crimes such as rape and murder need intense supervision which ensures that they are protected from the other members of the society and that they are provided rehabilitation to improve their social and ethical behaviour (Schroder and Lombardo, 2012). The criminal justice system management takes place by the many people involved in the process of management for betterment. The positions in the criminal justice system are that of police officers, law enforcement agencies, parole officers and other people who work for the management and supervision of the system. The managers of the criminal justice system are recognized by all the other departments such as police department, and they work in association with these departments. The managers and supervisors must have a degree in sociology or in criminal justice system. These managers have to be certified and trained to deal and supervise the criminals as per their record and conviction (Allen, 2009). Successful management techniques have always shown a positive impact both socially and ethically. The managers make sure that the criminals are treated accordingly and justly. There are some rules for the prisoners and the rehabilitation centres which have to be maintained. Managers and supervisors have access to the criminal’s past records, and background information including their family details. These supervisors then supervise the behaviour and social instinct of the criminals throughout the time period of their sentence. Their main aim is to positively impact the social and ethical behaviour of the criminals. Throughout the course of the criminal’s sentence, they are being given different facilities for rehabilitation, chances to interact with one another, work and talk to their parole officers (Shahidullah, 2012). The supervisors thus keep a check on these activities and record how well the criminals are dealing with the situations. They talk to the parole officers and the prison keepers to keep a detailed record of each activity and behaviour that the criminal does. The records of these criminals justify their behavioural change and their chances of entering into the society again. As a result of efficient supervision some criminals are allowed to get a reduction in their sentence because of their good behaviour and positive ethical change. The parole officers who supervise and monitor the criminals send a request to the court to reduce the sentence (May, 2007). A criminal is a psychopath who violates another person’s rights without respecting them or believing in them. The mental condition of a criminal is not the same as that person’s who does not commit crimes. Moreover, any person who spends even a single night in prison feels the torture of what silence, darkness and loneliness is. It had a major impact on the person’s mind and behaviour. It is something that he won’t forget for the rest of his life (Dike, 2012). Under these severe mental conditions, when a criminal knows that there is someone who knows about him and wants to talk to him as a friend he feels good and relaxed. These are parole agents. They let these people talk to them and take out their frustration, and judge them through their behaviour and answers. When a criminal knows that they are being supervised at every step, they stay careful and obedient. Thus, the strict supervision can lead to a great social and ethical impact on the criminal justice system (Kalinich, 2011). Due to the strictness, the criminals tend to be respecting the supervisors and managers present around them. Moreover, they respect the parole agents as well because they take them as friends and talk to them about how they would want their life and their expectations from their future life. Successful supervisors and managers greatly impact the strength of the criminal justice system. The stakeholders and the administrative personnel apply regulations which impact the social and ethical aspect of the criminal justice system. Good supervision and management has an impact on the overall system and its success (Schroder and Lombardo, 2012). The criminal justice system has been varying since the traditional era of the bible, then the Roman Empire and eventually the English common law and modern times. The criminal justice system has seen plenty of changes since the early ages. These changes have been in the concepts, the procedures, the management and the law enforcement. This is evident in the fact that in the early ages, the criminal justice procedure was based on the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’. This is still valid today in accordance to the ‘law of proportionality’. But the only principle of punishment which was applied was deterrence. This made the justice system restricted and dangerous giving no way to rehabilitation or imprisonment. Later, those who were imprisoned were tortured rather than rehabilitated (Allen, 2009). Eventually, the English common law appeared and it made the law more predictable. The courts started considering the concept of mens rea where the intent of the criminal mattered in the court proceeding. Everyone in the society was not acting criminally unlike the past law because no one knew the actual law. Now the individuals knew the laws and the consequences thus they were living accordingly. Criminals would be convicted in court for only the crime they have committed and their sentence would depend on various factors including mens rea, actus reus, the reasonable harm caused, the foresight of the injury and others. Capital punishment would be given in severe circumstances, for all others imprisonment and rehabilitation were now the options. Retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence and incarceration were all present in the modern criminal justice system making room for an open and just system. With the loose system of justice in the past, the criminal justice system supervision and management was also not satisfactory. There were few people who took care of the criminals once they were sent in prison and less rehabilitation facilities were available for them. The supervision of the criminal justice system allowed the managers to keep a record of the criminals serving the sentence, and the time periods when their sentences were going to be over. Supervision was done by the prison keepers and jailers with no extra efforts to reward the criminals doing good or so. The criminal justice system in the past was a simple and straight system where least number of stakeholders was involved in managing and supervising unlike the system of the modern criminal justice (Shahidullah, 2012). Today the criminal justice system comes with plenty of areas to be considered. The stakeholders of the criminal justice system is a collaborative team which comes together to work for the well being of the society. They manage and supervise the dealings of the system to ensure that the criminals are not just sentenced for their crime, but they also learn from it. The supervisors are a group of people who can read the criminal’s mind and make sure that they are no more a threat to the society by the time they complete their sentence. This aspect is very important and it strengthens the modern criminal justice system (May, 2007). Many criminals may convict a crime and serve their sentence, and after being free there are chances that they commit the crime again. However, the modern criminal justice system provides strict regulations for the criminals serving sentences and tries to make them a better citizen who understands the rights of others. The supervisors are usually professionals who are either certified in criminal justice programs and trainings to deal with the criminals or have studied sociology and psychology. This has been a change in the modern criminal justice system because traditionally such certificates and degrees were not required to deal with and understand the criminals. Rehabilitation centres in the modern system have been modified and therapies are given to the criminals to ensure that they are no more a threat to the society. The supervision and management of the system has been improved since the last four decades. There is more emphasis made on the cooperation of the courts, law enforcement agencies and the correctional systems. There is a network which has been created and has proved to be very effective for the criminals who want to commit crimes again and again because they are habitual offenders. There are several techniques that are used for the supervision, management and leadership in the criminal justice system. Many of these techniques have been introduced in the last century. These techniques have proven to be immensely effective but are not still as popular as they should be. The criminal justice system still lacks in many areas to deal with crime and criminals but the efforts are smooth and efficient (Allen, 2009). The parole is known as the provisional release of a prisoner. The prisoner may agree to certain conditions in order to get the release and a parole officer is assigned to him to record his behaviour and actions. A parole officer is a part of the management of the criminal justice system but works differently. A parole officer talks to the criminal as a friend and knows everything about his past. The officer’s aim is to understand the criminal and ensure that he does not commit any crime again. Good responders to the parole are those criminals who are a lesser threat to the society because they understand the moral and ethical aspects of their society, they have a family and they are willing to start their life again. Such offenders are given the chance to reduce their sentence on the recommendation of the parole officer (Kalinich, 2011). Cognitive behavioural therapies and therapeutic community with aftercare are other types of programs carried out for selected offenders to monitor and supervise them. These therapies are different than the parole in many ways since they can take place in a residential community specified for the purpose. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a procedure which takes a psychotherapeutic approach and deals with the dysfunctional emotions and behaviours of a criminal because of which he commits a crime. The therapists involved work with the emotional and behaviour control of the criminals. Some criminals face anxiety and depression because of which they need this therapy and after this they feel relaxed. Criminals under these therapies are supervised and monitored to ensure that their behaviour is changing and they are effectively responding to the therapy (Shahidullah, 2012). Therapeutic community with aftercare is a term given to such a therapy which addresses criminals with drug addiction or personality disorders. This therapy usually includes the criminals and the therapists living together and experiencing practical activities together. In places where this therapy is being used, there are effective results seen. It becomes easier for the therapists to understand and deal with the criminal’s minds and involve them into more positives of life. It has been a satisfactory therapy for many criminals and has provided rehabilitation to them (May, 2007). Rehabilitation is another type of supervision given to the criminals to ensure that they are recovering from their mental state. Rehabilitation facilities are provided to the criminals to engage them in a more pleasant and positive atmosphere where they can understand the actual meaning and understanding of life, society, ethical behaviour and human rights. However, these therapies are supervised by the therapists, parole officers, representatives of the parole, law enforcement agencies, the courts and police officers. These groups of people have divided duties to ensure the strength of the criminal justice system. These people carry out checks on every rehabilitation centre and therapists to monitor the progress of the criminals. They encourage their officers to deal with the criminals in a well-mannered way which would gain their trust and awaken their belief in humanity (Dike, 2012). The leadership techniques also include the ways in which the whole system is managed and monitored. The leader sets the aims, the procedures, and the programs and assigns the officers and therapists for certain offenders. This leader carries out the tasks efficiently to improve the overall system (Allen, 2009). The management of the criminal justice system does not only ensure that the therapists and rehabilitation centres are working properly but also ensures that the criminal procedure is carried out justly and fairly. The manager also keeps a check on the social and ethical impact of the programs and therapies. There are also supervisions provided to the criminals after they are released to ensure that they are operating and living positively in the society. These checks are also the duty of the criminal justice system management (May, 2007). Conclusion Conclusively, the modern criminal justice system has a supervising and managing system which works efficiently to deal with the criminals. This management is necessary not only to supervise the criminals but also to provide a positive change to the whole society. The increasing number of criminal activities has been a threat to the well being of the society and thus, rehabilitation centres and supervision of these criminals lower the risk. The criminal justice system aims for a change in the society and in the individual beings of the criminals. They work to improve the mental stability and actions of the criminals once they complete their sentence to make sure that they do not repeat their offences. Supervision, management and leadership in the criminal justice system make a positive impact on the social and ethical behaviours of the criminals. Overall it gives the society a social and ethical change under which it can operate. References Allen J. (2009). Administration and Management in Criminal Justice: A Service Quality Approach. London: SAGE Dike, D. W. (2012). Changes in the Role of Supervisors in Managerial Leadership Theories: An Historical Perspective. International Journal of Management, 29(3), 189-194 Kalinich D. (2011). Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management. NY: Cengage Learning May D. (2007). Corrections and the Criminal Justice System. NJ: Jones & Bartlett Learning Shahidullah S. (2012). Comparative Criminal Justice Systems. Texas: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Schroder, D., Lombardo, F. (2012). Management & Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel. Lexis-Nexis: Anderson Publishing. Read More