Criminal Justice Training Programs - Thesis Example

Criminal justice training programs are programs aimed at providing the learners with the necessary skills and knowledge required to become effective law enforcers. The need for proper training has been steered by the increasing rates of crime and violence. There are many training programs relating to criminal justice that are offered in different institutions, but their overall goal is to curb acts of crime and violence against humanity and to ensure that justice is granted. The ability of a program to achieve these goals can only be investigated through evaluation. This analyzes the effectiveness and the accountability of a program, and whether it works or not. The following essay will discuss the elements of Municipal Police training program and how it can be evaluated. The program is offered in very many criminal justice institutions and it provides skills in enforcing law in townships, municipalities and cities. The course, which requires around 700 hours to be completed, is quite extensive but has certain modules that are common in all institutions. Recruits start by undertaking legal studies and social sciences, and their relation to the current social, ethical and political affairs. This is followed by a period of technical and physical training under a specialist which ends with an evaluation report about each recruit. The recruits are then upgraded with skills in their line of work like human relations, crisis management, operation of motor vehicles and firearms, among others (Criminal Justice Training Center, 2007-2013). The program requires that the prospective students be physically and psychologically fit. These are proved through a health examination. The applicants should also have a clean criminal background. There are a number of evaluation models and approaches that can be used to analyze the effects of this program. Some of the variables that can be put under consideration is the manner in which the police carry out their daily activities, how they manage crisis, how they handle law breakers and their readiness and preparedness to acts of crime and violence. Behavioral approach is one of them, and this focuses on the objectives, whether they have been achieved or not. The main objectives of the program, as stated earlier are to develop professional skills in handling issues concerning crime and justice. This evaluation can be done by observing the changes in the behavior of the recruits during training, and after training. This information can be obtained from the reports written by the trainers. The work of the recruits can be assessed and their performance compared to the objectives of the program. The same information can also be learnt from the cadets through self reporting questionnaires. The data obtained from the cadets should however not be relied upon since it could biased. Information should also be obtained from other sources such as the supervisors or the workmates (Brick). In contrary to the above behavioral evaluation approach, one may choose to use the goal-free method of evaluation. This approach is result-oriented. It pays attention to the actual outcomes obtained after the training process. This means that the evaluator is not interested in the goals or the objectives of the program. He will not need to conduct a survey from the supervisors, but will make observations on the way the police graduates carry out their operations. The researcher will then conclude that the cadet’s character is an effect of the training program. This approach is able to assess both the positive and the negative effects of the program (Publications, 2004). An example of this is how the cadet relates to people before and after training, like handling of arrested persons. The reaction of the police officer in handling a crisis, together with skills like in First Aid will also reflect on the effect of the training program. Another very important evaluation design is the judicial approach. The approach tries to analyze the effects of the police program by stating its advantages and its disadvantages. It compares the arguments in support of the program and against the program. The evaluation starts with differentiated views about the program, leading to taking of sides by the evaluators, who then collect information to support their argument based on facts. The ruling on who has a better case is made by a board of judges (Publications, 2004). Some of the advantages that may arise after undertaking this program is that, the graduates acquire skills in areas like giving first aid, handling of motor vehicles, handling of firearms, crisis management and knowledge in laws and procedures. Some of the arguments against the program could be that, it can lead to higher rates of crime if the graduates are not employed, or if they are sacked from their jobs. One also cannot predict their emotional reactions when faced with life issues, like when angered or in depression. They may use their firearms in unprofessional way. The most commonly used method of evaluation however the four-level approach is. The method incorporates all the other methods in it, since it focuses on the learning, the behavior, the results and the reactions of the graduates after undergoing the training (Publications, 2004). In order to obtain information about all this, the evaluator must undertake an extensive research. Tests will be required to assess the knowledge obtained in the learning period. Results to the tests can be obtained from the managements of the institutions. These will show how the graduate used to perform and the skills they obtained. Evaluation tests done during the training period will also give a report on the reactions of the graduates, and their responsiveness to instructions and commands. Self reports, reports from the supervisors and those from the general public will help in making inferences about their behavior. This can also be directly observed in the effect they make in enforcing law and maintaining order. Performance will determine whether the cadets were able to transfer what they learnt in the school to the work place. Any observed changes in level or in manner of performance will therefore be important in evaluating the impact of the training program. In order to evaluate the results, one will have to carry out a research and establish the current status of jurisdiction and compare it to the previous levels of crime and violence witnessed in the past. This part will deal with the tangible results that can be observed in terms of increased efficiency, reduced rate of crime and violence, and improved quality of services offered by the municipal police. These four components as described by Kirkpatrick are the best for evaluation since they also assist in planning and in trouble-shooting (Kirkpatrick, 1994). Through the above evaluation models, one can be able to make conclusion on what should be done or not done towards improving the program. References Brick, M. D. (n.d.). Retrieved mar 21, 2013, from An Evaluation of The Florida Criminal Justice. Criminal Justice Training Center. (2007-2013). Retrieved March 21, 2013, from Municipal Police Academy: http://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=43801 Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1994). Evaluating Training Programs. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. . Publications, S. (2004, July 22). Evaluation Models, Approaches and Designs. 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