Crime and Criminal Justice Delivery Has Been a Phenomenal Problem in Years - Research Paper Example

? 15 June Policy Research on Crime: In the lights of Functionalism, Conflict Sociology, and Symbolic Interaction Theories Crime and criminal justice delivery had been a phenomenal problem in years affecting not only a particular country or particular society but every community globally. There had been several studies on crime, criminality and the justice system. The effects of crime had been extensively analyzed and different policies on how to effectively address this issue had been and continuously being done. Crime, according to the study of Quinney (65), is considered to be a phenomenon derived from a dynamic class process and is not inherent in behavior but based on the judgments on the actions and characteristics of others in which such actions violate the values and norms of a certain society or organization. Different literature and academic materials will be gathered and evaluated for this study that will look into their relevance to the subject matter. This paper will examine crime as an issue with relevance to public policy making considering different theories, such as functionalism, conflict sociology, and symbolic interaction. Functionalism is the idea that for a society to survive, it must fulfill certain basic functions which include economic, political and social and that the parts and structures of society is interrelated and in harmony with one another while conflict sociology is based on the premise that society is ever changing in response to social inequality and conflict over resources, interest and values. Unlike previous two theories, symbolic interaction focus on the changes in social processes such as the participation of people in patterns of behavior and their judgments on their own and on other people’s behavior (“Criminology”). Different countries and societies worldwide adopt different polices on crime, its prevention and the criminal justice system. On the study of Goff, Esptein and Reddy on the impact of cross-deputization policy on crime prevention in which the policy enabled the local police officers to handle federal immigration issues and give the responsibility of verifying the citizenship of any civilian as well as taking the actions thereon such as to target undocumented immigrants for deportation. The premise is that undocumented immigrants represents unlawful group and that they significantly contributes to crime as compared with legal immigrants and locals. Results showed that enacting this policy will reduce the perception of residents to the legitimacy of law enforcement and the desire to report crime since they perceived the unfairness of the law enforcement through enactment of a biased policy (250 -252). Another study on the crime policies is evident in the street crime initiative policy that was launched in England and Wales which aimed at reducing robbery and other street crimes rising at that time. This policy was also delivered in other regions than England and Wales. Results showed that the policy is effective in some areas and not so effective in others. Factors affecting the effectiveness of the policy depend on who is delivering the policy and how they view the problem (Smith et al. 984-989). On the same paper, the issue of anti-social behavior and the use of the anti-social behavior orders (ASBOs) as a policy approach to address the issue, that anti-social persons would most like commit crimes or conceptualize it, was tackled. There is an evident difficulty in delivering this policy as it is much diffused and needed a greater involvement among government agencies (994). In general, the two policies relating to crime prevention, suggest that delivery and success of these policies depends on the community it was being implemented, the relationship of the agency to the central authority, and the perspective of the enforcers on the issue. In the study of tough on crime policies in Canada, results showed that there is no need for the implementation of these policies because the crime in the country is in fact declining and that it will not likely reduce crime or better protect the public, instead it entails substantial financial and human cost that could be expended on a more focused intervention towards the issue. It was evident that there is a continued disconnect between policy, practice and public opinion despite efforts to disseminate empirical evidence (Cook and Roesch 222). Relative to the above mentioned policies on crime, in depth analysis using the different theories can be made. On a functionalist point of view, crime is inevitable and necessary for a society such that it can be beneficial as it bring about social change and economic activities such as employment for enforcement officers and psychiatrists, among others. However, to maintain harmony and stability, crime must be on a controlled level as too much crime is unfavorable. On the other hand, conflict to theory of crime suggest that crime is a product of struggle of power and control and the belief that there is unequal opportunities provided to different actors of society in terms of improving their economic status, and living conditions (“Conflict”, “Criminology”, Verzich). Based on the symbolic interaction theory, criminal activity or crimes can be learned through interaction and can be based on comparison with others within the society. However, since it is a learned behavior, interactionists were saying that it can be unlearned given conducive environment and promotion of cooperation and nonviolence (“Criminology”). In the study of cross - deputization policy, results may agree on the concept of conflict theory wherein inequality and power of the ruling class is emphasized by saying that undocumented immigrants are the cause and source of criminal activities in the area. It also suggests that these undocumented immigrants threaten the existence of those in power discounting the fact that maybe they engage in these activities because they were not given equal opportunities to raise their standards of living, become productive and to meaningfully contribute to society. It was also evident that the law is designed to side and benefit one component of a society and pose detrimental effects on the marginalized sector. Also it can be noted that there is an implied imposition on the standards of morality and good behavior as it was suggested by the powerful and those with the law. The separation between the classes is evident such that it there was a delineation between the undocumented immigrants, documented immigrants, locals, and those in connection with the government (“Conflict”). In the case of street crime initiative and anti-social behavior orders, these policies are in line with the symbolic interaction theory in which suggest that criminal behaviors can be learned and unlearned (“Criminology”). This study also suggest that criminals engage in robbery and other street crimes had been involved in groups that did this kind of things and taught them the skills to do so. It can also be inferred from the study that the rise of robbery and street crime coincide with the advent of modern technologies such as iPods and other gadgets (Smith et al). In symbolic interactionist point of view, this activity resulted from comparison with others in terms of material things (iPod and gadgets) which they don’t have thus encourage them to engage in criminal behavior to obtain things. In the case of anti-social behavior, symbolic interaction theory applied in the sense that some time in their development peer influences their behaviors such that it became an important factor in their interpretation of the world and the development of their knowledge such that it shapes their identities and cultural definitions of deviance (Matsueda and Heimer 187). It can also be inferred that aside from the study is also at some point in line with the conflict theory such that the recognition that there is a difference in perspectives of those implementing the policy and the disagreement as to the effectiveness of such policies suggests that there is inequality and struggle on resources, interests and values (“Conflict theory and crime”, n. p.). The study on tough on crime policies in Canada, suggests that it is aligned with the functionalism theory. In this study, the criminal behaviors were not discussed instead, the paper focused on the society as a whole and the impacts of the policies to society. There is recognition that deviant behaviors are part of society and it is inevitable and the problem the paper is trying to address is the concern that the government is being overly concerned with crime and its prevention that is loses its focus on more important things to do. This study, unlike the other studies presented, look at the implications of crime and crime control polices rather than the causes of criminal behaviors and the activity itself. On the perspective of the government, crime is steadily increasing and thus must be addressed accordingly, however, on the perceptive of other people and as suggested by the literatures, crime in the country is generally decreasing (Cook and Roesch, n. p.). This instance in the paper suggests that the government view crime as a threat to stability of the country in which threatens its social order and interventions must be done to maintain it at an acceptable level (Durkheim, n. p.). The notion that the government will not likely reduce crime or better protect the public through these policies, instead it entails substantial financial and human cost that could be expended on a more focused intervention towards the issue suggest that on a functionalist point of view, sentiments laid are sufficiently flexible to take on a new form given proper recognition (Cook and Roesch, n. p.). In summary, crime and criminal justice delivery had been a phenomenal problem through the years and it has been extensively studied to evaluate its impact to society. The social aspect of evaluating these policies was provided by the analysis in which the different studies were viewed in the context of functionalism, conflict and symbolic interaction theories. It can be noted that functionalism refers to the order and cohesion of society while conflict theory emphasize inequality and power in society in reference to the marginalized members and symbolic interaction theory as it was more inclined on giving meanings to human behaviors and its interpretations. The study of cross-deputization policy is analyzed as having in line with the conflict theory such that there is inequality and power of the ruling class is evident through discrimination, the negative aspect of the behavior/situation is being magnified and not considering whether this marginalized people received equal opportunities and representations, also the law is designed to side and benefit only the ruling few, and there is an implied imposition on the standards of morality and good behavior as well as the distinct delineation between classes. On the case of street criminal initiative and anti-social behavior orders, this is in line with the symbolic interaction theory as it suggest that criminal behavior can be learned and unlearned, that this behaviors are being influenced by their environment and through comparison in their standards of living in terms of material things while peer influence shaped their identity and cultural definition of deviance among those with anti-social behavior. Aside from the interaction theory, this study also hinted on the aspect of conflict theory in such a way that differences in interests and values as well as inequality in terms of resources is being recognized. Tough crime policies of Canada on the other hand, suggest that it follows the functionalism theory wherein the focus of the whole study is on the society as a whole and the impacts of these policies in society, there is a recognition that crime and criminal activities are part of society however it must be maintained at a controllable level to maintain stability of society and the implications of sentiment flexibility to give way to proactive interventions. The need to address the issue and how to view the problem is dependent and clearly defined by the policies enacted by different societies or groups and the challenge to provide modern justice systems lies on the process by which mediation and restorative justice had been allowed to be done not discounting the factors that contribute to the balance of the system (Garland 103-104). Besides other underlying factors that contributed to the promotion and advocacy of equality in humanity relative to crime, mass media played a significant role and contributed a great impact on crime and justice policy conceptualization. As media may influence the reality of justice system by ensuring that it won’t go against the poor and limits it bias among the ruling class, it can also criticize the due process and lead the viewing public to poorly evaluate the due process system and at the same time gather support for the crime and justice policies that is in accordance with the law (Surret 181). In this light, we cans say that crime and criminal conduct is a form of social behavior that is influenced by many factors (Warr 3). Works Cited “Conflict theory and crime”. Sparks notes. n.d. Web. 15 June 2013. Cook, Allan N., Roesch, Ronald. “Tough on Crime” Reforms: What Psychology Has to Say About the Recent and Proposed Justice Policy in Canada”. Canadian Psychological Association. 2012. 53(3), 217–225 doi: 10.1037/a0025045. Web. 15 June 2013. “Criminology: Functionalist perspective on crime and deviance”. n.d. Web. 15 June 2013. Durkheim, Emeli.  “On the Normality of Crime,”  in Theories of Society, edited by Talcott Parsons, Edward Shils, Kaspar D. Naegele, and Jesse R. Pitts. New York: Free Press. pp. 872-75. n.d. Web. 15 June 2013. Garland, David. “The culture of control: crime and social order in contemporary society”. University of Chicago Press. Chicago. USA. 2001. Web. 15 June 2013. Goff, Phillip Atiba, Epstein, Liana Marie, and Reddy, Kavita S. “Crossing the line of legitimacy: The impact of cross-deputization policy on crime reporting”. American Psychological Association. Los Angeles California. 19(2), 250-258. doi: 10.1037/a0030123. 2013. Web. 15 June 2013. Matsueda, Ross L., and Heimer, Karen. “A symbolic interactionist theory of role-transitions, role- commitments and delinquency. National Science Foundation”. n.d. Web. 15 June 2013. Quinney, Richard. “Conflict theory of crime”. Reprint. 1957. Web. 15 June 2013. Smith, Martin J., Richards, David, Geddes, Andrew, and Mathers, Helen. “Analysing policy delivery in the united kingdom: the case of street crime and anti-social behavior”. Public Administration Journal. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2010.01892.x. 2010. Web. 15 June 2013. Surette, Ray. “Media: images, realities and Policies”, 4th Ed. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Belmont California. USA. 2007. Web. 15 June 2013. Verzich, N. “Crime Through the Eyes of Functionalism and Conflict Theory”. Yahoo Voices. 2007. Web. 15 June 2013. Warr, Mark. “Companions in crime; the social aspect of criminal conduct”. The Press Syndicate of University of Cambridge. Cambridge United Kingdom. 2002. Web. 15 June 2013. Read More