CJASR3 - Assignment Essays

Assignment 2 Case Study

Lisa Camper is a fairly new hire at the Icuza Juvenile Probation Office. She is 23 years old, single, and just

graduated from college with a 4-year degree. Her duties at the probation office are to work with male

and female youth who have been abused or neglected. She works closely with the parents of the youth

to reunite them with their children, and with the Division of Family and Youth Services to ensure that

the children are well cared for while under the court’s supervision.

Lisa has done well in the 14 months she has been employed by the department. She gets along with

other probation officers and with the detention and family service workers. Her work has been

exemplary in court, and it appears that she has helped several children return home to safer

environments.

Lisa still maintains an active social life outside of the department. As her supervisor, you have heard her

talk about dating, going to the local bars, and socializing with other people employed in the various

criminal justice agencies around town. These activities are not forbidden in the policy and procedure

manual for the Icuza Juvenile Probation Office.

Today, Lisa came into your office. She informed you that there was information you should know about

the father of one of her clients. According to Lisa, she went to a local bar with fellow officers 3 months

ago on a Saturday night. While at the bar, the waitress delivered a drink to her table and stated that it

was from a man at another table. When she looked at the table, she realized it was the father of one of

her clients. She accepted the drink, thanked him, and drank it.

Three weeks later, at the same location, the father of her client approached her, bought her another

drink, and started a conversation. She stated that she enjoyed the conversation while accepting and

drinking the alcoholic beverage. At the end of the night, he asked her for her home phone number. She

gave it to him. Since that time, they have had multiple and lengthy conversations over the phone.

According to her, she has not used her office phone to speak to him unless it was business-oriented. All

phone conversations so far have been on her personal time and phone.

Lisa went on to say that she has gone out to dinner with her client’s father on at least one occasion in

another town. She has feelings for this individual and would like to pursue the relationship. He has asked

her to spend more time with him. She does not believe that her decisions in the child’s case have been

impacted by her relationship with the father, but felt it was important to let her immediate supervisor

know that she was involved intimately with the parent of one of her clients.

Once Lisa was finished, you asked her for the case file and decided to further investigate the

information. Upon review of the case in question, you found that Lisa did not report to the Division of

Family and Youth Services the father’s presence in a bar and around alcohol as required in the court

order. After questioning some of the officers who were present at the bar during the initial contact, you

were told that at least two of the officers advised Lisa that they felt that accepting a drink from a client

or a client’s family member was inappropriate. The officers also reported that they felt uncomfortable

with Lisa’s behavior and were unsure about how to approach the situation. Currently, the officers feel

uncertainty about what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable behavior according to the policy and

procedure manual.

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Criminal Justice as an Open System

Criminal justice system organizations operate within a larger environment comprised of:

Funding opportunities

Technological advancements

Cultural and demographic characteristics

Legal decisions

Unions and union negotiations

Political decisions

U.S. Supreme Court (not addressed here)

Media (not addressed here)

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #1: Funding

Defined: different methods of financially supporting criminal justice organizations and operations

Funding challenges in political environments

How do agencies comply with new mandates and enforce new laws without additional funding?

Example: Some states require police departments to keep accurate records on the race, age, and ethnicity of all drivers stopped for traffic infractions. The new mandate is not necessarily accompanied by new funds.

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #1: Funding

Additional Challenges

Funding/resources are limited

Agencies develop budgets but are not always fully funded

Agencies compete with one another for monies

Example: as crime increases, police departments and probation offices might both argue that they are in the best position to address the problem; they are tackling the same problem but are also competing for the same funds

Territorial jealousy: stifles innovation, coordination, and information sharing

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #1: Funding

Sources

Government grants

Research: does D.A.R.E work?

Demonstration: is it feasible to adopt D.A.R.E.?

Project: let’s adopt D.A.R.E.?

Formula: money allocated based on certain measures (e.g., crime rates)

Block: federal money, redistributed by states

Foundations

Non-profit: Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation

Corporate: Walmart, JCPenney

Private individuals

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #2: Technology

Public expects technologies to aid in detection and prevention of crime

Examples

911 system

Electronic monitoring devices

Less than lethal weapons

In-car video cameras

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #2: Technology

Challenges

Employing well-trained workers capable of using technology

Technical know-how

Procedures and laws related to new technology

Must overcome organizational inertia

Cost

Equipment

Training

Creation of new crime types

Internet crimes

Identity theft

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #3: Culture and Demographics

Demographics: population characteristics

Age

Race

Gender

Socioeconomic status

These can affect system operations

Example 1: Age distribution of population determines size of at-risk population

Example 2: Some have suggested that decline in homicides during 1990s is due, in part, to the decline in marriage rates

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #3: Culture and Demographics

Culture

“Society’s shared attitudes, values, purposes, and routines” (p. 113)

Problems

Culture conflicts: two groups hold different cultural beliefs that disagree with one another

Example: Gambling tolerated by some and frowned upon by others

Culture gaps: political and legal approaches are not in line with the dominant cultural beliefs of citizens

Example: A shift in dealing with drug offenders may be underway; politicians are largely punitive but some citizens view the problem from a medical standpoint

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #4: Legal pressures

The law is a powerful force

Defines what behaviors are criminal

Defines relationships among parties

Restricts the behavior of criminal justice actors

Types of law

Common law: based on traditions

Statutory law: defines crimes and prescribes punishments

Procedural law: regulates how offenders are processed

Case law: influence operations and policies

Civil law: address private wrongs

Administrative law: used by governments to control agency actions

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #5: Unions

“Groups of employees that decide to bargain collectively through majority vote for improvements in their jobs such as increases in wages, benefits, and better working conditions” (p. 123)

General procedures

Develop contract through negotiations with management binding management and labor

Covers defined period

Addresses issues such as due process, pay and benefits, grievance procedures, work hours, etc.

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #5: Unions

Criticisms

Reduce the authority of the agency leader

Example: Some contracts require chiefs/commissioners to consult with union before making policy decisions

Indicate bad management practices

If employees were well-treated, would there be a need for a union?

Lack accountability

May get a say in policy but are not elected or appointed (accountable to others) like agency leaders

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Influence #5: Politics

Elected/appointed status of many officials (e.g., sheriffs, judges, prosecutors, police chiefs)

Must assure election/re-election

Legislation

New laws shape behavior of system actors; get tough legislation

Budgetary decisions made by legislatures

Funds affect programming

Pressures by special interest groups

MADD, victim advocate groups, etc.

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 4: Environmental Influences

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Organizational Conflict

Conflict is natural in many organizations and not always bad

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Conflict is Positive
Conflict is Negative

Allows for different opinions to be recognized

Affects organizational performance

Promotes innovation in problem solving

Contributes to miscommunication

Expands the worldview of workers

Reduces trust between workers

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Pondy’s Organizational Conflict Model

Stage 1: Latent Conflict: conditions are present

Stage 2: Perceived Conflict: one party to conflict recognizes conflict

Stage 3: Felt Conflict: parties to conflict begin to feel tension or other emotions

Stage 4: Manifest Conflict: conflict is translated into various behaviors

Stage 5: Conflict Aftermath: the resolution of the conflict (it may still linger)

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

What Causes Conflict?

Personality defect theory (people-focused conflicts)

Some people are inherently trouble makers who cause conflict

Only explains a small amount of all conflicts

Frustrations from work environment (tend to be issue-focused conflicts)

Personal differences

Incomplete or inaccurate information

Task and team interdependence

Goal incompatibility

Scarcity of resources

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Work Environment Sources of Conflict

Personal differences

People see the world differently due to varied experiences, training, etc.

Example: one law enforcement officer has a law enforcement orientation while another has a service orientation

Incomplete or inaccurate information

Information gap

Example: police officer does not attend community meetings due to lack of awareness of what community policing actually is

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Work Environment Sources of Conflict (cont’d)

Task and team interdependence

Resources are shared

Output of one task becomes input for another

Example: prosecutors decide not to charge low-level offenders arrested by police (output of police is input for prosecutor)

Goal incompatibility

Goals of one group conflict with goals of another

Example: victim-witness counselor wants to protect witness from painful emotions of testifying but prosecutor needs testimony for conviction

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Work Environment Sources of Conflict (cont’d)

Scarcity of resources

Resource allocation, when such resources are limited, often generates conflict

Example: patrol officers are upset that money is used to upgrade computers for detectives rather than equipment for patrol cars

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Conflict Management Strategies
Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues
Low High
Assertiveness (own needs)
Low High
Cooperativeness (other’s needs)

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Conflict Management Strategies: Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys

Avoiding

Prosecutor might simply not do his/her job; apathetic

Competing

Prosecutor would work to secure a conviction and the sentence he/she envisions for defendant

Accommodating

Prosecutor might dismiss some or all charges at request of defense attorney

Compromising

Prosecutor still wins but does not get full sentence for defendant or conviction on all charges; defense attorney does not get acquittal but gets client a deal (plea bargaining)

Collaborating

Is there an option where both the defense attorney/defendant and prosecutor have their goals FULLY satisfied?

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Promoting Collaboration

Focus on bigger goals

Rather than argue over who gets credit for the arrest, focus on the larger goal of public safety

Improve communications

Share information to prevent miscommunication

Develop negotiating skills of employees

Helps avoid non-collaborating conflict management strategies such as competition

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

What is power?

“Ability of an individual or a group to influence the behavior or action of another individual or group to do something they would not have done otherwise” (pg. 140)

Power can be exercised upward, downward, or horizontally

In other words, it is not just about superiors controlling subordinates

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

What is Personal Power?

Power is derived from an individual’s personal characteristics

Sources

Expertise

A defense attorney’s knowledge and abilities allows her to convince a client to accept a plea offer

Personal attraction

A charismatic SWAT team leader has the attention of his subordinates

Personal effort

A warden is able to control subordinates due to her tendency to walk the prison corridors and assist staff

Legitimacy

The police chief’s emphasis on aggressive law enforcement is easily accepted by officers since it fits in with the police subculture

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

What is Position Power?

Power derived from the position one is holding in an organization

Sources

Formal position

A correctional officer has power over inmates simply by virtue of his position

Discretion

A precinct commander is able to use her judgment on how to deploy resources without consulting the commissioner

Centrality

A correctional sergeant holds great power because of her central location in the communication networks and vertical hierarchy

Relevance

A department’s grant officer obtains additional power in times of budgetary crisis

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

How Can a Worker Increase Their Power?

Dependency

An individual or unit has power if others are dependent upon it

Example: A crime lab has some degree of power over a police department due to dependencies

Control of resources

Those who control flow of resources have power

Example: County government officials have power over the local sheriff’s department since it funds the department’s operations

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

How Can a Worker Increase Their Power? (cont’d)

Centrality

The importance of the activity performed

Example: A police union gains leverage by having officers systematically call out of work sick

Nonsubstitutability

The task cannot be performed by others

Example: The analytical/statistical skills of a crime analyst are not easily replaced by someone else in the police department

Reduce uncertainties

Help department predict and cope with future challenges

Example: strategic planning unit is essential for an agency to see long term trends

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Decision-Making

Employees of the criminal justice system exercise their judgment/discretion on a regular basis

How do we encourage ethical decision making?

Right v. wrong

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Personal Ethics

Everyone has some set of beliefs and values framework that guides their decision making

Two perspectives

Ethical absolutism: moral code is unchanging and the same for all people at all times

Ethical relativism: moral code varies from person to person and from place to place

Implications

If ethical relativism is supported, personal attitudes and values are paramount

Some research suggests that police officers start with an orientation of ethical absolutism and then change to one of ethical relativism

Administration and Management in Criminal Justice
Chapter 5: Conflict, Power, and Ethical Issues

Promoting Ethical Decision-Making

Focus on the organizational culture

Code of ethics identifying values and standards of organization

Modeling

Supervisors must model appropriate conduct for subordinates

Set reasonable goals

Encourage workers to achieve rather than engage in misconduct to achieve goals

Use external individuals and groups

Whistle blowing