4: Criminal Justice Policy
- Page ID
- 44901
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Objectives
After reading this section, students will be able to:
- Examine the relationship between theory, research, and policy.
- Understand the factors involved in creating moral panics.
- Identify the stages involved in creating policy.
- Understand the role of evidence-based practice in policy.
- Reflect on how current events and politics shape policy.
In this section, you will be introduced to policy in the criminal justice system. Policies that can be examined include issues related to juvenile justice, drug legislation, intimate partner violence, prison overcrowding, school safety, new federal immigration laws, terrorism, and national security.
Critical Thinking Questions
- What is a current example of a moral panic?
- How does the media help influence policy?
- If the media has so much influence over policy, how can we ensure fair and just laws and practices?
- Think of a crime problem in your area. What policy would you enact to combat it and how would you evaluate this policy to see if it was working?
- What are some policies you can think of that have changed over time? (eg. Marijuana legalization)?
- 4.1: Importance of Policy in Criminal Justice
- This page highlights the critical role of policy in criminal justice as a tool for social control, addressing issues like juvenile justice and drug legislation, particularly in response to crime surges in the 1960s. It underscores the importance of distinguishing between crime prevention and control and notes the variability of policies from local to federal levels. Additionally, it discusses the challenges posed by fake news and offers guidelines for assessing the credibility of news sources.
- 4.2: The Myth of Moral Panics
- Moral panic has been defined as a situation in which public fears and state interventions greatly exceed the objective threat posed to society by a particular individual or group who is/are claimed to be responsible for creating the threat in the first place. Moral panics arise when distorted mass media campaigns create fear and reinforce previously held or stereotyped beliefs, frequently centered around ethnicity, religion, or social class.
- 4.3: The Stages of Policy Development
- This page details the five stages of U.S. policy development: issue identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. It emphasizes the complexities of addressing issues like juvenile crime and the role of various stakeholders. The implementation stage addresses funding challenges, using the Weed and Seed program as an example.
- 4.4: Importance of Evidence Based Practices
- In the 1980s, Martin Robinson's assertion that offender rehabilitation is ineffective was refuted by emerging research supporting successful crime interventions. Evidence-based practices, defined by the Office of Justice Programs as methods supported by high-quality evaluations, gained prominence. National resources like the What Works Clearinghouse facilitate systematic reviews.
- 4.5: Re-Evaluating Policy
- This page explores the evolution of laws and policies in response to societal changes, particularly focusing on voting rights and the Prohibition era in the U.S. It underscores the importance of continually reassessing laws based on current political climates and research. The page includes a humorous inventory of bizarre state laws, showcasing their arbitrary nature. It concludes with an emphasis on three key perspectives in criminal justice policy: theoretical, political, and practical.