Criminal Justice Case Study Paper

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The role of criminal justice professionals is to preserve and uphold the Constitution by enforcing laws, protecting citizen’s rights and promoting justice for all. Police officers in the field of duty must be able to discern situations to be able to act in the most appropriate manner as it relates to their job. In this case study, Officer Smith is threatened with being penalized for making a decision he thinks is good community policing, but his Lieutenant feels he violated protocol. Officer Smith responds to a domestic dispute between an intoxicated husband and wife. Normal procedure would be to arrest the husband and put him in jail until the decision is made whether or not to press charges. Instead, Officer Smith decides to intervene and asks the couple questions about if they love each other, and why they are physically assaulting each other. They respond they do love each other, but the alcohol makes them violent towards one another. Officer Smith then recommends counseling for the couple, as an alternative to putting the husband in jail. The couple agrees to …show more content…

Finding a solution to recurring problems by getting people help is a more effective way to deter certain crimes. Our prison system does not help prevent criminals from returning. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 77% of prisoners released in 30 states were arrested for a new crime within 5 years of their release. Officer Smith does a good job of being proactive, but his actions should be praised not punished. It is not the responsibility of each officer to do what Smith did, but our justice system as a whole needs to focus more on being proactive to deter crime. They still have a duty to enforce laws, but they must be able to discern what response will promote the greater good for our society if they are to truly promote and maintain

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