And even though some of the interactions that took place between the different branches of the criminal justice system were not always pleasant, Deanna enjoyed her work. Her job allowed for new experiences everyday, experiences that she was able to take away from. She was able to directly interact with individuals on probation allowing them to see the road they have taken to get them where they are today. She was able to help them not only see this, but help them change their own course of action, help them turn around and step onto a better path. This work has brought a sense of fulfillment to her life and allowed her to expand her mindset on many issues with probation that have since improved. Nonetheless, there were challenges she faced …show more content…
For law enforcement, this sometimes included disrespectful officers who did not have the same outlook on the individuals committing the crimes as the probation officers. They didn't see them as individuals, as humans, rather they sometimes saw them as trash that needed to be taken out. In terms of the courts, the interactions between the judges and probation officers could sometime become strained. Judges would have different views and different approaches to the job. The opinions and politics of the judges were prevalent in any case. These opinions and politics would sometimes prove to be detrimental, especially when they would differ from that of the probation officer in terms of implementing programs. Furthermore, to add to the challenges, the system is bureaucratic and hence slow to change. To demonstrate just how slow the system could be, Deanna described a case where it took 7 years for the courts to approve changing the scrubs that the girls wore in juvenile detention from white to navy blue. It is these politics that eventually prompted Deanna to leave the …show more content…
As a result of this interview, I have a different perspective on the corrections branch of the criminal justice system. The corrections branch is not just tasked with keeping criminals in line or in jail, but also with aiding people in reform and improvement of the self. Likewise, I previously had zero to very little understanding of what a probation officer does, not just on a daily basis, but on a general level. Now, I am aware of the general and the nitty-gritty, the pleasant and unpleasant tasks integrated in this line of work. I learned that every branch of the criminal justice system has more to it than meets the eye or that can be taught in a classroom. It takes real life experiences, or even just in this case, an interview to recognize how complicated the system and how interconnected the branches truly are. I also learned that even though the criminal justice system is one entity, there are differing opinions and goals depending on the field of work or branch of the system. These differing opinions can cause heads to clash and sometimes those more powerful will exert their dominance and suppress potentially helpful programs. Lastly, I learned that the criminal justice system has a long road ahead of itself, a long road of improvement, a long road to not only benefit the community as a whole, but individuals in need of a second chance. The system has already come a long way, but as with
I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Caleb Justice; a corrections officer from the Federal correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Indiana. Caleb is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served four years on active duty as a machine gunner. During his four years he deployed on a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) as well as to Nowzad and Musa Qala Afghanistan. After serving honorably Caleb decided to take his skill set to the civilian sector and began seeking employment in the Criminal Justice System.
Parole is a controversial issue because its vase ways to debate the challenges and problems that will exist. It’s like a side effect to medication based on one’s effectiveness belief. In like manner, the public media allows others who aren’t immediately effected to become tertiary, and secondary victims. It is the door to open opinions. An inmate is released from a sentence given parole and then assigned a parole and probation officer. The one thing that will make probation and parole successful is the supervision of the program and rehabilitation or residential treatment center. This will support the goal to maximize the good behavior and minimize the harmful behaviors of individuals. Probation is a good program because it’s a form of rehabilitation that gives inmates elevate space to obey rules and regulations. On the contrary, probation is risky just like any new diet plan that people use to
The offender must meet with the probation officers in the schedule dates. In case the offenders is not doing what she/he are suppose to do their probation could be revoked which means that most likely they would go back to jail. Probation officers are in charge of different offenders with different criminal offenses. Probation officers have a big caseload. Probation officers main goal is for offenders to rehabilitate and built better lives that doesn't involve criminal activity. A probation officer duty is to main contact with the offender and at least go see him once a month. The probation officer should visit the offender at his house, school, or work. The offenders also have to meet up with the probation officer at the Probation Center. A day in the life of a probation officers varies, they are always risking their life because they meet up with offenders from minor offenses to murder. A probation officer is trying to change the lives of criminals and sometimes it is impossible to help the criminals if they keep choosing
There is some important history he or she should know about the profession. Probation and parole officers have been around for quite some time. They are very important in the society we have today.
Probation was first introduced to the United States in 1841 when a boot-maker by the name of John Augustus attended court to bail out a drunkard. This offender was released to the custody of Mr. Augustus making him the first true probation officer, the offender was told to return to court in three weeks time for sentencing. During the time the offender was in the custody of Mr. Augustus he cleaned up his appearance and demeanor. Mr. Augustus had the belief that abusers of alcohol could be rehabilitated through the use of understanding, kindness, and sustained moral suasion not convictions and jail sentences. His beliefs were based on his affiliation with the Washington Total Abstinence Society, they abstained from alcohol. Augustus was a volunteer probation officer for 18 years. He began the practice of evaluating the prospective probationers paying close attention to whether the candidate would prove to be a successful candidate for probation. Things that were considered in a successful candidate were the character, age, and influences, those influences could be people, places or things.
If I was to become a probation officer, one thing I would want to be is efficient, and successful. There would be several things I would try to focalize my attention on; supervision in communities, and its importance. Probation officers have very complex, and hard job; but if done with the right intentions, and the will to help people you can help change people’s lives.
The career of a correctional officer has always captivated me in a way that is difficult to explain. Even as a child, I recall tuning into shows such as Lockup and Lockdown. In fact, my earliest, most vivid memories consist of me sitting in front of a TV screen with my eyes mesmerized by the hardened criminals visioned on the screen before me. It may seem peculiar, but I’ve always pictured myself inside the prison walls. What’s even more peculiar is that I’ve seldom visioned myself as a correctional officer; in fact, I’ve almost always visioned myself as a prisoner. Given what’s been said, one may ask me why it is that I aspire to be a correctional officer. And the answer to that question is rather simple. I want to be a correctional officer because I thrive for a rush of euphoria to course through my veins. And being a correctional officer will allow an endless supply of euphoria to course through my veins. And with that said, I don’t need to further explain why such a career is what I long for.
All in all, the ideas surrounding the criminal justice system were affirmed by the field practice experience. Many open doors have resulted from the venture into the field of probation. As an advocate and future employee of the criminal justice system the skills and intellect gained from the college of criminal justice at SHSU along with the internship opportunity with the Dallas County Adult Probation Department will serve as a path to a successful career. The talented individuals and extraordinary situations encountered on the journey will not be forgotten.
This first study did not mention exactly how many officers were used in this study but it stated that 39 to 55 percent have experienced work related violence or threats. (ncjrs.gov). Most of the work related stress did not come from the offenders but from the agency itself. There are three major types of stress in the probation world, high caseloads, paper work and lastly but not least deadlines. And as many jobs have it, about 87 percent blame their supervisor for one of the causes of stress. They said the lack of advancement of the job, and recognizing well job done. (ncjrs.gov). As we can see already, each and one of these stress actors is tied to another. Now the question to ask is how these strong and willing full individual deal and cope with their stress. Some said they took extra sick days just for themselves and other by going to church, venting with family, friends or co workers and others by exercising. (ncjrs.gov)
At any given time, a single corrections officer, can expect to be outnumbered by upwards of 400 inmates (Conover, 2011). It can be chilling to work in the midst of hundreds of inmates, some of which initiate attacks and inappropriate relationships. However, other issues have impacted the psychological health and physical safety of the staff. Detrimental factors have included heavy workloads, the prisons physical structure, and a lack of support from both peers and superiors. Each workplace issue has been in addition to role problems, specifically role ambiguity and role conflict (Schaufeli & Peeters, 2011). It is believed that anyone of these undesirable facets of prison should be enough to deter the public from attempting to enter such positions, yet the essay attempts to connect the dysfunctional aspects, expanding on why these prison positions are associated with burnout and frustration. In an attempt to do the profession justice, elements that appear to have encouraged individuals to not only join, but also stay, will be explored.
Correctional ideologies have contributed greatly to the present correctional trends in the United States. With all of the correctional ideologies contributing in some way, some greater than others, the United States corrections has seen many problems. One such problem is the steady increase in incarceration rates. In result, the prison facilities have become overcrowded and hard to manage. As Dawe from New York City’s Department of Corrections said, “We are so understaffed and so overcrowded across our prisons, it’s miraculous that we can handle it,”(New Week Global, 2014). In fact, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, Federally-operated facilities have grown by 41% while correctional workers have only increased by 19% (New Week Global, 2014). The increase in the prison population rates is due to five contributing factors: (1) increased arrests and more likely incarceration, (2) tougher sentencing, (3) prison construction, (4) the war on drugs, and (5) state and local politics.
The United States criminal justice system is an ever-changing system that is based on the opinions and ideas of the public. Many of the policies today were established in direct response to polarizing events and generational shifts in ideology. In order to maintain public safety and punish those who break these laws, law enforcement officers arrest offenders and a judge or a group of the law offender’s peers judge their innocence. If found guilty, these individuals are sentenced for a predetermined amount of time in prison and are eventually, evaluated for early release through probation. While on probation, the individual is reintegrated into their community, with restrict limitations that are established for safety.
It was this effort that identified the problem as failures of the judicial process. These failures included sluggish courts, increased levels of recidivism, and a significant loss of public trust (Ballenstedt, 2008). To solve the problem, the program takes a multifaceted approach to punishment in non-violent cases. Through the program, justices have more options available to them when sentencing such offenses as drug possession, prostitution, or even shoplifting. The concept combines social services with punishment in order to reduce reliance on expensive and ineffective short-term jail sentences for non-violent offenders and boost the community’s confidence in the system (Ballenstedt, 2008).
While the daily duties of a correctional officer can truly be viewed as the proverbial “daily grind”, they often have to perform these prison duties while dealing with stressful and often time’s very dangerous situations. While most of us on the outside world try to make a routine day more enjoyable, routine for the correctional officers within the prison is not a negative thing in the least, as a routine day is very important to the successful operation of a correctional facility. “Routine in a prison environment is the consistent, scheduled, and expected activities that make up the day within a prison” (Seiter, 2011). The grind for correctional officers can include assignments that can be supervising inmates on a working crew or in a housing area to a non-inmate contacting job in a control center or tower. Some of the categories of tasks include working in the living units, work detail supervisors, industrial shop monitor, yard officers, relief officers, perimeter security, and intake. All of
The United States of America contains the third largest population in the world, as well as the world’s largest prison population (Aliprandini and Finley). In order for the large criminal justice system to be successful, it must have a strong parole system. But the U.S. parole system is known to have a multitude of problems within it. Many of these problems can be solved by focusing on the relationships between the parole officers and the parolees (a person on parole). By participating in systems to better the work ethic of parole officers. Following through to fixing these affairs may seem unrealistic, however the outcome would be beneficial to society.