Introduction
The discipline of Criminal Justice (CJ) remains dynamic and fast-changing, making CJ leadership an uphill task. CJ leaders must regularly revisit existing policies and procedures to stay relevant and effective (Ouziel, 2020). The rise of globalization, terrorism, cultural changes and an increase in internet connectivity globally have greatly affected CJ operations. This paper highlights some of the current issues facing criminal justice leadership. The report presents some of the historical effective CJ leaders and how they dealt with similar issues. The paper also describes various leadership theories and their Application in criminal justice.
Discussion
Current Issues in Criminal Justice Leadership and Effective Historical Criminal Justice Leaders
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Terrorism
The current landscape of prevalent terrorism activities is alarming. The cases of terrorism such as the 9/11 attacks, attacks in Madrid, Bali, and London, to mention a few, depict a trend of new forms of attack that threaten the security and safety of nations, (Shelden & Vasiliev, 2017). Today, countries with no prior experience of acts of terrorism, such as Australia, suffer in almost equal measures as nations that experience sporadic terrorist attacks such as the United States (U.S). Today, many terrorist groups and individuals are planning and executing symbolic, signal, and spectacular crimes of terror. CJ leaders face issues such as the repetitiveness of terrorist acts in random locations and difficulty in determining the scale of the threats. Therefore, efforts of preventing terrorism have become a significant challenge for governments through their security and police organizations. Secondary problems arise from the increase of movements of refugees' influx (due to political unrest, poverty, and climate changes). They pose a national security risk in the countries that host them.
A significant historical CJ leader against terrorism is General Pervez Musharraf. He abandoned his alliance with a Taliban, a terrorist group after the 9/11 attacks (Ouziel, 2020). During his tenure as president, several entities thought of General Pervez Musharraf as critical in helping the U.S's policy in fighting terrorism. Musharraf also fought against the Taliban and aligned Pakistan with international coalition in fighting against Al-Qaida terrorist organization as well as the Taliban.
High Incarceration Rates
The rate of incarceration globally is alarming. In the U.S alone, data indicates over 2 million crime-related arrests, and over 7 million cases under supervision (Shelden & Vasiliev, 2017). The impact of this increase adversely affects both the criminals and the members of the communities where the crimes take place. Moreover, governments have to spend millions and billions annually in correctional efforts, which weighs heavily on their economies. The CJ leaders have the task of try to uncover the causes of this trend and decipher ways of changing the patterns.
Alexis de Tocqueville, as a CJ leader, made some efforts to address incarceration rates. He studied the prisons and penitentiaries of the U.S in 1831, intending to come up with ways of administering human and proportional punishment, (Shelden & Vasiliev, 2017). Tocqueville made clear his criticism of the U.S for her commitment to slavery at that time. He highlighted high U.S incarceration rates at the time, which were higher than Italy (8 times higher), United Kingdom (15 times higher), and Germany (9 times higher. His model on various solutions to crime helped to shape the CJ system of the time, and some of it still influences today's CJ system. He proposes that nations should not use prisons as a one-size-fits-all solution to crime to reduce incarceration.
The Three-Strikes Law
The increase in the Application of the three-strikes law presents a new challenge for the CJ managers. The decline in recidivism with an increase in age and the failure of mandatory sentences in considering repeat offenses demands CJ managers must search for alternative paradigms of sentencing and prevention. Challenges in using the three strikes successfully are beginning to display the need for customization in the Application of the legislation (Northouse, 2018).
Kevin Gardner, the leader of the CJ department in California, leads efforts to apply the law in the state. The state has the highest number of prisoners, among the U.S states, as a result of implementing the three-strikes law. Other U.S states have not implemented the three strikes law, such as Wyoming, Nebraska, and Ohio (Ouziel, 2020). The implementation of the three-strikes law leads to a high incarceration rate and high numbers of elderly prisoners.
Drug Abuse and Crime Cycle
There is an increasing number of drug-offender population. Research indicates that a whopping 50-80% of the males arrested often test positive for drugs (Hassan et al., 2019). The high number of drug offenders has fueled an increase in the vicious cycles of drug use and criminal activities. Today, CJ leaders how to resolve the puzzle of evaluating the impacts of this trend. The leaders need to determine whether decriminalizing a drug could make it less problematic or whether it would only lead to fewer arrests without solving the problems at hand.
Eduardo' N' 32 is an example of a criminal justice leader. He was the police officer who arrested the son of El Chapo (a drug lord), (Ouziel, 2020). Even though he was later shot and died, he demonstrates the efforts made to fight against drug abuse and the crime cycle.
The Dilemma of Juvenile Offenders
Today, there are several programs for juvenile offenders. For instance, police-led diversion programs and school-based or community-based programs set out to enhance youth-police relationships. However, there are still a substantial number of juvenile delinquency cases. The CJ leaders today grapple with the decision on whether it's about making significant arrests or misdemeanors (Hassan et al., 2019). The question begs of whether the focus should be on community safety or restorative justice and the possibility of the two being mutually exclusive. There are other concerns of related problem behaviors of juvenile offenders, coupled with the need for the CJ system to have early prevention and intervention measures.
Jerome Miller, a revolutionary justice, was an effective criminal justice leader. In his day in the 1970s made an overhaul to the reformatories for juvenile delinquents (Shelden & Vasiliev, 2017). He led to the closure of 7 training schools in which the juveniles had been incarcerated in despicable conditions. Such conditions included being gagged, bound with ropes, stripping of clothing, drinking from toilets, being strapped on beds, beatings on soles, and kneeling on pencils, among others. He shut down all the Massachusetts reformatories and moved about 1000 young people to group homes, foster care, and community-based accommodations.
Leadership theories and Application to criminal justice
The types of leaders and leadership styles greatly influence the performance and survival of organizations. Leaders in the criminal justice system influence the human condition, equality & justice, and actualization of standards of ethical conduct (Northouse, 2018).
Trait Theory
The trait theory promotes the notion that one is either a leader or a non-leader determined by the innate/natural personalities and characteristics one has since birth. Application of the trait theory in criminal justice is evident in policing, in the allocation or promotion of the persons into leadership positions, (Hassan et al., 2019). For instance, in seeking someone to promote the role of a police chief, the recruiters would look for a respectable personality and capacity to institute real change and selflessness of the individual to their juniors or employees. The trait theory is applied to help in enlisting the best natural leaders for efficiency.
Transactional leadership Theory
The theory dictates that managers reward employees (giving them things they want) in exchange for something the leader wants. Mostly, the employees lack self-motivation, receive instructions, be under constant monitoring, and have a structure to deliver results. In criminal justice, transactional leadership theory is evident in CJ leaders using a reward-based system to motivate subordinates (Northouse, 2018). The aides receive punishments or rewards based on their performance and adherence to rules. The subordinate officers conform to standards and the leader's vision by anticipation for positive reinforcement if they do well versus the fear of discipline for poor performance.
Transformational leadership theory
Transformational CJ leaders focus on inspiring, empowering, and motivating their team members. In criminal justice, the theory is applicable when seeks to get the people they lead to committing to a shared vision and goals of the institution. The CJ leader using transformational leadership has an open-door communication policy and is keen to listen to creative ideas and team members. It is crucial for CJ leaders involved in covert operations to apply this theory. The leaders consider the team members' unique skills, needs, and motivations (Northouse, 2018).
Conclusion
The paper addressed some of the current issues in CJ leadership that include: terrorism, the dilemma of juvenile offenders, drug abuse and crime cycle, high incarceration rates, and the three-strike legislation. Several historical effective criminal justice leaders experienced similar issues and responded to them, for example, Jerome Miller, Eduardo' N' 32, Kevin Gardner, Alexis de Tocqueville, and General Pervez Musharraf. The leadership theories, such as the trait theory, transactional leadership theory, and transformational leadership theory, can be applied in CJ leadership and aid in solving some of the current issues. The dynamic landscape of CJ leadership is real, and it behooves all CJ leaders to proactively engage in strategic thinking, ethical actions, and local communication to develop comprehensive solutions to terrorism, crime, and other present-day CJ challenges.
References
Hassan, S., Park, J., & Raadschelders, J. C. (2019). Taking a Closer Look at the Empowerment‐Performance Relationship: Evidence from Law Enforcement Organizations. Public Administration Review, 79(3) , 427-438.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Ouziel, L. M. (2020). Democracy, Bureaucracy, and Criminal Justice Reform. BCL, Rev., 61 , 523.
Shelden, R. G., & Vasiliev, P. V. (2017). Controlling the dangerous classes: A history of criminal justice in America. Waveland Press.
