The criminal justice system (CJS) is a combination of the corrections department, law enforcement, and the courts. Under each body are officers who have unique job descriptions. These individuals have to work together to realize the CJS's common goals. As such, the capacity to carry out legal searches differs between the various CJS officers and how they carry out their duties. Interagency communication and partnership is vital as it leads to efficient CJS.
Police officers must have a judge-issued warrant before conducting a search on a property or a person. Judges give warrants where there is reasonable cause, plain-view search or pat-down search with reasonable doubt (Fagin n.d). Probation officers have a right to warrantless searches when they have reasonable suspicion. Prison guards, on the other hand, have the right to conduct searches whenever the individuals have a limited right to privacy (Fagin n.d). Interagency partnership, when carrying out a legal search, is seen when a probation officer apprises police officers of offender reentry or share information on a child custody case that aids in the efficient dispensation of the CJS resources.
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Interagency collaboration is vital to the CJS. The prison guard can offer valuable information to police officers on incarcerated prisoners. The prison guards have unlimited access to the inmate's visitation and phone calls (Liebling, Price, & Shefer, 2010). The police officer should then approach prison guards and make a formal request for the inmate's visitors and phone call records. Most states will require that the police officer have a subpoena or a court order for such information to be provided (Gehl, & Plecas, 2016). This shows how interagency collaboration facilitates the CJS.
The probation officer works to supervise and rehabilitate offenders placed under their charge for the stated period of time. They also offer advisory information about offenders to penal authorities such as the courts (Fagin n.d). As such, in Lou's case, the report must be compiled by the probation officer who will take over the investigation to provide the courts with succinct information on matters of the case (Fagin n.d). Lou must, therefore, collaborate with the probation officer and be as precise as possible. This will ensure that the report provided by the officer is detailed, thus help the courts in forming a fitting sentence to be served.
In the case of Estelle v. Gamble, collaboration, and communication aided in restructuring the function of the corrections practitioner. The case ruled that the inmate's eighth amendment had been violated as Gamble was forced to go back to work regardless of his condition (Conway, 2009). The case ruling was attained after communication and collaboration between the prison system and the courts to understand the nature of the issue brought to the court. The case helped in reshaping the corrections practices as it resulted in instituting basic rights for all inmates, such as the right to see medical professionals and the right to healthcare (Conway, 2009). However, even with the provisions, some jails are still not meeting the provisions, but at least now they can sue to get better healthcare services.
Looking at how each branch communicates with each other; I believe that my communication and collaborative practices are best in line with a career path in the courts' system. I would make for a great attorney and represent my clients with evidence that is well researched and documented. I am an approachable individual with exemplary interpersonal communication; thus it would be easy for me to get information pertaining to my clients and their cases to ensure I mount a defense that will see justice prevails.
References
Conway, C. A. (2009). A right of access to medical and mental health care for the incarcerated. Health Law Perspective . https://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/2009/(CC)%20Prison%20Health.pdf
Fagin, J. A. (n.d) CJ 2017. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134548906/
Gehl, R., & Plecas, D. (2016). Introduction to Criminal Investigation: Processes, Practices and Thinking. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/criminalinvestigation/
Liebling, A., Price, D., & Shefer, G. (2010). The prison officer. Routledge.
