The book by Thistlethwaite and Wooldredge (2014), Forty Studies That Changed Criminal Justice, presents a thorough yet succinct summary of the primary and influential research studies within the domain of criminal justice. Therefore, the book provides a robust comprehension of crucial research that was published in each of the three domains of criminal justice: corrections, courts, policing. Of particular interest is the utilization of force by the law enforcement officers, which has garnered significant interest, especially in the midst of a backlash against systematic racism.
The book’s fourth and fifth chapters delve into the concepts of the police role and police use of force, and such concepts are more relevant today in the US than they have ever been. For instance, the book states that while police officers are authorized by law to utilize force against the public in certain conditions, it has become their defining trait as it often becomes their first option even in situations that do not require their utilization (Thistlethwaite and Wooldredge, 2014). This has been the case with police escalations that have gained significant attention over the last few months. Although such actions have been happening in the background for long, they have garnered attention after much publicity amid fights for race equality.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Among the most recent action that has received much publicity is the killing of George Floyd by police officers, who utilized force even though it was not required during that instance. George Floyd was already submissive towards the police officers, but in an unfortunate turn of events, Derek Chauvin, the police officer in charge of his arrest, used force by putting his knee on Floyd’s neck. This made him unable to breathe, and even though he was clearly in distress, the officer persisted in his actions. George Floyd thus died due to asphyxiation, thus being an exemplification of police brutality and use of force.
Reference
Thistlethwaite, A. B., & Wooldredge, J. (2014). Forty studies that changed criminal justice . Prentice-Hall.
