Criminal Justice policy and procedure evaluation Paper

Criminal Justice Policy and Procedure Evaluation In the halls of government public policies and procedures are continuously being defined, developed, implemented and evaluated for the purposes of achieving certain goals that are considered to be in the best interest of the citizenry. Policies are the guiding principles that are usually expressed in broad terms and are often statements of ‘what’ or ‘why’. Procedures are the directions that inform people how a policy is to be implemented. In that regard, procedures are most often concerned with answering the ‘how’, ‘when’, and ‘who’. For instance, if the goal of a school district is to reduce or eliminate instances of bullying, it will develop some broad policies that outline a range of actions intended to achieve that goal. This is the first paragraph of San Diego Unified’ s Anti-Bullying and Intimidation Prohibition Policy: In its commitment to providing all students and staff with a safe learning environment where everyone is treated with respect and no one is physically or emotionally harmed, the Board of Education will not tolerate any student or staff member being bullied (including cyber‐bullying) or intimidated in any form at school or school‐related events, (including off‐campus events, school‐sponsored activities, school buses, any event related to school business), or outside of school hours with the intention to be carried out during any of the above. The policy itself, as you can see, says nothing about how you are going to achieve that goal, nor should it. It’s the procedures themselves that describe the processes for achieving the goal and will be much longer. Another word you should be familiar with is programs. Programs are the organizational means by which a policy is implemented. It links policies with the procedures that are necessary to achieve a goal. It also helps the public understand what the department is trying to achieve. Oftentimes programs and policies are used interchangeably but they are different. Example Policy: The Sheriff’s Department needs to ensure that at risk adults (those suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia etc.) who wander away from their homes can be tracked as quickly as possible. Program: Take Me Home Program, a regional photo-based information system Procedures: How do I enter the program? Who is eligible? When can I submit an application? ASSIGNMENT You are to write a double spaced three page paper (not including a citation page) that researches a single policy or program that has been implemented by a law enforcement agency, court system or corrections system. You may choose any of the following as your topic. If there is a program or policy you wish to assess that is not on this list, please clear with me beforehand. The policy or program must be very specific. Do not write about Stop and Frisk policies, write about the stop and frisk policy of a specific agency. Likewise, do not write about prison privatization generally, instead write about the policies of a particular county, state, etc. Here are the elements you must include in your paper: • Identify the problem the policy or program sought to address. Indicate the reasons, history, or intent that led to the creation of the program or policy. Be specific! • Review the history of the particular policy or program • Discuss any controversies the enactment of the policy or program created • Analyze the impact of the policy/program and discuss any controversies it has generated. • Evaluate the effectiveness of the policy and briefly discuss any alternatives Again, this is a short paper and I don’t expect you to touch on every element you may find. You will need to be concise and specific. Cite your sources (use at least two) and use one of the standard styles (APA, MLA). You do not need to use a title page, but I expect a citation page. Grading/Due Date 20 points 8 points-Organization and structure • How well do you define your policy? 8 points-Writing quality and style • How well to you write about your policy? 4 points-Topic Focus • How well do you