Week 5 Assignment Capstone Project-1

Running Head: CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAPSTONE PAPER 1

Criminal Justice Capstone Paper

Name

Institutional Affiliation

CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAPSTONE PAPER 2

WEEK 5: DISCUSSION 1

Assessing Your Program of Study

Throughout the course, I have learned that the main issue within the criminal justice is

the increasing rates of incarceration among minority groups within the society. Instead of having

incarceration experts have provided a social justice solution of treatment that will help to

enhance equality among non violent offenders. Secondly, I have also learned that the application

of social justice principles such as solidarity, equality and human rights is hindered by increasing

levels of discrimination and prejudice among non-violent offenders. In order to change the

current trends, there is a need to develop effective measures that will help to solve the current

challenges within the criminal justice department. This will help to improve the application of

law and justice within the society. Although the current relationship between law enforcement,

the judiciary and corrections is independent, it has failed to provide social justice to the people.

In order to improve this trend, there is a need to come up with measure aimed at improving

criminal justice hence promoting how people relate to each other in criminal justice.

I have learned that the relationship between criminal justice and social justice is a

balancing act. In order to promote social justice within a state, there is a need of ensuring that

equality before the law and human rights principles have been maintained. However, criminal

justice deals with maintenance of law and order in order to protect citizens from harm.

Borrowing from the perspectives of humanity, philosophy, law and sociology, it is clear that

treatment for non-violent offenders is not only the best solution to deal with the current

challenges but also an approach aimed to build a just society.


WEEK 5: DISCUSSION 2

Resources and Recommendations

According to my personal assessment of the content and the quality of study at Ashford

University, I have realized that they have the best tutoring services that a student can get.

Throughout the course of criminal justice, for instance, the lecturers have tried to apply real life

scenarios during classroom sessions. This not only prepares the student of what to expect in their

future career but also promotes their performance in classroom level. I plan to apply what I have

learned in criminology in the application of laws in a just manner within the society. I shall also

promote the awareness of social justice within my community to a new level. In order to

improve the social and criminal justice program, teachers should also promote the learning of the

application of criminal justice in other nations across the world. This will not only promote

cultural tolerance but also improve diversity in understanding how other criminal justice systems

of the world compare with that of the United States.

This course is also inline with one of the current trends and subjects of political and

social debates within the U.S. The issue of whether to rehabilitate teenager involved in gun

violence has been a trending subject. Although there have been diverse views on the subject, the

debate on promotion of humane services within the area of social justice has been an issue. The

experience of this course provides the solution of treatment as part of rehabilitation for non-

violent offenders. Providing parole and probation has been used for many years in criminal

justice system. In order to develop a formidable solution about the issue, there is a need to come

up with a balance that strikes between social justice and the need to protect the citizens from

harm caused by violent teenagers armed with guns.


WEEK 5: FINAL CAPSTONE PROJECT

Solution Proposal:

INTRODUCTION

Treatment versus Incarceration for non-violent offenders is a major debate between the

rights of individuals and the need to protect individuals from harm. Some civil liberties in the

U.S have been established in form of amendments and acts to help protect some offenders to

access treatment instead of rotting in jail term. Currently, the U.S criminal justice system is

ineffective because it represents a balancing act between the need to protect the lives of the

citizens and implementation of law and order. In many occasions, while law enforcement

agencies have tried to implement justice, they have denied victims of social justice. By providing

treatment instead of incarceration for non-violent offenders, the criminal justice system will be

implementing the spirit of the constitution. The U.S constitution provides civil liberties to non-

violent offenders hence prohibiting the criminal justice system from any form of unusual and

cruel punishment. This means that in delegating justice the system is bound to have a balance

between the rights of the people and follow the due process.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE VERSUS SOCIAL JUSTICE

In many cases, the U.S criminal justice system is in a constant balancing act between the

need to protect citizens from harm and the rights of individuals. In many cases, judges are torn

between providing treatment or even jail term for some offenders. According to research, there

are both weaknesses and strengths in highlighting the nature of institutionalization and how it


affects non-violent offenders. Firstly, the author scores strong points in discussing the nature of

prisons and the post-psychological experiences those non-violent offenders undergo once they

come out prison life. In fact, the author has concentrated more on the psychological effects of

institutionalization. Craig has demonstrated that prison life is dangerous for ones emotional and

psychological wellbeing as it has negative impact in ones life. On the same token, he has

demonstrated that prison life can be harmful to people as it can damage the way they react with

others in the society. Researches have also have also tried to demonstrate that incarceration is

not helpful to a non-violent offender as it does not help solve the root causes (Clay, 2008).

Criminal studies demonstrate that potential offenders can be deterred by either legal

policy manpower or through sophisticated police tactics. Policy labor only helps to deter soft

crime such as panhandling, vandalism, vagrancy and drug use from being practiced. Studies

have found that policy manpower is not highly effective in preventing hardcore crimes from

taking place. The use of sophisticated police tactics has been found to be the best approach in

deterring of crime. This is because the main reason for using sophisticated police tactics is to

detect and prevent any disorderly behavior within a society. Patrol studies have demonstrated

that the use of sophisticate presence of a high crime region usually increases people’s ability to

fear crime. In areas where sophisticated police presence has been used, it has been found that the

people usually change their perceptions about criminal behavior. This is a major factor that

makes them to fear committing a crime for the fear that they may be caught within the act

(Nicola, 2004).

Studies have also found that police work force increases hardcore criminals to participate

in crime. Although regression studies have found that police work force is effective in reducing

minor crimes, it has been found to be ineffective in deterring crime from taking place. This is


because criminal elements usually have the desire to practice crime so that they can appear to

be tough on crime. For this reason, instead of police labor deterring individuals from practicing

crime, it has been found that many people tend to be more engage in robbery, murder and motor

vehicle theft especially in areas where labor has been increased. In areas where sophisticated

tactics have been practiced, it is evident that crime tends to slow down because people have

developed the fear that these tactics will easily catch up on them hence make it easy for them to

be detected (Nicola, 2004).

The use of increased labor without sophisticated tactics is not sufficient in deterring

people from the commitment of crime. The use of problem oriented policing tactics has been

found to be an effective measure in ensuring that crime has been reduced to its toes. Police

crackdowns, for instance, have been found to be effective in ensuring that criminal behavior has

been deterred. This is the reason why the use of police tactics in areas that are considered as

hotspots has been found to be effective in minimizing criminal behavior. On the same token, it is

evident that the increased use of police manpower is more proactive. This is because criminals

are people who can develop strategies to evade the police labor. However, the use of intensive

policing strategies makes it difficult for a criminal to evade a police trap. This also increases fear

behave it sends a message of fear to the potential offenders (Clay, 2008).

The use of police tactics is essential in ensuring people have developed the notion that

the police are always watchful for offenders who are ready to commit crime. Take an example of

a crackdown in a specific community where people have abused drugs and involved in minor

infractions. Arresting these individuals becomes a clear sign that the police are always watchful

and ready to minimize any form of criminal activity that might take place in the region. For this


reason, it is evident that police presence alone is not enough to deter crime from a specific

hotspot (Jose, 2009).

Although there are many effective policies that have been developed to deter crime from

taking place, it is evident that they are not effective in addressing criminal behavior. This means

that in order for a deterrence to be effected, there is a need to increase the effectiveness of

criminal policies. Since this cannot be accomplished without employment of costs and resources,

it would be more reasonable to employ the alternative of police tactics to increase fear in

possible offenders. In order to increase deterrence in American police administrations, experts

have advised a shift of policy from policy manpower to more strict policies that shall help to

enhance the management of crime and public behaviors. This entails involving the increase of

tactics such as effective deployment of resources and personnel, timely intelligence and constant

follow up of criminals to prevent any criminal activity from taking place. This will ensure that

the police have managed criminal behavior from individuals (Siegel & Senna, 2012).

Increasing police tactics usually prevents offenders from discovering broken windows

where they can commit crime. This is because at all times they will have the thinking that a

specific police tactic might be available leading to their arrest. On the other hand, increasing

police manpower does provide offenders with an opportunity of discovering a specific place

where they can commit a crime. The assumption by potential offenders is that they believe that

in most cases the police are always watchful hence increasing their ability to participate in a

criminal offense. However, when potential offenders find that the police are not watchful, they

will usually increase their ability to commit a specific crime (Nicola, 2004).

CENTRALIZATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES


Recent Federal Acts such as the Patriots act have violated treatment options for offenders

leading to large number of incarcerations hence negatively affecting the notions of social justice

in the U.S. Some federal legislation such as the Patriots Act and the Homeland security Act have

unreasonable and unjustly inhibited individual rights leading to large number of incarcerations.

The USA Patriot Act is a major legislation that has hindered incarcerations with the USA. The

legislation provides the law enforcement officials to have investigative ad surveillance powered

to search people at their homes hence making it easier for the government officials to hurt civil

rights and liberties. The right to privacy has been greatly hindered by the enactment of the new

legislation hence preventing people from achievement of social justice within the United States

(Bonta, 2006).

Civil rights groups have fought against the USA patriots act and called for its reforms by

the congress because it prevents rights and liberties of the people. They also believe that most of

the sections of the Patriots Act endanger the privacy and constitutional rights of the people. A

part of the law requires people to provide sufficient information to the people hence provide

professional information to the people. Privacy and confidentiality have been affected hence

preventing the people from achieving equal rights and opportunities for the people. Since the

enactment of USA patriots Act, there has been increased number of incarcerations within the

United States that have not followed the right procedures when providing people with justice.

Some individuals have taken advantage of the Patriots Act to justify the huge number of

incarcerations that are related to discrimination of people. The act needs to be reformed to ensure

that social justice has been promoted while at the same time citizens have been protected from

any terrorist attack. This will help to promote how people relate with each other when it comes to

social justice within the United States (Clay, 2008).


The Patriots Act has also been criticized for affecting the system of weights and balances

through the criminal justice system. It is difficult to achieve social justice with the act since it has

loopholes for promoting all forms of injustices to non violent offenders. A suspect of terrorism,

for example, can be denied justice through the Patriots Act platform hence posing a threat to civil

liberties across the United States. Theoretically, the Patriots Act provides the government law

enforcement agencies with more power to have supervision on the citizens. In non-technical

language, this means that the government can spy on an individual without their consent and still

argue that they are believed to be terrorists. The government can also use the tool of the Patriots

Act to enhance witch-hunt on the people hence preventing them from having social justice

opportunities. Generally, this has significant impact to the lives of the Americans as it affects the

basic fundamental right of protection from any form of supervision. The policy also affects how

the government has an impact to the privacy rights of the people (Clay, 2008).

ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THEORIES

The rehabilitation Act usually prevents courts from incarceration of people who have

been found with minor offences and rather provide them with treatment options for their cases.

In the present, statistics indicate that locking persons up for profit tends to override the concept

of imprisoning individuals on justifiable grounds. In accordance to a recent investigation which

was carried out by the Associated Press, it has been established that the drastic increase in the

number of the private prisons can be partly attributed to the rising number of individuals

imprisoned due to immigration charges. In respond to the 9/11 terrorists attack, the U.S made

several changes on its immigration laws which mad it relatively easier to arrest more individuals

which turned out as a principal source of more revenue for the nation’s private prison companies.


The aforementioned argue that privatization of prisons is marred by not only corruption

but also corrosive incentives. Other critiques argue that private prisons similarly to the other

profit making businesses aim at maximizing their profits at the expense of quality. Moreover,

there is a likelihood that the privatization of prisons will lead to the re-instituting of the link

between commerce and race, which had ceased in the 1800s. Nonetheless, privatization of

prisons should be considered as a highly beneficial step, which should be taken by the ruling

authorities. The various negative issues raised by the critics can be effectively resolved by

putting in place the right policies, as well as, counter measures. There is a difference between

juvenile delinquents and status offenders. Juvenile delinquents are the legal term, which refers to

the young individuals who are aged less than eighteen years and have committed acts which

would be considered as crime in the event that they were adults (Craig, 2001).

In explaining criminal deterrence, it is essential to address the sociological and

psychological aspects of specific criminal behavior that are integrated on the economic models

of crime. Berker’s analysis of economic model of crime demonstrates that offenders are rational

individuals who base their decisions on individual choices, preferences and beliefs. Becker’s

model is based on the belief that the existence of criminal behavior is based on the approaches

that people use to deal with criminal deterrence. Berker argues that ones choice to commit a

crime is based on their individual rationality. According to him, the utility of not committing a

crime usually depends on the right of a person to think rationally hence make it difficult for them

to engage in a criminal behavior. In this case, he has analyzed a situation where there is

increased presence of the police. People tend to be deterred away from committing crime

because they are aware that the police are watchful and they will catch up on them (Clay, 2008).


Criminal deterrence can also be affected through deployment of systems that help in the

management of police activities. This will increase more fear to the people hence help them to

prevent from any criminal activity and behavior. Some of the effective strategies that can be used

to control criminal activities include having internal accountability, mission clarification,

organizational flexibility and innovative problem solving tactics that can enhance the

management of crime. Since combating crime is not an easy affair, it should be approached by

both carrot and stick strategies to help in the management of crime for a larger scale. This would

enhance people hence control them from any activities that help to deter crime. On the same

token, when they become aware that the people are not aware of the police presence, it becomes

difficult for them to engage in criminal behavior since the police will be aware of their actions

hence leading to their arrest (Del & Trulson, 2005).

Deterrence theory to criminal behavior has shown that prevention to crimes is one of the

best ideas and models. Statistical models have pointed out that some policies are not effective in

fighting off crime. In order to ensure those policies succeed, it is advisable to ensure that they

have been tested on many times hence improve how people relate with each other in terms of

management of their criminal activities. Police managers only need to simplify their duty by

studying criminal trends in a specific area and employing tactics that would help fight off these

criminal elements. This would contribute in ensuring that criminal elements have been cut off

from the society (Nicola, 2004).

Deterrence can also be enhanced through the use of pro active approaches in

stead of reactive means to ensure that criminal elements have been cut out from the society.

Many times when reactive approaches have been used, it is evident that possible offenders

always know that the police are not ready. This provides a window of opportunity for these


people to be engaged in criminal activities. Problem solving strategies are essential in

minimizing criminal elements within the current society. The police departments should increase

secure social environments that can help in deterring crime from taking place. In order to reduce

this behavior, it is essential to increase the electiveness of the police in the management of

criminal behavior (Del & Trulson, 2005).

OPERATIONS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The implementation of criminal justice policies have violated individual and personal

freedoms leading to a major effect on the notions of social justice in the United States. Therefore,

it is evident that social justice in the U.S is affected by constitutional liberties that affect the

rights of the accused. Evidence collection is the key activity in search for justice to criminal acts.

When evidence is collected, it draws the lines on which the truth will be drawn. Criminal justice

systems need to operate with ultimate accountability in dealing with matters of justice. Arbitrary,

corruption, or oppressive measures undermines the credibility of the criminal justice systems in

bringing the evidence of criminal acts into books. Corruption, for instance, slows down the

activity of evidence collection and immeasurable biasness. Corruption affects the efficiency with

which evidence can be collected. Activities such as tempering with first hand information can be

a major setback. This alters the evidence, pushing for bias judgment based on interests of some

parties. In cases where evidence is proved beyond doubt to be bias, alternative ways of dealing

with the case should be developed (Nicola, 2004).

The combination of overcrowding and the rapid expansion of prison services jeopardize

prisoner’s safety, compromising prison management and greatly limited prisoner programs.

Overcrowding that is made to deprive the prisoners of their privacy and intimidate them fully.


The fact that the population in cells increase without a response in the increase in funds for

prisoner services, and without immediate response to prisoners needs. The fact that prison

systems fails to provide adequate treatment services for those prisoners who suffer the extreme

psychological effects of confinement in deteriorated and overcrowded areas. There arises a

thinking that prison services are made to inflict pain on wrong doers, disable wrong doers or

keep them far away from the society (Clay, 2008).

The abandonment of rehabilitation also would result into an erosion of protective norms

against cruelty towards prisoners. Officials became far less inclined to addressing prison

disturbance, tension amongst prisoners. Increase in the number of prisoners by bringing in new

prisoners, shortages in staffing and other resources. High levels of tension and fear which most

of the times would be followed by dangerous acts which to some extend are meant to inflict pain

to the prisoners. The aspect of punishment and stigmatization would result into further isolation

of prison facilities from around the rest of the community. The fact that facilities to facilitate

transition from prison to the free world are always undermined precisely at the time they needed

to be enhanced. Increase in the length and expansion in the scope of incarceration always result

into psychological strains. And the people would be we turned to the society disadvantaged by

lack of social services and resources that otherwise would benefit them on different grounds

(Bonta, 2006).

Incarcerated individual undergo a lot of stress, because it is difficult to adapt to prison.

This stress creates a different state of mind that can be dangerous even after prison. Anybody

incarcerated is psychologically harmed by it. It proves to be very difficult to get over it due to its

adverse consequences. Incarcerated persons often suffers long term trauma having been

subjected to pain, deprivation, and extremely atypical routines and interaction with other people.


Prisons do not, in general make people morally upright, however, research suggests that most

people, who have ever gone through prison, have a common factor. The extreme, harsh, and

dangerous environment generally translates into psychological harm that produces negative long

lasting change (Jose, 2009).

There are natural and normal adaptations developed by prisoners in response to unnatural

and abnormal prison life. These reactions are part of pathological conditions and grows into

problems when taken to extreme lengths and may turn chronic. Like in processes of gradual

change, this one occurs in stages, the longer someone is incarcerated the more significance the

nature of institutional transformation. When people enter in prison, it is harsh to be forced to

adapt to the harsh routine. The routine deprives them of their privacy and liberty and subject

them to stigmatization. As time passes by, the prisoners adopt to what the environment has to

offer to them. Various psychological mechanisms must be used to help adapt to the harsh and

dangerous environment survival. Prisoners do not have choice whether to succumb to the reality

that they have be deprived of their dignity. Prisoners are forced to live away from families and

restrictions on their interaction incase of visitation (Del & Trulson, 2005).

Non violent offenders are released on grounds that this will help reduce the crowding in

the lockups. Non violent offenders, who are earning time off their sentences with good behavior

or rehabilitation efforts, would be released months or even years earlier. In addition, all the

second time prisoners who have served half their sentences under the state’s law would be

allowed to leave. There were also immediate implementation of the law that stated early release

and added parole options for prisoners who are frail, elderly, or serving extended sentences for

specific kinds of non violent kinds of crimes. From prison, they would follow normal path to

either state parole, or county supervision, depending on the type of crime that someone had


committed. There arose the need for money to aid in the supervision of those sent to the counties

for probation early (Craig, 2001).

Then the personal rights of an offender are violated after they undergo the process of

incarceration, they tend to face negative psychological problems. There are many psychological

changes undergone by an offender while they are in prison life. For this reason, non violent

offenders should be opted for non imprisonment as they shall improve their lives in stead of

being destroyed by prison life. While a person in prison they undergo several transformations as

they are able to face the harms of undergoing through incarceration of their crimes. Some of the

trends that are undergone by a person include harsh policies and prolonged confinement

conditions that affect ones normal development. Craig is against institutionalization of an

individual that tends to affect most of the personal life of an individual. This contributes to

several changes that have tremendous damage into the person’s life (Clay, 2008).

Psychological distancing and alienation are some of the psychological damages that

offenders undergo hence make them to develop the prison mask. In stead of the prison term

helping them to achieve more freedom of their choices, it is evident that most of the inmates

undergo many changes during their lifetime that makes them prisoners of their conscience. On

the other hand, treatment of the offenders is more focused on solving the root causes of the

societal alienation, a factor that makes it possible for the offenders to manage most of the

problems that they face. As the article explains, this cuts down the cycle of crime, hence

providing a long term treatment to the offenders. Another reason that helps offenders to repeat

their actions is the diminished sense of personal value and self worth. This affects most of the

offenders as they are denied privacy rights during their prison life. Some of the post traumatic

stress reactions that occur after the life of imprisonment are the self denial that occurs with the


prison life. In order to remove the self denial from the faces of individuals, it is important to

ensure that their personal lives have been safeguarded and controlled through treatment options

once they have acted in a criminal manner (Nicola, 2004).

POVERTY AND RACISM

Treatment should be considered as an alternative to incarceration in the U.S criminal

justice system in order to enhance social justice principles of human rights, solidarity, equality

and building a just society. In this case, anti terrorism laws that lead to large number of

incarcerations should be abolished to enhance effectiveness of criminal justice system. Poverty

and racism should be blamed for most cases reported concerning incarceration. This is according

to a study by American civil liberties union. Reports have indicated overrepresentation of blacks

in the prison. African Americans in Texas, for instance, are highly incarcerated than any other

race. The blacks in prison can be due to discrimination at any phase of the criminal justice

systems. It can be noted that most cases of expulsion or suspensions in schools reported basically

affects the black American. This should not be the case because the numbers of black Americans

caught in indiscipline compared to whites is minimal (Clay, 2008).

Due to discrimination, most white are pardoned and left to continue with school. The

uneducated fellows go to the streets thus intensifying the rate of criminology and the rate of

poverty. On the other hand, incarcerated black parents were most likely to leave their children

with relatives. They might treat them badly sometimes, while incarcerated white parent’s

children are placed in foster care. This can be termed as discrimination because only the white

children get tender care after their parents are incarcerated (Nicola, 2004).


Incarcerated African Americans never gets jobs after serving prison. The incarcerated

black Americans fund it difficult to secure jobs. Poverty tends to push them to looking for

alternative ways of earning a living, thus resulting to crimes. The families of the incarcerated

adults live in absolute poverty because no one to provide for the families. Statistics shows that

the level of education that any black American would attain, determined what kind of life they

were to live as far as discrimination is concerned. According to studies, among every five blacks

and Latinos, three have served in prison. The trend is contributed by the fact that, the leaders just

want to obtain favors inform of bails which otherwise not settled would land any black into

prison. Lack of money to settle the bails due to poverty lead to imprisonment (Craig, 2001).

A similar, huge number of representations of the blacks in the prison can be a different

way to view discrimination as rampant. About two thirds convicted youth in the juvenile

correction centers are black Americans and Latinos. The rate of incarceration of blacks is

reported to be increasing despite efforts to curb discrimination. The massive imprisonment of the

black has political consequences because this plays an important role in drawing legislative

districts. People who have ever been incarcerated have a difficult identifying the difference

between these systems of social control. They are legally denied the ability to obtain

employment, housing and public benefits. Furthermore they were once forced to a segregation

and second class citizenship (Clay, 2008).

People who are slaves did nothing to deserve their enslavement, yet people in prison

committed crimes so they deserve their fate. This should be erased from the minds of people, and

be recorded as a corrective mechanism. The prisoners are disfranchised, because they have no

voting rights thus their lives continue being intimidated in one way or the other. Similarly the

young educated black Americans and Latinos find it difficult to access job opportunities. The


whites regard the few available prestigious jobs as theirs. The incarcerated African Americans

and Latinos are further sentenced to longer prison services as compared to the few whites who

are unlucky. Due to lack of enough representation of the blacks and Latinos, activists fighting for

the rights of the blacks end up imprisoned. This has dragged slowly the mission to rescue the

capsizing ship of restoration of tranquility in the relationship amongst the blacks, Latinos and the

whites (Craig, 2001).

The efforts to reinstate sanity have received much support over the resent years. This

comes amid revolution in the education sector, although there are challenges associated with the

move. Firstly, it takes more time for a black American to earn a P.H.D. as compared to the

whites. Secondly, most highly educated blacks end up teaching in middle class colleges. The

government is now generally moving with speed to rescue the situation of excessive

incarceration of the blacks and Latinos. Meanwhile, United States is reducing its expenditure on

correctional facilities while expanding its expenditure in education for the blacks. Statistics today

indicate that, for the first time since the resent history, five states in the United States of America

spend more state money on education that on correction facilities to counter the history, that

blacks should not get education (Nicola, 2004).

CAREERS CREATED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE

In order to address the issue of treatment versus incarceration within the criminal justice

system, it is important to set out careers that would help in providing advise, analysis and also

the extend of non violent crimes that require criminal justice intervention. This will help to

provide sufficient advice to the system hence provide the people with effective measures aimed

at improving the functioning of the criminal justice system. One of the areas of specialties of the


criminal justice degree which one should set his or her eyes on is forensic science. This is due to

the fact that every justice field is considered to be evolving at a drastic rate, but maybe none as

drastic as the forensics field (Clay, 2008).

Generally, it is of great essence to keep in mind that criminal forensic specialists in most

cases make use of the newly invented computer, as well as, technological techniques so as to be

in the position of analyzing crime scenes inclusive of the computers themselves. The key

objective of analyzing crime scenes is to unearth valuable crime scene evidence. In that regard,

given the limited vacancies in the other criminal justice fields such as law enforcement, it is

advisable for one to take the criminal justice options which are tailored to equip one with the

forensic science expertise. It has been established that as at present there are no adequate forensic

scientists within the global job market thus it is important to make use of that golden chance

(Craig, 2001).

A community-based office also needs to be set up to enhance integration into the society

as part of treatment of the incarcerated individuals. It is evident that prison life is stressful and

has negative psychological impact to the non-offenders. For this reason, there is a need to

develop community-based services that will help to maintain and facilitate integration back to

the society. There is no significant change that can be made to a prisoner at home unless that has

been transition into normal lifestyles. This is because most of the people spending their lives at

the prison end up being returned there because they are unable to reintegrate back into the

society (Clay, 2008).

The community-based services should also focus on creating employment opportunities

with an aim of enhancing post prison adjustment for most of the offenders. This will help to

improve the opportunities for creation and reduce the stigma for incarceration of these people.


Institutionalization of these people is essential for maintaining status quo while promoting the

way the people delegate their duties at criminal justice systems. This helps to promote mutual

understanding of the people while at the same time creating an opportunity for growth of the

individuals. Ultimately, the functioning of these two offices will help in the creation of a better

life for the people while enhancing treatment as part of social justice for non-violent offenders

(Nicola, 2004).

CONCLUSION

To sum it up, in order to enhance social justice within the criminal justice system of the

U.S it is advisable to consider treatment options for non-violent offenders instead of

incarceration. Although in incarceration provides for imprisonment of the non-violent offenders,

it does not help to correct their behaviors as it is supposed. Since the purpose of incarcerating

individuals involves providing them with jail terms considering treatment through parole and

other forms of community based institutionalization would help to correct the behaviors of these

persons. This will not only improve the way they function in the society but will be a great boost

to promoting the issues of social justice within the community. Providing treatment for non

violent offenders is also inline with the constitution of the United States that promotes civil

liberties and rights for incarcerated people. This will not only promote social justice but also

enforcement of law and order as it shall improve more deterrence in the society hence preventing

commitment of non violent offences.


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Week 5 Assignment Capstone Project-1