Understanding Modern Criminology and Criminal Justice Issues

Each era has its own unique issues when it comes to criminology and criminal
justice. Centuries ago, it would seem that the world was running amuck with
crusaders, conquerors, and tyrants but the issues of the past were just as
revealing of the times as are the criminal justice issues we face today. In our
calmer, gentler, more advanced society we replace pirates with identity thieves,
slave traders with human traffickers, and tea parties with riots. We no longer lock
away those with mental disorders in asylums, we imprison them for lack of any
suitable environment. Instead of crusaders, we have terrorists, who are just as
passionate about their religion, but far more technologically advanced, and equally
as destructive to society. One thing that has never changed is our fight against
ourselves- in how we enforce laws and how we inflict punishment- which has been
an age old controversy.

Understanding the current issues in law enforcement and criminal justice is

important, as we learn from the past and modify the present to create a better
future. Some of the most pressing issues today include offenders with mental
illness, human trafficking, terrorism and technology used to fight crime. Each of
these categories are intricate, in that we must look at both sides of the coin, if you
will, to understand the deep rooted issues and implement laws and practices that
are considerate of all the angles.
In looking at human trafficking, we must integrate law enforcement into a
society that is distrustful of authority. Men and women previously considered and
prosecuted as prostitutes are likely going to be fearful not only of their captures, but
of prosecution. People illegally in this country but working as modern slaves fear
not only the potential threats against them or their families, but deportation into a
world that may be far worse than their servitude. This leaves them little perceived
protection and few they can turn to. It is important that law enforcement use
media, both traditional and social, and build relationships with community based
organizations to get the word out that people forced into servitude of any type are
victims, and will be treated as such.

Terrorism has been on the publics mind since the twin towers fell on
September 11th, 2001. Media stories abound, and most countries throughout the
world have experienced the pain associated with random terror attacks. The media
perpetuates the issue and there is a general feeling of unsafe in many places.
This unsafe feeling breeds resent and hate, and distrust and racism is an
unfortunate residual effect. Law enforcement at all levels are working together to
combat this issue, but there are many jurisdictional and legal battles to be fought.
As with most current criminal justice issues there is a delicate balance between an
individuals rights and the need for societal protection. There are many unfortunate
casualties of war in this regard, both due to terrorists actions and the residual fear
they inspire.
 Another area with unfortunate victimization and stigma is mental health as it
relates to the criminal justice system. Although many offenders with true criminal
tendencies also have mental health or substance use issues, there is also a
segment of the population that has untreated mental health issues that revolves
through the criminal justice system for no other reason than they have nowhere
else to go. In de-institutionalizing the mentally ill, many have become homeless
because they are well enough to fail to qualify for conservatorship, but not well
enough to truly have any quality of living without assistance. They are visible, a
nuisance to businesses, scary to visitors, although more likely to be victimized than
to victimize others. This is a social phenomenon and problem; however, the crux of
the issue falls to law enforcement to deal with. Unfortunately, this leads to
exposure and potential liability for officers and departments, as officers have not
been traditionally trained as mental health workers, and psychosis, aggression, and
misunderstanding often lead to unfavorable consequences. Our agencies must
work with behavioral health specialists and legislators to build laws and facilities
that encourage wellness and discourage stigma. We must learn to differentiate
between hostile and psychotic, and know which resources to pull at appropriate
times, while providing for self-protection, because in the end, we have families to
return to. And in the end, we need to learn to rehabilitate offenders who will return
to our neighborhoods, regardless of their mental health issues, by addressing
criminogenic needs, in order to reduce future victimization.

The last pressing issue in our modern criminal justice society is HOW we
enforce laws. We need to ensure we have policies, procedures and training in place
to reduce the appearance of racism or unfair practices with regard to any group of
people. We need to learn to work with the leaders of the communities we protect so
that we are one united front against those who mean to do harm. We need to
understand each others needs, desires and feelings in order to create a positive
atmosphere in which law enforcement and civil leaders are decidedly on the same
team, with the same goals at heart. We need to endure that we are using
technology to the utmost of its capacity without infringing on civil liberties. All of
these are tough, and for each individual there is an individual opinion on how this
should look in practice.

Two advancements with extremely promising outlooks are also hot button
topics with both law enforcement and civil leaders. Body Worn Cameras (BWC)
have the potential to save millions of dollars in litigation and provide video evidence
concerning cases of police use of force. They cannot be the end all however, as
there are issues pertaining both to human error and the cameras point of view. In
order for BWC to be an effective tool, officers must be trained with them, technology
must be improved, policies and procedures must be implemented and revised as
needed, and human error and line of sight issues must be taken into account. The
second technology with positive attributes is the use of drones or other robotic
devices in police work. Drones can see places humans cannot, aiding officers in
both detection of threats or criminal activities and protection from harm. Robots can
disarm incendiary devices or take video footage of areas without having to place
officers lives in jeopardy. Both of these have unending potential, but also must be
used appropriately and within policy and the law, as not to infringe on an
individuals rights in the process.

As society advances, the issues continually change and opinions ebb and
flow. In order to provide the neighborhoods in our jurisdictions with protection to
the best of our abilities, we must adapt and learn. We must engage others, and
have difficult conversations with those who do not see things the way we do. We
must learn to communicate openly and transparently with citizens and create
cultural changes when needed in our departments. We must work together for
positive outcomes, and fall back on the basic principles most of us came up with-
we are here to not only protect, but to serve our communities.