Coordinating the Criminal Justice System

A Guide to Improve the Effective Administration of Justice

Leslie J. Smith

• Publisher: University Press of America
• Year: 2007
• eBook ISBN: 9781461679394
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Courts
• Index: Law

This guide was developed to assist students, professors, executives of local criminal justice systems, and appointed and elected officials of general government to have a better understanding on how the criminal justice system should function. It may also be of special interest to citizens and public officials who sense that more collaboration and coordination is needed to enhance criminal justice decision making which, in turn, will have a positive impact on local criminal justice systems.

Leslie J. Smith advocates that the performance of the criminal justice system should be measured in terms of achieving the goals and objectives of each component collectively. Although the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the U.S. government are constitutionally independent and not required to engage in any coordinated planning activities, these requirements should not lead to poor performance. It is essential to promote positive government through increased collaboration by identifying philosophical principles that will promote the participation of citizens, law enforcement, judiciary, prosecution, corrections, victims, treatment providers, and educators in the development of strategies to prevent, reduce and control crime. There are approximately twenty states throughout the United States that have fostered criminal justice collaborations of this type. The key to accomplishing this objective is effective leadership. This approach is growing in popularity and this book will assist in the further development of this strategy.

This guide provides a step-by-step strategy that simplifies the aforementioned issues. It will be especially advantageous for newly appointed criminal coordinators, planners, and others that are charged with creating a hands-on approach to coordinating their local criminal justice processes. Above all, as criminal justice presses forward to the future, the guide will assist in "bridging the gap" between traditional and contemporary approaches to criminal justice plann

Table of contents

• Figures
• Preface
• Introduction
• STEP 1: View the Criminal Justice System as One Organization
• STEP 2: Have A Complete Understanding of the Origins Of The Criminal Justice System
• STEP 3: Become Familiar with Each Component of the Criminal Justice System and Use It as A Frame Of Reference
• STEP 4: A Coordinated Approach to Develop Mission Statements
• STEP 5: Quality Decision Making At Each Level of the System
• STEP 6: Establish Organized and Coordinated Planning Strategies
• STEP 7: An Analysis Model that Measures the Performance of the Criminal Justice System
• STEP 8: Monitor the Organizational Environment
• STEP 9: A Planning Process at the Government And Community Level
• STEP 10: Criminal Justice Administrators Should Understand the Causes of Crime
• STEPS 11 & 12: Evaluate Organizational Needs and Motivations within the Context of the Organizational Mission
• STEP 13: Improve the Justice Administration Process through Effective Programs
• 13A-13H: Examples of Programs That Positively Impact the Criminal Justice System’s Total System Outcomes
• STEP 14-15: Accomplishment of Goals and Objectives are the Primary Mission for the Organization
• STEP 16: Utilize the Available Technology
• STEP 17: Design A Community Based Justice Model and Incorporate Into the Integrated Justice Model
• Appendix A: Overview of Original Research
• Appendix B: Jail Population—Prediction and Evaluation Variables
• Appendix C: Integrated Justice Model
• Appendix D: Community Justice Model Checklist
• About the Author