Question #1: Collaboration among the Components of the American Criminal Justice System

As we have learned in our first discussion question, the American criminal justice system is comprised of components with differing missions and slightly conflicting objectives. Broadly speaking, the police want to protect the public and enforce the law which frequently includes arresting people. The courts want to, simultaneously, see those arrests prosecuted while ensuring that the individual arrested has suffered no injustice. Corrections is concerned with carrying out the sentence imposed by the courts as a result of the police enforcement efforts. While the separate components comprise the system, if they are driven solely by their mission, it is unlikely that they will be overly concerned with the objectives of their partners. As explained in our text, the American criminal justice system is, "complex and fragmented" (McGarry & Ney, 2006, p. xviii).

Problems are typically perceived from the point-of-view of one specific agency or component of the system and solutions are developed accordingly. As we progress in this course, you will be representing and advocating for one of those components while completing various assignments. Your success will be impacted by your ability to collaborate with the other components of the criminal justice system and develop a cooperative plan that achieves systemic objectives rather than simply addressing component centric concerns.

Your task for this discussion question1 is to answer the below questions about systemic planning in the American criminal justice system (McGarry & Ney, 2006, pp. 3.7).

1. Why do we need collaborative planning?

a. Provide three examples of collaboration

2. Describe three elements involved in criminal justice system planning

3. Although you will represent and advocate for a specific criminal justice system component, as a member of a policy team, explain how you will view and approach problems to achieve systemic objectives?

McGarry, P., & Ney, B. (2006). Getting it right: Collaborative problem solving for criminal justice. Retrieved from National Institute of Corrections: https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.nicic.gov/Library/019834.pdf