Prison population

Introduction

There has been a significant growth in prison populations over the past few decades even though crimes rates have been reducing considerably. Increased sentencing of offenders to longer terms and the neoclassical thinking on the need for incarceration to deter crime are the major reasons.

Discussion

The increased population in American prisons can be attributed to the various policies and practices adopted by the decision makers, with more adoption of severe sentences being the major characteristic of their decision. The decision makers have continuously adopted policies that emphasize the arrest and incarceration of not only the perpetrators of major crimes but also minor offenders (Travis, Western & Redburn, 2014). Many people end up spending a lot of time in jails because they cannot afford to post fines or post bail. Others are very ill mentally or have severe drug problems such that they cannot sufficiently care for themselves. Therefore, the majority of people who have been incarcerated at the county and local levels committed minor offenses such as shoplifting, evasion of subways fares but end up remaining there for many years since they cannot the costs imposed by courts (Travis, Western & Redburn, 2014).

For the major crimes, the state and federal decision makers passed laws that are make sure that more offenders who have been convicted are imprisoned and that their terms in prison for most offenses would be longer than previously.  The decision are likely to have been influenced by neoclassical thinking , where decision makers view enhanced punishment including longer sentencing as necessary in crime reduction , elimination or  deterrence (Schmalleger, 2002). The thinking relates to politically conservative policies for crime control.

Conclusion

The inability of minor offenders to meet cost imposed by costs including bails and fines has contributed to high population in prisons. This has deteriorated due to adoption of conservative policies for controlling crime.

References

Travis, J., Western, B., & Redburn, F. S. (2014). The growth of incarceration in the United States: Exploring causes and consequences.70

Schmalleger, F. (2002). Criminology today: An integrative introduction. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.131

Use of electronic devices and cameras as they relate to policing

Research problem

At a time when claims of police arbitrary shooting of civilians and the ensuing protests like in the case of Michael Brown in Ferguson , there have been increase advocacy for a mandate adoption of body-worn cameras to enhance transparency and accountability during police-civilians interactions. However, there is little knowledge on the potential long-run effect of using the body-worn cameras .In addition, the installation of surveillance cameras in urban centers and residence areas has raised fears that the placement of these devices is likely to go beyond the intended mandate.  The cameras have the potential to create unintended good or bad impacts, with the possibility of improved security in places outside the cameras’ view and likelihood of the devices promoting a sense of false security so that police and citizens become less cautious.  In addition, the indiscriminate collection of information on citizens that are law-abiding, even though well-intentioned, has the possibility of being misused.  Nonetheless, it has been argued that the use of innovative technological devices can help in the organization and the administration of police.

Background of research

 Studies have been done on the impact of using body-worn-cameras by police-public encounters and the arising complaints.  In one study, empirical testing of the collected data has shown that the possibility of using force by the police reduced since the number of complaints filed against law enforcement officers dropped significantly.  The use of cameras has impacts on encounters between police and citizen either because influence the suspects’ conducts which results to officers moderated need for forceful reaction or influence the officers’ conducts so that they do not act with excessive force irrespective of demeanor portrayed by the suspect (Ariel, Farrar, & Sutherland, 2015).  Recently, the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras has seen sustained and remarkable growth with an aim of crime prevention in public places mostly in Western nations including USA. As the expansions continues there has been increased concerns regarding how efficient they are and related social costs.  This calls for the adoption of more evidence-based approach that will inform the practice and policy of CCTV use (Welsh & Farrington, 2009).  CCTV has been shown to have a possible and modest, but considerable reduction in crime in places such as car parks.  Such an impact is also likely to be greater in public transport where security is greatly needed.

 However, the use of Cameras and surveillance devices raises various issues based in citizens’ rights principle especially ensuring that these rights are respected (Piza, Caplan & Kennedy, 2014). The adoption of camera in policing should have empirical justification so that they accomplish the intended outcomes.  The Use of CCTV equipment should be appropriate for the issue it aims at addressing. Technological or electrical devices must respond to the set objectives without extend beyond the intended purpose, while data protection and retention time be clearly outlined.  This also includes upholding transparency and accountability so that citizens are aware of the systems objectives and the persons handling the systems are clearly defined and held accountable to members of the public. Cameras must be design in a way that their deterrent impacts are heightened (Piza, Caplan & Kennedy, 2014).  Adoption technological devices in police administration and even organization bring about important changes in terms of response to crime and prevention are carried out (Byrne & Marx, 2011).

References

Ariel, B., Farrar, W. A., & Sutherland, A. (2015). The effect of police body-worn cameras on use of force and citizens’ complaints against the police: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of quantitative criminology, 31(3), 509-535.

Welsh, B. C., & Farrington, D. P. (2009). Public area CCTV and crime prevention: an updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. Justice Quarterly, 26(4), 716-745.

Piza, E. L., Caplan, J. M., & Kennedy, L. W. (2014). Analyzing the influence of micro-level factors on CCTV camera effect. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 30(2), 237-264.

Byrne, J., & Marx, G. (2011). Technological innovations in crime prevention and policing. A review of the research on implementation and impact. Journal of Police Studies, 20(3), 17-40.

Community policing action plan

Introduction

The law enforcement agency should be a strong advocate for smart reforms in the criminal justice whose basis is not only a rhetoric of “ tough on crime”  but on a strategy that works from the  policing and community point of view.  This plan intends promote a region wide best practices and reforms that can address the public complaints on excessive use of force by police, any injustices present in the agency and malpractices that have adverse effect on the community especially the minority. The plan will require collaboration between the law enforcement agency, local government and the community. The collaboration will aim at achieving various objectives; identifying and evidenced-based strategies for dealing with crime with less use of force while upholding integrity of the agency; promoting improved accountability , government and community engagement for better law enforcement outcomes  and  adopt smart reform in criminal justice that will address any case of discrimination.

Minimizing use of force and upholding integrity

There have been various reports of excessive use of force that borders violence especially against vulnerable and minority groups in the community. A major and basic duty of police officer is protection of ones’ life and the law the use of force when officers are protecting themselves and others from possible injury (Prenzler, Porter, & Alpert, 2013). The plan is to have the law enforcement officers understand the situations in which use of deadly force is acceptable and necessary.  This will involve recognizing and raising the standards to more humane and appropriate standard; it may involve effecting changes in policy which can restrict the use of deadly force to only when appropriate. This will ensure that police officers restrain their actions while discharging their duties and dealing with community members especially the minority and people of color.  

 Organizational theories relating to police behavior comprises of aspects in the immediate environment of the organization including practices, polices and supervision (Prenzler, Porter, & Alpert, 2013). The plan also focuses on the significance of internal control mechanisms in the agency to ensure that police officer’s behavior is controlled.  The internal controls will be implemented through tightening of policies that give rise to increased use of excessive force by the law enforcement officers.  These policies will have to be clear about what is expected of the law enforcement agency and how officers should behavior in different circumstances. The policies will have to be written down, undertaken through regular reviews and even updated when necessary.   In order to review the extent to which the policy has been successfully adopted, a report on the use of force will be prepared and then analyzed and the findings reported publicly on yearly basis. The report will also involve all other adopted force measures.  The management system for police should include enough communication lines so that problems can be communicated as they arise. Communication is an important aspect while addressing the various issues raised by the members of the public where the corrective actions to be taken are addressed clearly (Prenzler, Porter, & Alpert, 2013).  The reported will be prepared by an Internal Investigation Unit that will also handle the problems that have been identified. The unit can also analyze the various complains by the members of the public and then find the best way of addressing them. 

The plan also focuses in police training on the use of force.   The importance of combat training cannot be understated in this case. Combat training involves being aware of one’s environment, making quick decisions and taking actions on the basis of changes in this situation (Lee, 2016).  The training will also extend to other areas including firearms and handling life-threatening situations. Instead of just using much time in classrooms or on range, the agency should adopt blended programs for learning such simulators for advanced use of force. These will provide efficiencies in police training and allow the agency to gain more from the programs with not additional human resources needed.  The use of simulated scenarios can offer special hands-on training that enable officers to learn how they can remain focused (Lee, 2016). The officers can also learn how they can rightly respond to high-stress situations in approaches that can be replicated with in different areas

Promoting accountability and engagement

The policy reforms are intended to create conducive environment for the law enforcement agency and the community to engage through various collaboration efforts.  The reviewing of existing policies , practices and even training of officers must address the lethal force use by police , which will be a proof to the community that the agency is committed to remain accountable to the public.  The accountability mechanisms can be achieved by reforming the oversight function which will ensure that officers’ use of excessive force is only allowed when there is a risk serious injury and death.  The gaps in accountability of law enforcement officers can be addressed by ensuring that polices issues are structured in a clear way so that the agency’s accountability intent is addressed (O'Reilly, 2017).  The policies must reflect the best practices in law enforcement agency and the right content so as to address the community concerns on police conduct.  The metropolitan government should choose to focus more on agency-community partnership and co-provision of safety. Policy-community collaboration needs a great emphasis on accountability through shared information, transparency and equity and necessary changes in the training, evaluation and promotion of law enforcement officers (O'Reilly, 2017).  The accountability aspect will be achieved if communities are rightly engaged in the entire process of oversight and planning. 

The community will be engaged through conversations about the use of lethal force and how it affect the relationship between the agency and the community and working together to in the development of a strategy for violence prevention.  The local residents input will be sought while developing the safety plans for their neighborhoods, meetings between the community members and the officer where people can raise concerns about the use of force.  This should also be extended to include the business community and private sector.  Collaboration does not just involve cooperating with community agencies and businesses. It should consist of a shared vision and problem solving through participative efforts and even sharing of available resources (Terpstra, 2011).  In collaborations, all partners will commit their efforts and resources to achieve the same goals. Collaboration also needs an improvement in information sharing especially when the law enforcement officers are dealing with offenders or when operating among neighborhoods considered to be of high risks.  The community can help the officers to identify with offenders and thus prevent much confrontation with the community while searching or arresting them.  This calls for increased trust between the two parties, when residents start seeing the law enforcement officers as meaning good for the public.  Any programs adopted by the agency have to embrace the input of the community so as to promote the feeling that they are being adopted with them rather than for them (Terpstra, 2011).  Collaboration can go a long way in eliminating various barriers between the parties involved. The officers at any level of the law enforcement agency can work with other officers in charge of schools and public health to sensitize the need for collaboration with the member of the public.  A cohesive relationship between the officers and community will increase trust and accountability.

Address any cases of discrimination

The concern over the use of excessive force has greatly been influenced by the notion or the reality of conflicts arising from differences in national origin, color or even race.  Therefore, the plan also seeks to address the prevention and resolution of discrimination cases that dampen the effort to have an effective cooperation between the police and the community.  The aim is to avert or even respond to any alleged violent actions of the police that can be related to perceived or actual traits of the suspect offenders.  Balancing how and when to apply force when operating in neighborhoods whose residents are majorly the minority should be one of the skills those officers must possess (Wilson, Wilson & Gwann, 2016). The case of discrimination related to maintenance of ethical practices within the agency. In communities where confidence between the public and law enforcement officers is low especially due to real or perceived discrimination, the approach will be to develop a platform where such concerns can be addressed. Such issues also involve concerns that there is insufficient presence of police or inadequate representation of community in the police force.  The strategy is to develop a high confidence and improved relations within the members of the minority community and averting any use of force that may jeopardize the existing integrity.  The agency and the community have to work in conjunction to ease any discrimination related tensions such as due to race, use effective communication lines and thus rebuild trust.  Community trust, safety and stability can be achieved for all people when officers and residents come together and build the necessary trust and confidence (Wilson, Wilson & Gwann, 2016).

 The agency should take preventive actions that are timely to avert targeting of persons on the basis of distinctive background, color or origin which can potentially bring about conflict and disorder.  The use of minimal force will prevent hostile reactions from the community and this safeguard or improve relations with the community.  In case there use of force has already happened the officer who arrive at the scene must maintain community peace, investigation should done thoroughly and the right action taken.  The standard procedures for police operations highlighted in the aforesaid reformed policy must be adopted at this point. Some appropriately prepared press statements should be availed to prevent destructive media coverage. Moreover, ensuring officer presence or representation is in place will solve any tension.

Conclusion

Dealing with concerns over excessive use of force requires police reform to ensure there is collaboration with the community and which will be achieved when accountability in the law enforcement agency is assured. Maintaining ethical practices among the officers will prevent discrimination related issues that can jeopardize agency-community relations.

References

Prenzler, T., Porter, L., & Alpert, G. P. (2013). Reducing police use of force: Case studies and prospects. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18(2), 343-356.

Lee, C. (2016). Race, policing, and lethal force: Remedying shooter bias with martial arts training. Law & Contemp. Probs., 79, 145.

Wilson, C. P., Wilson, S. A., & Gwann, M. (2016). Identifying barriers to diversity in law enforcement agencies. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, 14(4), 231-253.

O'Reilly, K. M. (2017). Transparency, accountability, and engagement: A recipe for building trust in policing (Doctoral dissertation, Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School).

Terpstra, J. (2011). Governance and accountability in community policing. Crime, law and social change, 55(2-3), 87-104.

Introduction

War and peace are different sides of the same coin. There cannot exist order before the ravaging effects of a war calm down. After the dust caused by war settles, victims of war must receive immediate foreign aid. It is easier to deliver the international assistance in an area with peace as compared to a location with chaos. Peace brings about stability, which in turn gives ample time for supplies to reach their intended place. This paper will look into the Rohingya crisis and evaluate in detail the negative and positive impacts that war and peace have on the disbursement of foreign aid In Bangladesh. It will explore specific actions leaders in Bangladesh took with the help of the international support they got from well-wishers and donors (Ibrahim, 2016).

Origin of the crisis Rohingya

Rohingya is a minority ethnic group in Myanmar. Moreover, they are 1 million in number. This number represents the majority Muslim group in Myanmar with many of them living in Rakhine state. Despite being majority Muslim group, in a country dominated by Buddhists authorities, they face discrimination. In fact, the government, which consists mainly of Buddhists, denies Rohingya rights such as citizenship, and excluded them from 2014 national census (Ibrahim, 2016) .The government, perceives them as immigrants from Bangladesh. The immigrants moved into Myanmar in droves around the 1970s and made it their home. Furthermore, recently Rohingya gradually started walking back into Bangladesh due to the discrimination they faced from the Buddhists. Before the most recent attacks, a majority of Rohingya migrated out of Myanmar to escape from the violence and abuse from security authorities. The main reason Rohingya moved out of Myanmar was due to the anticipation of retaliation from the Buddhists after they burnt 30 police post (Svensson, & Wallenstein, 2010). True to their intuition, police officers instructed by Buddhists chased after them and burnt their villages and killed some of them in a violent. The attack as claimed lives of many Rohingya. At least an estimated 6700 men and women died. Out of the 6700,730 were children (Svensson, & Wallenstein, 2010). Amnesty International declared that Myanmar military tortured and raped women.

The negative and positive impacts that war and peace have on the disbursement of foreign aid in the crisis Rohingya

The foreign assistance consists of any help regarding finances, military or technical support that comes mostly from a developed country. It is meant to assist the country return to normalcy after an eruption of chaos or refugees who escaped into a nearby state after violence; in this case, Bangladesh is the country victim of Rohingya pursued amnesty (Svensson, & Wallenstein, 2010).

Bangladesh played a crucial role in hosting Rohingya Muslim minorities. As the host country, people of Bangladesh allowed victims of the Rohingya crisis to cross into their country. Although people overlook the contribution of host countries, the nation often set a precedent that in turn allows other nations to send of foreign aid into the area. Furthermore, the whole country corporates with foreign aid donors and enables these supplies to reach the victims. For instance, the Bangladesh officials allowed countries to send in essentials to the victims of the Rohingya crisis. A state that decides to host refugees gives the foundational basis for other aids to reach the victims (Farzana, 2017).

Additionally, during wars provides the good platform that harbors creative measures that cater to the vital matters at hand. This measures and mitigation result in peace and better methods of solving issues. Mitigations are also a form of foreign aid as they help to calm the situation down. For instance, when Rohingya victims ran for help in Bangladesh, the world had to combine efforts and look into their condition and at the same time finds solutions to their problems by delivering food, clothes, and medical care to the victims. This often leads to better standards of living than the usual way the victims are familiar with in their daily exists (Ibrahim, 2016).

On the other side during peace, facilitates movement of aid from one place to another. First, order brings about stability. Consequently, it brings political sustainability and gives a chance for conflict resolution. In Bangladesh, peace enabled the government to look into the situation and involved third parties such as the United Kingdom and America to discuss on the way forward (Farzana, 2017).

Actions taken by Bangladesh using foreign aid received

Indian leaders took the initiative and used the foreign assistance to contain the Rohingya crisis originating from Myanmar. The issue may not directly upset India presently, but it may indirectly affect them shortly (Human, 2016).This prompted the leaders to take measures that would resolve the issues. In addition, the leaders feared that the conflict might cross over to India. Thus, they had to ensure they safeguard the security of the victims and at the same time try to resolve the issue just to prevent it from spilling over into their borders. Therefore, it was a common interest to address the issue using resources they got from donors. The first thing the leaders of Bangladesh did was designate an area where women and children could spend their night while recovering from the violent ordeal (Farzana, 2017).

 The impact of foreign aid

Foreign aids cannot make an impact on their own. Bangladesh had to have the political right will for foreign aid to work efficiently. As a response to the crisis, revenue generated from neighboring countries brought about unity and nonpartisan politics. Countries near the region joined hands and try to resolve the Rohingya crisis. The non-governmental organization allowed into Bangladesh gave food and medical services to the victims of Rohingya crisis. They tended to the wounded and gave relief food to the hungry (Human, 2016).

Conclusion

In summary, the peace and war provide various conditions that influence the manner in which foreign aid reaches the intended destination. Peace facilitates peace talks and diplomacy, which in turn gives a chance for other forms of foreign aid to resolve the issues. On the other hand war only provides evacuation plans and diplomats take advantage to come up with innovate ways of ensuring safety and essential needs of the victims are met .Rohingya crisis received a lot of foreign aid which helped to resolve the crisis and come up with amicable solutions to the crisis.

References

Farzana, K. F. (2017). Memories of Burmese Rohingya refugees: Contested identity and belonging. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan

Ibrahim, A. (2016). Rohingyas: Inside Myanmar has Hidden Genocide. Oxford University Press.

Svensson, I., & Wallenstein, P. (2010). The go-between: Jan Eliasson and the styles of mediation. Washington, D.C: United States Institute of Peace.

Human, R. W. (2016). World report 2016 - events of 2015

Farzana, K. F. (2017). Memories of Burmese Rohingya refugees: Contested identity and belonging. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Police report

Crime report

A 20 years old man was found dead outside his house in Edgewater, Florida.  On April 5, 2018, at 9:00 am, the police officers in Edgewater were called by the Ambulance Services and, on arrival the police officers found the man unconscious.  The doctors at the crime scene examined the body and confirmed the man was dead. Up to now, the police officers have not arrested the suspects and the death is treated as unexplained. However, we have made a visual identification by producing photographs of known criminals in the area where the witnesses may help identify the suspects. We have also allowed the witnesses to conduct a post-event assimilation where they will do their research and provide us with new information. Furthermore, a post-mortem has been set to take place as part of an investigation to understand the crime. The police department is waiting for the preliminary reports from the pathologists to understand the cause of the cause. Awaiting for the postmodern, forensic photography has been done in the crime scene, and investigators have provided detailed recordings such as images, fingerprints, footprints, bullet holes among other photographs of evidence (Johnson et al, 2014).

There were some challenges that I encountered when completing the report. First, recording details and evidence of a crime is a complex task since as a police officer I am expected to present paperwork to the court. The documentation submitted on the paperwork may not reflect the reality of the practice that occurred at the crime scene, and this means that the deceptive discretion might have an adverse outcome when dealing with the criminal cases (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009).  It is not easy as a police officer to present documentation that fits the court presentation requirements and the minimum standards.   In other words, as an investigator, the supervisors do not provide a considerable degree of autonomy but what happens is that supervisors offer inappropriate organizational needs.

The prosecutor in the legal system will need the report before justifying the criminal proceedings.  Police reports have many benefits, and as a police officer, the facts provided in the report will help the criminal justice system operate efficiently and effectively (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009). The report will allow the prosecutor conduct case proceedings, conduct further investigation and more importantly, a prosecutor may use the report in making a verdict. Note that this report serves as an initial investigation where issues such as blood stains, sounds, actions and more are reported. Since further research will be required, the prosecutor will review the report to understand the full scope of the event.  To prove the case, the prosecutor will ensure that the all the elements provided are true and accurate.  Although the report does not contain all the critical issues, it provides evidence for the issues happened at the crime scene. The report will also help in determining the innocent or guilty concerning the details and information (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009).  As a police officer, the report will serve as an essential tool in deterring criminal activities in the community.  All recorded reports will help concentrate on a particular area and track criminal activity and at the same time provide security to the residents. Since we did not suspect the criminal at the crime scene, the report and the forensic photographing will assist in tracking down the suspects (Tong, Bryant & Horvath, 2009).

Reference

Tong, S., Bryant, R., & Horvath, M. (2009). Understanding criminal investigation. Chichester, UK: Wiley-

Blackwell.

Johnson A. Wm., Retting P. Richard, Scott M. Gregory.,& Garrison M. Stephen. (2014). The Criminal

Justice Student Writer's Manual. Pearson Education

Different Crime Scenarios

As a bloodstain pattern analyst, I would use the ‘fluorescence' and the specific method I would use is the Fluorescein method. The process involves exposing a chemical substance to a short wavelength to produce light if there is a cleaned bloodstain. Fluorescein test is sensitive in detecting enzymes and iron in the red blood cells. If the criminals have cleaned up the bloodstains, the hemassociated molecule will be formed on the substrata (Wonder & Yezzo, 2014). In using this method, Forensic Light Source or Ultra violate Light, Hydrogen and a darkened room are required. Fluorescein method has optical properties which will increase the amount of the signal.

 I would use ‘Rapid immunoassay' in bloodstain identification. This method is highly sensitive where a test strip is used for the reaction of antigens to form a visible reaction. As a trained personnel, I would use this method since it is easily performed and it produces a result in a rapid manner, unlike the DNA quantitation and immunological tests methods. For instance, the DNA quantitation involves the use of DNA sample and human DNA (Wonder & Yezzo, 2014). This method is not effective since the human DNA produces a positive reaction due to DNA fragmentation.  Immunological tests allow the human bloodstain to react with antihuman hemoglobin to produce positive results of the blood stain.  This method is prone to false interpretation and the method may lack biological materials to perform the test.  Hence, immunoassay acts as a detection reagent for detecting blood stains (Wonder & Yezzo, 2014).

 Household chemicals that can react with fluorescence and give false positive include Hydrogen Peroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, and Phthalates. These chemicals react with fluorescein to form a positive reaction which does not prove to be a fluorescein-blood reaction but it is a false positive (Wonder & Yezzo, 2014). The false positive occurs due to inherent fluorescence which comes from Alternate Light Source and this may not help in the identification of bloodstain.

Forensic photography provides clear and high-quality images at the crime scene.  Forensic photography is good for legal investigation and visual records and, it gives a clear evidence of the entire investigation. The photographs record the scene, the location and appearance, the condition and dimension of evidence, the witnesses and other relevant things that would help in understanding the scene (Robinson, 2012). Forensic photography provides a complete understanding and an accurate evidence that helps in documenting all reports. Rather than relying on the blood presumptive test alone, scene photography captures every detail.  The presumptive test is important as they provide accurate information about the crime scene which gives the photographer first-hand information.  Photographer gains a complete information and finds the physical evidence to document the first-hand results. The purpose of photographing is to capture the locations and objects and to move beyond the general information to the specific (Robinson, 2012).

 Investigators may come across challenging situations such as being exposed to biohazards-infectious waste such as needles, blades, blood, urine, chemical and physical hazards such as toxic chemicals, contamination of skin, confined space dangers with explosive materials, new dangers due to new technologies, stress due to working long hours and encountering accident victims, among other related challenges (Robinson, 2012). The crime scene technician can address these challenges by learning adequate basic skills based on personal safety and occupational safety to avoid the hazards. Above all, the technicians should wear gloves when collecting evidence and wear protective gear to avoid contact with the harmful chemical substance. Technicians should adhere to safety procedures and provide emergency care to injured people to minimize the contaminating and maximize safety (Robinson, 2012).

 Steps which I would use to photo document the results of presumptive tests include taking photographs in the core areas using close-up perspectives. I would also take numerous photographs in taking footwear impressions, tire impressions, tool marks, and fingerprints. In photo documenting the presumptive results, I would also use a digital camera to produce high-quality pictures (Robinson, 2012).  Another important point is to investigate the evidence collected and the photographing will be based on providing a permanent record and useful information that will assist the detectives and prosecutors. The first step in arriving the scene is to take the photographs as overall views, medium views, and close-up views. I would also take pictures of surrounding areas such as neighboring homes and other objects (Robinson, 2012).

The best type of presumptive test is chemiluminescence and fluorescence tests since they are highly sensitive and cost-effective.  It is important to note that the Presumptive Assays requires oxidation-reduction reaction where the reaction changes to lose hydrogen in biochemical reaction and gains oxidants (Stuart, 2014).  The former uses chemical reaction while the former uses light and both are used as detecting methods due to their high sensitivity and selectivity.  It is also important to note that Chemiluminescence has various agents including fluorescein which is used in the biological system. In investigating crimes, both reagents provides a positive reaction when there is a human blood and the methods also detect the locations where there are traces of blood (Stuart, 2014).

Reference

Stuart H. James.,  Nordby J. John  &  Suzanne Bell. (2014). Forensic Science: An Introduction to Scientific

and Investigative Techniques, Taylor & Francis

Wonder, A. Y., & Yezzo, G. M. (2014). Bloodstain patterns: Identification, interpretation, and application.

Amsterdam : Elsevier,

Robinson, E. M. (2012). Introduction to crime scene photography.  Elsevier

 Self-Defense

Case Study

            Individuals have the right to defend themselves also there limits to what a person can do in self- defense. For example, the law does not allow an individual to shoot someone because of a small fight.  Individuals have the right to protect themselves from any physical harm and they can do so in self –defense without being liable for any crime. Self-defense is viewed as response where there is no alternative rather uses defensive force.  Brutus was just defending himself since he was placed in a situation which demanded him to choose between defending the female patron or allow Jack Daniel to continue assaulting her. Also, the patron had the chance to withdraw from the act before matter got worse rather Jack continued to push Brutus. Jack attempted to punch Brutus and this made Brutus respond by using force in self-defense. Though self – preference is not the right to do rather it is viewed as an excuse. 

             Issues of liability come in when it comes to an individual’s fighting in the workplace. In most cases the person who started the attack should be the one to have direct liability on the victim, such liabilities includes expenses for the injuries and damaged properties. Apart from the attacker, there is also a higher possibility for liability among other people. Under the legal theories, the employer has liability to the person who has been attacked. For example, the attack on Brutus and Patron occurred at the bar meaning that it created liability for the employer which is premises liability theory. Whether the attack involved the client, employee or anyone else the employer will be responsible for that. Sharon will be responsible for the attack since Brutus was at the line of duty during the attack. Liability of negligent occurs when an employer has the full knowledge that the worker is capable of creating violence. The legal theories allow the employers to dismiss those employees who engage in violence in order to minimize such acts in the company. Even when an employer hires an employee from an independent contractor, he or she can be responsible for the misconduct of the employee. The reason to impose the liability on the owner who has a connection with the independent contractor and with the employee such that he knows the independent contractor is the boss of the employee. Violence at worked creates a major impact leading to financial problems, physical and psychological problems to the victims. It also affects the company as whole, staffs, and families.

            The bar will be held accountable for any harm by Brutus since according to the legal theories  law institution have indicated that workers should be held liable for any harm inflicted on the clients. Under a legal doctrine, an employer is held accountable for the wrong doings of the staff. This type of rule is applied when the violence took place during the time the employee was working in the company or outside doing his or her job meaning that employer will be liable if the employee was on doing his or her job or doing company business outside the premises.  In the first incident, Sharon will hold legally responsible since Brutus and Jack broke into a fight in the workplace, in the second incidence where Brutus met patron on the street, Sharon will be responsible for acts and carelessness of her employee. The employer will be liable if the injury caused by the employee is among the business risks. In this case, Sharon can be held liable since Brutus was not acting independently and he was not helping the female patron out of personal motive rather he was doing his job as a bouncer (ScholarsKlearman, 2016). If Sharon will be sued under the legal theory of respondent superior, the patron would have to show that it is the responsibility of Sharon to have known that Brutus can cause harm at the bar. According to legal theory any client attacked by any of your staffs can sue the employer for not verifying the qualities of an employee whether he or she can cause harm to others or continue keeping them in your company and you have learnt that there are capable of causing harm to your clients which is referred to negligent retention.  This rule will apply even what your employees do outside the job. This rule also holds the employees responsible for employees’ violent actions such as murder, rape, and robbery. This rule can only be applied where the employer act carelessly that is being aware that the applicant is capable of causing and the employer go ahead in employing him or her (Csiernik, 2014).

            The bar should come up with rulers and policies that there should be zero tolerance of violence either verbal or non-verbal in the workplace. The employer should ensure that all staffs, new visitors, and clients are aware of this policy and any employee who is reported to misconduct should be punished immediately. The bar owner should encourage her workers to report violence incidences and come up with ways of reducing or eliminating such risks. Also, the company should brief the employees occasionally to address violent issues such as preserving safety, showing support for the affected staff and facilitating recovery. Sharon should have a good plan for maintaining security in the bar this will include her establishing a connection with law enforcement representative who can help her identify ways to reduce or do away with violence issues at the bar.  The employer should ensure that the supervisors are trained and have the skills to handle and prevent violence in the company.  It is important to alert the police whenever such an attack happens this will help to establish your rights in both criminal and civil cases. Also it important to have witness who saw the whole scene, collect their information in case you will need them to act as your witness (Kaplin, 2013)

            The company should have to perform background checks when employing workers. They should make their policy to verify background check of the applicant before hiring them to their company by double checking on their information on the curriculum vitae. The employer will be able to get rid of dangerous characters and these will help the employer to show that he or she was careful in hiring practices. When hiring individuals who will have more public contact the employer should be careful since any misconduct done by the workers he or she will be held responsible. Also, the employer should get rid of employees who are capable or attempted to harm others.  The employer can be held responsible for keeping such a worker in his or her company (Steingold, 2017).

             In conclusion violence at the workplace should not be ignored.  The increasing numbers of violence cases should be a red signal to employees and employers that such incidence can also occur in their company.

References

 Csiernik, R. (2014). Workplace wellness: Issues and responses. Toronto, Ontario : Canadian.

Kaplin, W. A., & Lee, B. A. (2013). The law of higher education: A comprehensive guide to legal implications of administrative decision making. San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass.

ScholarsKlearman, S. J. (2016). Elements of Nevada Legal Theories. Cork: BookBaby.

Steingold, F. S. (2017). The Employer's Legal Handbook: Manage Your Employees & Workplace Effectively. NOLO.

Celebrity Trials

It is important to have television cameras in courtrooms as it has several advantages. In real televised case trials, attorneys create a new sense of hardworking, effective and reasonable attorneys. Whereas in a fictional trial, the main aim of the show is to be dramatic. It is through television that the trial is accessible to all regardless of whether a person attended the trial or not as all people are able to follow the proceedings as they are watching at the comfort of their homes. As the media covers a given trial, the people are able to understand and see how the criminal justice system operates and executes their judgment and hence allowing them to gain confidence in the criminal justice system. Moreover, use of television cameras in court enables people to gather facts on their own and hence is not likely to be exploited by the bias covered by the news stations. It is important to record the events and the proceedings during the trial as this will enable the court to safely retrieve the already recorded parts of the case where they are able to replay the parts especially during appeals (Neubauer & Meinhold, 2012). However, having television cameras in courtrooms also has its own set of disadvantages. It is important to note that the exposure of a trial to the public puts the case art a risk of receiving prejudices of the trial and ultimately, the general public may reach to a conclusion where they may acquit a person as guilty or rather innocent. In addition, prejudices on the interpretation of law are received in appeal courts who observe the videotaped trial proceedings. Also, television cameras showing the proceedings may exaggerate some of the elements of the case. This may also affect the judges of the case as they may also be victims of manipulation by the public views and hence may end up giving judgments that are in favor of the public’s view (Neubauer & Meinhold, 2012). 

More than often, a celebrity usually makes a defendant to at the very least receive a fair trial following the great media coverage and public interest in the case. The media is responsible for inclining the case in opposition to the celebrity. In other scenarios, the media may establish sympathy for the accused. Among the high profile celebrity cases in the past years, none of the cases dealt with critical issues that were of national importance. These cases were just normal cases just like other common cases committed by a common man, however, these cases usually gained media attention and public interest and hence the cases were not a representation of the normal judicial trial proceedings. Stewart’s story while in prison was newsworthy. This is because celebrities usually make news regardless of how small it may seem but it actually forms a headline. Her story actually acted as a lesson about the equal criminal justice and her story became an empowerment about the correctional system and to be more specific on the women in prison (Cecil, 2007). One of the most pressing emerging issues in the modern media is the urge to convey big ratings that attract higher revenues and in this case, Stewart being a celebrity created interest among people as compared to that of a violent or predator’s trial.

References

Cecil, D. K. (2007). Doing time in “Camp Cupcake”: Lessons learned from newspaper accounts of Martha Stewart’s incarceration. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 14(2), 142-160.

Neubauer, D, W & Meinhold, S, S. (2012). Judicial Process: Law, Courts, and Politics in the United States, Cengage.

The role of Jackie Robinson in the criminal justice system

Jackie Robinson was one of the many a notable figures in the history of the United States. He broke the racial barrier when he was recruited to play for Brooklyn dodgers .Robinson was very talented and won many accolades .In spite of being talented he still was discriminated racially. He was insulted and ridiculed. (Week 7 doc)

The courage and gracefulness that he used to handle the discrimination inspired a lot of black Americans. They questioned the common doctrine of ‘separate but equal’. Jackie Robinson paved way for the rise of civil right movements. The civil right movement were to push for equality and integration of the society. (Week 7 doc)

He challenged segregation and was outspoken on matters that concerned representation of minor races in sports and other professional spheres.

Jacky Robison spoke openly about racial discrimination. He criticized the reluctant way in which the authorities were implementing policies that would allow baseball integration. Jackie led other baseball players in advocating for baseball to utilize it’s financial to bring equality in sports. (Week 7 doc)

Challenges encountered by Jacky Robinson

Despite of being talented in baseball, Jacky faced a lot of challenges. Being a black American in an all-white baseball league was not easy. He faced mistreatment from his fellows teammates as well as from the opposing team. They criticized him due to his skin color. Some tried to find fault that could make him disqualified from playing. Others sent him death threats through his mail. (Thompson, 2006).

The discrimination was too much the managers and players had to be warned against it by the baseball commissioner of that time. For instances. Louis cardinals had threatened to participate I strike if they played nine the same field as a black man. (Thompson, 2006).

If Jacky Robinson had broken racial Barrier today

Obviously, his experiences might have been totally different if he had broken the racial barrier today. First of all, in today’s world the public is much exposed as compared to the past. People have interacted with different races over time and changed their perspectives on the issue that one race is inferior to the other or that one race is superior to the other. Jacky Robinson therefore would not have faced a huge challenge after breaking the racial barrier. His civil rights movement could have taken various forms i.e. through the media and social media. (Jordan et.al, 2009)

Also, in today’s world there are various laws that heavily guard against racism or any other form of discrimination in the society. The law would create an opportunity for him to be treated equally like the rest of the other team members .Therefore he would have used the judiciary to pursuit his dreams of integration. (Jordan et.al, 2009)

He would have faced racism forum institution and he would have been short changed any time he landed major endorsement deal. This would hurt have hurt him financially. (Jordan et.al, 2009)

Two challenges that Jacky would have faced as he played his role

As the first black baseball player to play in the baseball league, he faced: racial discrimination. The whole responsibility for fighting racial discrimination fell on his shoulder. The black community looked up to him for advice and direction .This was exhausting but possible (Jordan et.al, 2009)

The second challenged he faced was convincing people to follow his course of integrating minority communities and championing for their rights. This made his journey more difficult and challenging (Jordan et.al, 2009)

References

Jordan, W. T., Fridell, L., Faggiani, D., & Kubu, B. (2009). Attracting females and racial/ethnic minorities to law enforcement. Journal of Criminal Justice, 37(4), 333–341

Thompson, R. A. (2006). Black skin—Brass shields: Assessing the presumed marginalization of black law enforcement executives. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 30(2), 163–177.

Week 7 Application: Pioneers of diversity in Criminal justice Professions.

McDonalds Incident

Lieback was 20 percent responsible for her body injury. It is expected that a reasonable person would know that hot coffee cause burn injuries to her body and hence ought to handle it carefully. Even though McDonalds had a responsibility to responsibly care and thus avoid injuries to their customers, Lieback should have held the coffee carefully knowing that it is always served hot. In addition, a reasonable person could expect that the coffee’s temperature would be dangerous. The McDonalds failure due warn customers that the coffee at 180 to 190 °F can cause serious burn injuries and  the 700 complaints attested to this.  Since Lieback did not expect that the coffee can cause 3^rd degree burns, McDonalds bore the highest level of responsibility since they controlled coffee temperature. Duty of care requires that a person is obliged to take care to avert injury if such can be foreseen (Kershaw, 2012).

 The criticism of the Judge on McDonalds was right. To begin with, the firm was callous since it failed in its duty of care since. It did not take responsible care to avert any injury to customers arising from their hot coffee. McDonalds had received many complaints about customers’ injuries from their hot coffee product but failed to clearly warn customers that it was likely to cause serious injuries. It should have placed a clear notice indicating the temperature level of the product so that any customer can take care of their safety.  The conduct was willful since it could also have reduced the temperature of the product. It was reckless for the firm to offer coffee at way beyond 40 degrees, unlike in other coffee outlets.

Stella Lieback‘s reward should have been the determined $160,000 and punitive damages of $2.7 considering the kind of physical injuries she ensured and psychological damages. The injuries in her thighs, genital areas and buttocks were likely to affect life in terms of daily chores and low self-esteem and thus her sex life.

Reference

Kershaw, D. (2012). Company law in context: Text and materials. Oxford, U. K: Oxford University Press.418-419

Risk factors and coping skills for juvenile victims

Three reasons that causes juveniles to engage in violent activities and crimes

One of the main underlying reasons as to why juveniles community violent crimes is due to some risk determinants  that they came across their lives at a younger age. Some of the risk determinates that are closely associated with juvenile crime are abject poverty, exposure to violence and crimes; drugs abuse, access to guns and other ammunition, rocky family life and violence within the family; irresponsible peers and influence from the  media. The decline in family values and an abusive and neglected life are one of the main reasons that causes violence criminal activities among the youth. (Jordan & Myers, 2011).

When family values decline among family members, a juvenile may lack proper guidance that may prevent them from engaging in crime. Family values instilled in a child play a very big role in ensuring that a child grows up to become a responsible individual therefore when family values decline, it can trigger engaging in criminal activities. (Pearl, Ashcraft, & Geis, 2009).

The second reason is living in abject poverty. When a youthful individual cannot get access to basic needs, they may seek an alternative way through perpetrating violent crimes in the society. Many young people have either been orphaned at an early age forcing them to fend for themselves without supervision from an adult. Some of them end up making poor choices and give their life to crime. Child abuse by family members also may manifest itself in very violent behavior. Poor environment within which the family of the youth reside of ten create a conducive place to commit violent crimes (Culhane, & Taussig, 2009).

 The short term effects on juvenile perpetrators who engage in brutal crime

Short term effects do not persist into adulthood. Short-term effects become less vital as the juvenile becomes more mature.one of the short term of effects is poor performance in academics due to the concentration of crime grades may tend to drop. The juvenile may be put in a juvenile prison due to the crime he committed .The juvenile can be isolated form the society. (Lipsey, 2009).

Exposing youths to violent crime can put them at risk of being depressed, anxious and self-esteem problems.A4lthough these problems seem short term, they must be handled careful y to minimize their impact on the juveniles. (Pearl, Ashcraft, & Geis, 2009).

Long term effects on juveniles who participate in violent crimes

Research often reveal that most of young people who serve in correctional facilities enter into the adult justice system because they persist with their behavior. Persistent in anti-social behavior may give rise to other associated behavior that will harbor criminal behavior. (Culhane, & Taussig, 2009).

Two rehabilitative services available in the juvenile justice system

Early intermediate programs

This program is meant to address any addiction and other dangerous behaviors that may be the underlying reason behind why the juvenile committed the crime. These programs are run through specialty courts .They come up with ways that juvenile can get rid of the additive behaviors and develop constructive behaviors. (Culhane, & Taussig, 2009).

Vocation training and engaging in community work

The vocation technical program are incorporated in some business communities in the community. They assist juveniles to develop employable skills which will divert them from crime. They help to change the behavior of the youth into a better person. (Pearl, Ashcraft, & Geis, 2009).

Effectiveness of rehabilitation services

Juvenile perpetrators can either be punished or rehabilitated .Vocational training and community work assist to develop a child and give a chance to become a better person in the future. Unlike punishment which seeks only retribution and instills fear which does not change the juvenile’s behavior. (Pearl, Ashcraft, & Geis, 2009).

References

Culhane, S., & Taussig, H. N. (2009). The structure of problem behavior in a sample of maltreated youths. Social Work Research, 33(2), 70–78.

Jordan, K. L., & Myers, D. L. (2011). Juvenile transfer and deterrence: Reexamining the effectiveness of a “get-tough” policy. Crime & Delinquency, 57(2), 247–270.

Lipsey, M. W. (2009). The primary factors that characterize effective interventions with juvenile offenders: A meta-analytic overview. Victims & Offenders, 4(2), 124–147

Pearl, N., Ashcraft, R. P., & Geis, K. A. (2009). Predicting juvenile recidivism using the San Diego regional resiliency check-up. Federal Probation, 73(3), 46–49