Criminal Justice Initiatives (Essay Sample)

Criminal Justice Initiatives
Name
Institution
Introduction
The high prevalence of criminal activities in the modern societies has remained a big challenge to many governments across the world since they have a role of providing security to their citizens. Crime generates fear in the community, which then impacts on the daily lives of the citizens. Institutions within the criminal justice system continue to explore some of the most effective ways to eliminate crimes. Some of these methods that are applied today seek to discourage the engagement in illegal activities through educational programs while others seek to directly punish the offenders. The methods used in crime control produce varying outcomes depending on the location where they are applied, the type of people they target, among other factors. This discussion focuses on three key criminal justice initiatives that include youth outreach programs, gun patrol, and prisoner reentry programs. It will evaluate the effectiveness of each one of them in a bid to understand where they can be applied.
Youth Outreach Programs
Youth outreach programs are initiatives that instill desired values and characters in minors, which then helps them avoid engaging in illegal activities (Gottredson et al., 2001). The program brings together many stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the community as a whole. Studies reveal that teenagers are more likely to engage in criminal activities than any other age group. These minors can easily end up having long criminal careers if they are not monitored and provided with the necessary intervention programs. Thus, the youth outreach programs aim at implementing strategies that will instill desired values in the individuals and also help those that are already hooked in the illegal activities to reform.
There are many factors that have been found to contribute to the high prevalence of crime among the youths. Most parents in modern families, for instance, work for long hours, and therefore have little or no time to monitor the actions of their children. This has led to a great concern over the welfare of unsupervised children and adolescents as most adults do not have enough time to provide meaningful guidance or constructive activities to the young people (Gottredson et al., 2001). The reduced parental presence leaves the children with a lot of free time, especially after school, during weekends and holidays. This provides the youths with sufficient time to experiment with undesirable activities such as crimes and substance abuse, especially due to peer pressure. The outreach programs target these periods when the minors are most vulnerable. Some of these programs in the country include Teen Outreach and Boys and Girl Clubs (Gottredson et al., 2001). The initiatives provide the target groups with a "safe haven" off the streets, offers structured, supervised, productive, and fun activities, and also provides education that introduces children to adult role models on top of offering academic assistance and community opportunities (Gottredson et al., 2001). As a result, there is a reduced risk of the youths engaging and participating in illegal activities such as robbery, sale, and use of drugs. The after-school programs have proved to be effective to the law enforcement agencies, in association with community-based organizations, in the reduction of crime, especially in high risk areas where the minors are more vulnerable.
School-based programs have proved to be effective in addressing the high prevalence of crime among the youths. Some of these type of youth outreach programs include D.A.R.E, which is police officer led classroom lessons that target adolescent and teens across the country (Freihet et al., 1999). They are funded by the government and teaches the target group on how to resist peer pressure, avoid violence, drug, and substance abuse. The programs are usually effective since they are led by a law enforcement agent who uses his or her skills and experience to educate and create awareness among the youths. The effectiveness of the youth outreach programs is enhanced by the personal approach to the issues facing the young generation and the ability of the staff to provide the required moral support and guidance (Gottredson et al., 2001). Therefore, the initiative acts to address the factors that draw the youths to criminal related activities and equips them with skills and knowledge needed to handle the peer pressure and the urge to engage in undesirable behaviors. As a result, individuals who have gone through the youth outreach programs are less likely to engage in criminal activities in their youth and adulthood.
Gun Patrol
Gun patrol is a police intervention initiative that targets to reduce the illegal possession and carrying of firearms by members of the public (Koper & Mayo-Wilson, 2006). Most crimes that are carried out today involve the use of a gun. In most cases, these weapons are either stolen or acquired illegally (Cook et al., 1995). Therefore, gun patrol as a crime control initiative seeks to minimize the prevalence of gun-related crimes among the youths and adult population groups.
Gun patrol involves a wide range of activities that include directed patrols, roadblock checkpoints, enhanced monitoring of probationers, parolees, use of new gun detection technologies, weapon reporting hotlines, searches of school lockers, and zero tolerance initiatives (Koper & Mayo-Wilson, 2006). Effective implementation of this program results in the reduction of overall crime rates in the community. Throughout the years, law enforcement agencies across all parts of the nation have collected data in a bid to analyze and identify crime patterns (Avdija, 2008). The information plays a significant role in helping the police map out areas that require gun patrol, the specific time, kind of people to target, and the method to use. A study on gun patrol initiative conducted by various police departments across America showed that the intervention programs resulted in reduced crime rates in the targeted areas. In Kansas City, gun patrol was done by four police officers in a pair of two cars during the study. The officers were engaged in proactive gun detection via car and pedestrian stops (Koper & Mayo-Wilson, 2006). During the examination period, which lasted 200 nights, the police seized 29 guns, which represented an increase in gun seizures by 65%. Consequently, gun crimes reduced by 49%. In Indianapolis, law enforcement agents conducted a similar crime control initiative. The police maximized traffic stops and utilized a “targeted offender” approach in some areas by focusing on particularly suspicious persons and vehicles (Koper & Mayo-Wilson, 2006). The initiative led to the seizure of a total of 25 guns, which represented an increase in the total gun seizure by over 50%. Consequently, incidents of armed robbery reduced by 40% in the north of the targeted area. Similar crime control initiatives were conducted in Pittsburg and Columbia, and in both cases, the police reported an increase in gun seizure and a reduction in crime. The statistics reveal that gun control is an effective crime control strategy that can help reduce the number of violent crimes. The increased police presence also helps reduce other types of crimes within the patrol area. Therefore, a proactive gun patrol is one of the most effective crime control initiatives that works best in high risks areas. It allows the law enforcement officers to retrieve illegal weapons and discourage the carrying of firearms by licensed individuals, which results in a reduced number of violent crime.
Prisoner Re-entry Programs
Prisoner reentry programs are correctional programs that focus on the transition of an individual from prison back to the community (Seiter & Kadela, 2003). Reintegrating back to the community is always challenging for most inmates after the completion of their prison sentences. Studies have shown that most of them struggle to get back to their normal lives as they are usually rejected by their friends and family. Those that are lucky enough to be accepted back by their relatives usually find it hard to adapt to the new life, which is worsened by their inability to get employment opportunities. As a result, most of them slowly drift back to their old ways and start engaging in crime and drugs, and eventually end up in prison for repeated offenses. The prison reentry programs are critical in any society as they help the inmates’ transition from prison life and back to the community.
The reentry programs offered across the nation include vocational and work programs, violent or sex offender treatment, substance abuse treatment, and halfway house programs (Seiter & Kadela, 2003). Vocational and work programs seek to equip the inmates with knowledge and skills needed in the labor market. Some of the individuals are convicted at a young age while other serve long sentences and consequently, they do not have a good grasp of the world when they are released back to the community. The vocational and work programs help them transition into the labor industry, allowing them to search for employment opportunities or start their own income generating activities. The initiative provides an effective tool in reducing recidivism in addition to improving job readiness skills (Seiter & Kadela, 2003). Drug rehabilitation helps inmates overcome their addictions by equipping them with skills to suppress the undesired urges to use drugs. In most cases, drug abuse increases the chances of an individual engaging in crime, which means that reentry programs that help treat the addiction also contribute to reduced criminal ...