CMRJ303

profileRochelle31

150 words reply agree or disagree


Over the past decade, the criminal justice system and police departments have been at the forefront of the media. Instances of police brutality, racism, corruption, and the use of deadly force have created an open dialogue about the issues within police departments that need to be addressed. One of the most popular and what I would argue most powerful movements aimed at exposing the issues of police departments and practices is the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement is geared toward building local power and putting a stop to the disproportionate amount of violence being  inflicted on Black communities. This movement began in 2013 after George Zimmerman, the man who murdered Trayvon Martin was acquitted. Trayvon Martin was an innocent, unarmed, Black teenager who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman during a physical altercation. Organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created the #BlackLivesMatter when they received the news that George Zimmerman would not be serving any jail time and from there the movement grew (Black Lives Matter, 2018). 

Unfortunately, this trend of police brutality did not end with Trayvon Martin and incidents continued to occur across the United States. In 2014, Mike Brown was murdered by a Ferguson police officer twelve times despite the fact that he had his hands up in surrender. People from Brown’s community felt that this was unacceptable and called a protest to action. These protesters were met with tear gas and pepper spray (Black Lives Matter, 2018). If these two incidents aren’t enough to paint a picture of the race based police brutality occurring in the United States, there are many others that can be found with just a bit of research or on the Black Lives Matter website. These instances also show that there is significant corruption within the police system and deadly force is being misused. We need to figure out the answer to the question of “why” in order to prevent future altercations. 

In Smith’s (2011) article titled “Reforming the criminal justice system: A pragmatic approach to building a sustainable system,” he points toward limitations of administrative justice as the primary downfall of the criminal justice system. The primary limitations identified are an indistinctive administrative structure; poor collaboration and intergovernmental relations; insufficient methods; unresponsiveness to environmental factors; inadequate research utilization; an insufficient theoretical foundation; and an unhealthy preoccupation with end results. I have to say that I am in agreeance with Smith and I feel that addressing these issues would be a great place to start in the process of criminal justice reform. Coupled with these ideas should be a serious look at who is being hired to work in police departments. Of course structural and policy change will make an impact on the criminal justice system but it should also be noted that many of the instances mentioned above likely occurred due to false personal beliefs. Officers need to engage in training and educational courses designed to reduce or eliminate racial biases. They need to understand that all people are equal and the use of deadly force should be a last resort. Our country has become numb to violence and hate and this is an issue that needs to be fixed. 

Black Lives Matter. (2018). About Us. Retrieved December 20, 2018, from https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/

Smith, D. J. (2011). Reforming the criminal justice system: A pragmatic approach to building a sustainable system (Order No. 1503912). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (916902684). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/916902684?accountid=8289
 

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