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Sunday, April 17, 2016

Synthesis Essay: Why The Criminal Justice System Gets a Bad Rep

               The field of criminal justice consists of a wide ranging and diverse group of professions with one common goal; to serve and protect the United States at home and abroad to make it a better, safer place. However, the general public sometimes does not appreciate all the work that they do, and may not realize what society would be like if they did not put as much time and dedication into their work as they do. Of course, they have their shortcomings. However, many of the problems that the criminal justice system has goes much higher than police officers or correctional officers. They are just the ones doing their jobs. Throughout each step of the criminal justice system, there are misconceptions about law enforcement, the corrections, and the court system that are unfair to the hard working men and women. I am here to come to their defense and explain why for the vast majority of the time, it is not their fault.                                                                                                                                                      
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              Think about everything you have heard on the news about law enforcement in the past year or so. How much of it has been positive? Not much if we are being honest. The majority of the media has been focusing about the negative stories that have to do with law enforcement, while skating over anything that has portrayed police officers or other law enforcement. For instance, many news networks jumped to conclusions about the Mike Brown shooting before the actual investigation came out with all the factual evidence, from the Department of Justice. If you want to read more about the Mike Brown investigation you can read about it here in the blog titled "Contemplating Controversy". However, even after the findings were made public, the damage had been done on the law enforcement community. People labeled them as corrupt and in some cases racist because of what they saw on the news. While yes, there are problems with law enforcement and corruption/ discrimination (see A&E's Cartel Land), officers have so much more responsibility in their community than arresting people. They are trained to save lives (recognizing significance) and interact with the community.
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v   Video credit: breaking911video
       
      While there are some bad apples, the vast majority of the bad reputation of law enforcement comes from mainstream media blowing things out of proportion. 
         
             In the past thirty years or so, the US and state court systems have been notorious for giving long sentencing and harsh parole conditions to non violent offenders. Some people think it is race based, or a generation of judges and prosecutors that are out to put anyone and everyone behind bars for as long as possible so they "learn their lesson". However the problem lies much higher on the political food chain than the people that work in the court room. The root of this issue lies on Capitol Hill and all of the respective state governments. In the documentary The House I Live in, they interview all cogs in the criminal justice machine, such as police officers, judges, corrections officers, convicts and drug dealers, and doctors and professors that study criminology. At the end of the day, the reason there are so many people behind bars for so long is because of money. There are private contractors that build their own private prisons to profit, which puts pressure on law makers to ensure that those are filled as quickly and for as long as possible. So while a select few make millions of dollars, millions will have their lives ruined by long sentences for non violent crimes. Even after they get out, they have to pay probation fines while looking for a job and a place to stay, ultimately getting them sent back to prison.
Image Credit: PBS
One may make the argument that just because there is a law, that doesn't mean that the justice system has to enforce it. However, they have a duty to carry out those laws and often there are mandatory minimum sentences that are in the law that the justice system has to carry out. The blame for this injustice are the men and women in law making and the industrial giants that profit off incarceration in America. The corrections officers for the most part do their best to treat the inmates with respect, and there are many programs in prison to help educate inmates in the classrooms and in trade studies such as carpentry and metal work. While the conditions in the prison can be less than ideal (The Farm: Inside Angola Prison), that is a budget issue that also goes back to the politicians. 
  
       As far as the due process and trial goes, the United States has one of the best systems in the world. Innocent until proven guilty has been the standard for all democracies since the US brought it about in the 1700s. All people arrested have the right to remain silent to avoid self incrimination, a right to an attorney for free, a right to know all the evidence the state has against them, and a right to a fair and speedy trial judged by ones peers. It gives the defendant a fair shot against the law and if there is any "reasonable doubt" that the defendant did not do it, they walk free. Yes, there are some guilty people that go free, and every once in a blue moon there is an innocent person that is imprisoned, which is horrible. However, technology keeps advancing to make forensics more accurate, and as I said before, its the best system out there.

       Today in America, the criminal justice system is the subject of constant scrutiny in all aspects of their work, while the population is increasingly hostile towards them (open post #6) they continue to work hard everyday to keep America safe. They don't work because they want to make a lot of money or work good hours, because for the most part neither of those things are true. They work in the field of criminal justice because they want to make a positive mark on their community and be remembered for all the good that they did. No the system is not perfect, in fact it is far from it. However the blame for their short comings can be found in bad laws and budgets, or the media showing them in a negative light. However, no matter what people say, CJ workers go and make the world a better place every day without any thank you. So to everyone who works in law enforcement, the court system, and corrections, thank you.

       I hope you all enjoyed my posts, and whether you agreed, disagreed, or just didn't care, I appreciate you taking the time to read it. 
All the Best,
Sean

     

     

     

     

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Sunday, April 10, 2016

Open Post #10: Better Call Saul

       The famous crime/action drama tv series "Breaking Bad" reached its five season conclusion in 2012, leaving the audience in awe of how good it was throughout its longevity and wanting more of the unique characters and its drug filled plot. Vince Gilligan, the creator, obliged, and in early 2015 the first season of "Better Call Saul" aired on AMC. It is a prequel to Breaking Bad, starring lawyer Saul Goodman. However before Saul was helping Walt and Jesse with their meth troubles, he was Jimmy McGill, whose office was at the back of a nail salon with an online law degree from University of American Samoa. For visual reference, here is Jimmy:
Image Credit: Nerdist
       A small time defense lawyer, Jimmy is having serious money troubles doing honest business until he finds a massive fraud scheme in a retirement home while doing wills for old people. His rise to a prominent position in a classy law firm isn't without the help of the parking booth worker, Mike.
Image Credit: Suprisingly Competent Media
       With the help of Mike, Jimmy does some dirty deals to jumpstart his practice to try to impress his brother, Chuck, who is a partner at a prestigious law firm. As Jimmy rises the ranks of his new firm, he gets deeper entrenched with the wrong crowd, and must soon make a decision on what path he wants to take.

       As a huge fan of Breaking Bad, I was ecstatic to see another show pop up to fill in the intriguing story of Jimmy McGill/ Saul Goodman unfold in central New Mexico. The show itself has great characters because they are so unique and all have very normal lives. What makes the show so great is because all of the characters are believable, and do normal everyday things. The path Jimmy takes is really cool to see because you already know where he is eventually because of Breaking Bad. But how he gets there is why people keep tuning in. The show is currently halfway through its second season and is going strong. For anyone interested in drug trade, law, subtle humor throughout shows and an overall excellent plot I recommend the show highly. However even though this takes place before Breaking Bad, it is very important that you watch that first. There is serious foreshadowing and even clips of what happens to some characters after the conclusion of Breaking Bad. If you guys watch the show or what to and have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. Thanks!
       

Prompted Post #10: Recognizing Truth





       Now before everyone dismisses this because they think this blog is going to be very one sided, let me say some things first:

1) This video does in no way shape or form condone the actions of the few officers who have abused their power and physically harmed a civilian. Those officers do not represent the law enforcement community and should be punished

2) These statistics were put together by the United States government so I will trust that they are unbiased to any political agenda.

3) There are problems in law enforcement that have to be addressed. More background and psychological evaluations should be done to make sure everyone wearing the uniform is fit for everyday duty.

       Now that we got those unpleasant notes out of the way, lets analyze the video. It is in response to all the media attention law enforcement is getting after the deaths of unarmed civilians. With all the coverage that was condemning law enforcement and their tactics in general, people seemed to misconstrue how many people were the victims of excessive force by police.

       However, when you look at it statistically, the media seemed to blow the severity of the problem out of proportion causing an unreasonable amount of animosity towards law enforcement. Don't get me wrong, the incidents were horrible, but at that rate of interactions with police: valid harassment claims (0.0039%), you can blame that on a few bad apples in a field of good people. What do you guys think? Was I biased or did my argument make sense? Let me know.

Open Post #9: Dogs!





       Dogs are a huge part of American society, and everyone knows someone who has a dog or has one or two or twelve of their own. However these dogs are much different than your average house dog. These bomb sniffing dogs are the most intelligent and important soldiers fighting on the front lines in the middle east and at home.  There were a couple of things that stood out to me.



1) How you can take dogs anywhere. Whether it be sky diving, fast roping from a helicopter, or anything in between, the dog will go with its soldier wherever.

2) How they are groomed from birth to become these types of bomb sniffing dogs. There are only a few places in the United States that breeds these types of dogs and from a couple months to two years old before they are deployed. They way these dogs pick up how to ignore outside distractions and focus on sniffing out the bomb is unbelievable.

3) It's cool to see that dogs get the same medical treatment as soldiers because they are just as valuable.



       I think the point of the clip was to show that dogs are just as important, if not more important, than human soldiers. They show the same emotion and loyalty to their handlers as a soldier would to someone in his squad. Pretty cool stuff.

Prompted Post #9: Recognizing Significance

       Now when most people think of police officers and what they do, it usually consists of:
Image Credit: todayifoundout
     Or when they're not stuffing their face maybe this:
Image Credit: Humboldt County News
        However contrary to what a large proportion of media tells the country, law enforcement also has a large part in protecting the common population and even saving lives. An article from the Athens Banner-Herald in Georgia where the state University resides tells us about how police officers are now some of the first responders to drug overdoses. Patrol units are called when there is a reported overdose to administer a drug called naxolone which reverses the side effects of a drug overdose of heroin or other prescription medications. You may say this is part of their job, but these officers are going the extra mile.
"Officers do not get any extra pay for undergoing naloxone training. They do it to make a difference.
‘Local police should be commended for initiating this program and we are already seeing positive outcomes,’ Horst said.
Athens-Clarke County Senior Police Officer Scott Blair said he volunteered for the naloxone program because he had personally seen an increase in the frequency with which police respond to drug overdoses.
‘I wanted to have more medical training because it’s frustrating when you arrive on a scene and aren’t able to do anything to help in certain situations,’ Blair said."
       Its nice to see law enforcement making a positive difference in their communities besides putting dangerous people in jail. What do you think? should states make this mandatory for all departments to go through this training? Let me know.

Open Post #8: Counter Terrorism Training for Law Enforcement

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark -- Law enforcement from across the county learning to fight terrorism in Central Arkansas.
With guns drawn, officers move in and fire at suspects held up on the side of a building.
While the sounds of gunfire were real, the bullets were plastic capsules filled with laundry detergent.
Richard Mason of Direct Action Resource Center said the scene is part of 'Law Enforcement Counter terrorism Training.'
"Multi cell terrorist attack is what we are trying to simulate," said Mason.

Mason oversee's the mock drills.He said many of those with badges are from Texas, who could not reveal their identity due to the type of work they do.
But the people playing the bad guys, like Brian Blackwood and Steven Yingling, are volunteers.

"I came out and was recruited with by a fellow co-worker who said this is really an opportunity to come out and do something fun," said Blackwood.
They even received a survival lesson.
"I think there is an element of preparation that you get from being out here," said Blackwood. "Figuring out rooms and figuring geometry. If somebody is going to approach me, what is my best cover and concealment. "
"I've been on the military side and I understand the importance of this training. This training wasn't available when I was being sent overseas and had it been, I think it would have changed a lot of things for me," said Yingling.
Mason said the crew started on Sunday, working as a team, and more than 100 hours learning how to better flush out the enemy during a terrorist attack.
"I've been doing this for 20 years, so obviously I enjoy it," said Mason. "The end product and seeing what happens with the officers and military personnel and even some of the civilians that go through our open enrollment classes ... it's really rewarding."
Mason said his goal is for officers who take the training course, to share the knowledge with their fellow law enforcement department.
Image credit: onepagenews.com

     This story from arkansasmatters.com may not seem like a huge deal, but in this day and age with ISIS responsible for two major terrorist attacks in the past few months, it has given some US citizens an uneasy feeling. It is only a matter of time before ISIS tries something in the states, and what Richard Mason is doing will help us be prepared if that dark day ever comes.
       I could understand some people saying that they don't want law enforcement running around with assault rifles and body armor in their neighborhoods. However, in the event of a terrorist attack in the United States, local law enforcement will be the first responders to the incident and will need to be properly trained to handle the situation as best as possible. While the attack itself is unlikely with the stringent immigration policies and no fly lists, it is always possible that a domestic terrorist group could carry the act out. So it gives me a little comfort that law enforcement at home is training and bettering themselves for a possible attack.
       

Prompted Post #8: Practicing Your Knowledge

 There is a very necessary part of law enforcement that may not be the most glamorous, but can save lives. I am talking about shooting a gun. As a young child I always thought it would be cool to carry one around like an old western movie and get the bad guy, but as I got older I started to realize how dangerous they are. It is a huge responsibility to carry a weapon, and one who does should be properly trained to handle and fire a weapon responsibly. I went home one weekend and went to a shooting range close to my house, Midwest Gun Range in Brookfield, Illinois. There I learned the basics to handling and firing a handgun. I shot a Beretta 92fs 9mm handgun which is standard caliber for law enforcement. Here are some things I learned:

1) Handguns are much heavier than I thought. After three or four shots I took my arms started to get a little tired. So what ever you see in movies or tv where they're really accurate with multiple shots is a myth. The trigger is also not as sensitive as one would think. You really need to pull down hard to fire the weapon.
2) Guns are much louder than I thought. If I hadn't been wearing ear protection I don't think I would have been able to hear the gun fire after about three shots.
3) Shooting is very relaxing. I felt at ease and it was a nice way to vent frustrations.
Shooting Range
Image Credit: http://www.gotammo.com

       Overall shooting a gun isn't something you can learn in a college class and its textbook. While I'm sure there are programs through classes that would allow you to do something like this, knowing how to maintain and shoot a gun is very important in the field of law enforcement.