Policy Analysis II

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Policies Within the Criminal Justice System

When dealing with marijuana and the manner in which officers in the City of New York handle the substance when dealing with violators they now have a new policy. The Police Commissioner Bill Bratton in November 2014 provided a new policy for his officers to help reduce over time and save the city money. The policy that is now in effect for the New York Police Department is an officer will no longer just simply arrest anyone who is in possession of marijuana. Small amounts of marijuana 25 grams of the drug or less the offender may be issued a citation for one hundred dollars and released by the police. Instead of the old policy where the suspect were arrested, fingerprinted and then in most cases issues a citation to appear in court at the police station. There are a few rules that would still allow an officer to make an arrest on a suspect if they are caught burning or smoking marijuana, if they cannot properly identify themselves to law enforcement, and of course if there is a warrant for their arrest ("NYPD to Stop Arresting People for Minor Marijuana Offenses", 2014).

There is a little different suggestion for youths who are marijuana offenders from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). They suggest that the courts should focus on getting the offender into treatment to help prevent future issues with drug and alcohol abuse by the offender. The OJJDP believes it is in the best interest of the juvenile to find the root of the problem and get them help for that. This means treatment, supervision of offender, and if needed family treatment to solve the issues. These are suggestions from the OJJPD to juvenile courts in the United States ("Juvenile Drug Court Programs ", 2001).

The effects of these programs on society can have both a positive impact. The NYPD's policy is effective because it still holds an offender accountable for their actions, well providing the city a source of income and saving the city a little bit of money. The recommendations of the OJJDP are great because it provides treatment for the juveniles of may have drug issues.

Conclusion

The implementation of regulatory and legislative policy is a continuous process used to address emerging issues and public opinion regarding countless different topics. Sometimes these policies lead to outstanding breakthroughs and changes in how the criminal justice system operates and functions while sometimes the policy is a poor one and leads to a downfall in production and effectiveness. This may be the fault of the policy, the reason behind the policy, and the implementation of the policy itself. It may also in some cases be the fault of the speed of the implementation, where an issue gains so much national attention that immediate changes are demanded and to the detriment of the criminal justice system, tend to be implemented without the proper research, impact studies, and assessments necessary to make it work.

Good or bad, however, policy changes are the only way many government organizations, including the criminal justice system, can change to meet the needs and concerns of the represented citizenry in any way. It is also the single most powerful tool in the arsenal of local organizations to change their operations and actions in an official and legally binding resolution. The issue, of course, is how to implement the policy in a balanced and well-informed way with as many facts and information on probable problems, obstacles, and costs prior to any implementation. The implementation itself also has to be methodic and placed, in order to gauge effects as they occur as well as to keep a clear view of the effects of the policy on the issue in order to manage or redirect their efforts if deficiencies are noted. When done properly, implementing policy can lead to great improvements in the efficiency of the individual agencies and can appease many negative public opinions and concerns.

References

Siff, A. (10 November 2014). NYPD to stop arresting people for minor marijuana offenses. NBC New York. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/MarijuanaPot-Charges-Summons-arrest-Change-NYC-Bratton-De-Blasio-DA-Thompson-282149831.html

Marion E. N. & Oliver M. W. (2006). The Public Policy of Crime and Criminal Justice. The Police. Pearson Edition, Inc.

Cooper, C.S. (May 2001). Juvenile drug court programs. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/184744.pdf

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