Leaders in criminal justice must remain up to date on administrative practices at the local, state, and federal levels. Each level and branch of criminal justice involves different administrative processes and considerations depending on the issue and the needs of the agency and the public.

Imagine that you are a team leader at an agency and have been asked to address the administration of a particular issue in criminal justice. You will investigate the issue and the administrative practices being used. As the team’s leader, determine the agency’s administrative response to such cases going forward. For this assessment, you will prepare a directive to share with your team on best practices in administration for the chosen issue.

Select one of the following criminal justice specializations at the federal, state, or local level as your focus for this assessment:

• Community policing and law enforcement practices
• De-escalation and use of force
• Detention conditions
• Alternatives to incarceration
• Parole and probation
• Rehabilitation and reintegration
• Cybercrime
• Juvenile justice
• Global or international issues (e.g., border patrols, customs, FDA checkpoints, immigration/ICE, trafficking, terrorism)
• Crime trends and social issues related to justice for specific populations:
• Poverty 
• Immigration
• Mental health conditions, disabilities, and vulnerable adults
• Public health (e.g., COVID-19, HIV)
• Missing or exploited children
• Age
• Sex and gender
• Race and ethnicity 
• Another topic approved by your faculty member

Search the University Library and other reputable resources for current trends and policy issues related to the selected specialization. Familiarize yourself with the administrative practices and leadership decisions involved with managing these kinds of situations.

Select at least 2 cases at any level that have informed policy for the criminal justice specialty you selected.

Assessment Deliverable

Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word directive in which you analyze criminal justice administrative practices for a specific issue and recommend strategies and policies that could be applied in a federal, state, or local criminal justice organization. Include the following in your directive:

• Summarize lessons learned from the administrative practices used in each selected case. Analyze the administrative strategies, practices, and policies within the cases, as well as any issues you observe (e.g., gaps in information, procedural issues): 
• Describe any issues that the teams working these cases might have encountered and the impacts of those issues. 
• Describe similarities and differences between the cases and compare the lessons learned from each case about administrative practices and leadership decisions. 
• Explain why the outcome of each case is important for the organization to consider when developing action plans for handling this issue.
• Determine a current trend in criminal justice administration related to the selected cases. Explain the extent to which the trend is influencing public policy. Predict potential issues related to the trend that might affect public policy, if any.
• Explain the administrative procedures that are currently in place to address policy issues. Explain the role and duties of criminal justice leaders in establishing accountability and consistency in administrative practices.
• Recommend administrative practices that would better serve the public at the selected level. Explain the potential benefit of making your recommended changes to these administrative practices. Decide how your agency should apply the recommended administrative practices and give directions to the task force on how to implement them in the future.