Upcoming Election Topics

  Upcoming Election Topics   Upcoming Election Topics My opinions have changed significantly regarding the varying influence and power of federal, state, and local government on criminal justice policy. Although the United States’ criminal justice system is primarily a function of local and state governments, the influence of the Federal government in this aspect has grown significantly, to the point of causing an overlap of power between these three levels of government.  The Federal government has been given more powers in to enact extend federal protections of the American population and hence, the legislation the federal government has passed in this regard affect the local and state systems of criminal justice. The federal government has several powers that it can use to influence the local and state governments, including the distribution of grants, and aid (Congressional Research Service, 2019). Previously, the local and state governments wielded exclusive powers in the criminal justice system, which would have contributed to likely skewing of the various policies by local prosecutors and police. However, the entrance of the federal government in the system has helped shaped the structure and quality of police operations in this system, thus contributing to more responsibility, transparency, and soundness in application of the justice system policies and procedures. I now esteem the importance of voting in regards to the local, state, and federal criminal justice policy because it influences policy changes that respond to a need in the system and in the collective society. Voting in the criminal justice system guides the development of policies that direct criminal justice officials, especially in cases with high discretion levels (Sage Publishing, 2017). Voting encourages the development of laws and guidelines at the local, state, and federal levels that provide judges and jurors with a range they can employ in making decisions for sentencing offenders. Without voting on criminal justice policy at these levels, the likelihood of officers and pertinent law enforcers abusing their discretion to the disadvantage of offenders and the larger community. Participating in this class has impacted me because I now pay critical attention to updates and news about criminal justice policies because of the need to know how to use the different policies and policy changes in the system. I also need to know how any changes in the justice policies will affect the administration of justice to the population so that I can assess whatever actions the system resorts to use against an offender with the constitutional provisions on the various personal rights and freedoms. Further, I am keen on understanding the significance of and searching for research in the criminal justice system and pertinent policies. Attending this class has increased my perception of the role of criminal justice research in shaping and informing CJ policies. I now understand that such research guides criminal justice officials and relevant policymakers in government to know what works in preventing crime, corrections, as well as law enforcement. What surprised me in this aspect is that research in criminal justice if such research is designed and applied appropriately, it would be easier to explore how programs, policies, and every day practices impact the justice system, for example, to determine if they help deter crime and reduce recidivism. The experience I have obtained from attending this class connects with what I have learned about the current criminal justice system. I now understand that conducting criminal justice research effectively can serve four crucial purposes. For instance, I can use such research in exploring various questions more specifically to use such information for future comparisons. I can also use that research descriptively to articulate problems further. Moreover, I now understand how to use such research to explain why things happen, such as why particular crimes are rampant in certain regions and not in others. Lastly, I am better informed on how to apply such research to highlight facts and provide information on problems and policy in the justice system. I appreciate going through this class because of the vast knowledge I have gained about the criminal justice system.                                         References Congressional Research Service. (2019). Federal grants to state and local governments: A historical perspective on contemporary issues. https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40638.pdf Sage Publishing. (2017). Chapter 6. Criminal justice policy. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/chapter_6._criminal_justice_policy_