Discuss the importance/meaning of “Decision Making“ related to criminal justice management
This paper must be a minimum of 3 pages in length (does not include reference page or title page), maximum 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and utilize proper APA citation format. Students should organize their papers as follows:
Discuss the importance/meaning of “Decision Making“ related to criminal justice management.Provide an overview of the topic and a justification for why—in your mind—this topic is so important in the administration and management of criminal justice organizations. Provide a critical evaluation of this topic including information that supports and/or disputes current policy and practice. Provide an analysis on how best to improve/address this topic, including providing an example of ‘best practices’ (if they exist). Feel free to relate personal work experiences that you may have encountered related to this topic (in-or outside of the CJ realm) and how your ‘new’ way of evaluating/assessing/addressing the topic might have changed the outcome. You may also want to utilize peer reviewed sources to assist in writing the paper. *powerpoint attached to help
Chapter Twelve
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Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management
Learning Objectives
Be able to define decision making
Understand the basis for decision making rules of criminal justice practitioners
Understand the garbage can theory of decision making
Be able to briefly discuss the four types of criminal justice decision makers
Understand the major themes to improving criminal justice decisions
What is a Decision?
A decision is a judgment, a choice between alternatives (Houston, 1999).
Decisions are often made within the context of a theory or broad framework (paradigm).
Three kinds of information
An awareness of the alternatives
An awareness of the possible consequences of each alternative
The subject of the decision
What is a Decision?
Decision rules govern how the elements of the decision are combined.
In criminal justice many decisions are clinical and based on the decision makers education, training, and experience.
All decisions should be based on goals or preferred outcomes.
Feedback provides the opportunity to correct previously made decisions.
What is a Decision?
Decision Making Theory Rationality to Garbage Cans
Initially, decision making was thought to be a rational process.
Later, March and Simon (1958) proposed that decisions are based on bounded rationality
Decision makers are unable to collect all the information they need to make a completely rational decision.
The result is satisfycing – taking the first acceptable solution that comes along.
“Garbage can” analogy – decision makers keep previously made decisions and use them as needed.
Decision Making Theory Organizational Culture
Decisions are often influenced by the organizational culture.
“We’ve always done it that way.”
“It worked in the past.”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Organizations tend to define problems and identify solutions to problems based on deeply rooted values and beliefs.
Decision Making Theory Politics
Politics is power and power influences decision making.
Internal politics – processes by which interested parties within the organization express their concern and seek implementation and acceptance of their ideas and practices.
External politics – consist of the influence that outside parties exert on the organization’s definition of mission, the appropriate types of operations the organization exhibits, and the directions it takes.
Characteristics of Decision Makers
Sequentialists – use their experience to determine what items of information are the most important to the decision.
Ah yes! – collect large amounts of information and search for patterns in that information.
Simplifier – reduces complex problems to their simplest form.
Ratifier – wait for comments by someone else and then associate themselves with that person’s viewpoint.
Decision Making Styles
Directive – make decisions and announce them, highly task oriented and a low tolerance for ambiguity.
Analytical – high tolerance for ambiguity and tend to overanalyze situations.
Conceptual – work well with people and rely on discussion with others to consider the problem and possible solutions.
Behavioral – like to interact with others and welcome open discussions.
Decision Making Styles
Decision making styles can also range on a continuum from
Autocratic – boss makes and announces the decision, to
Laissez-faire – totally subordinate centered.
Some decision makers are democratic or participative and encourage input from subordinates.
Police chiefs tend to
Be autocratic,
Be directive, and
Rely on traditional beliefs and assumptions
Characteristics of Information
Accuracy – most important, but often least attainable because information is;
Complied from numerous sources,
From people with a vested interest in the outcome, and
Often only summarizes information about groups.
Order of presentation – affects sequentialist the most, but overall does affect the outcome of a decision.
Availability of alternatives – often there are only two possible outcomes. Additional alternatives complicate the process.
Discretion
“a situation in which an official has latitude to make authoritative choices not necessarily specified within the source of authority which governs his decision making” (Atkins and Pogrebin (1992:1).
Often essential in criminal justice decision making.
Complicated nature of job
Incomplete information
Others argue that discretion is “uncontrolled decision making”.
Recent attempts have been made to objectify decision making through weighted questionnaires.
Discretion
Prediction
Prediction of the future influences criminal justice decision making.
The decision to arrest or not arrest
Criminal sentencing
Probation conditions
Recent applications of statistical techniques have improved this, but have not removed all unintended outcomes.
Prediction
Improving Criminal Justice Decisions
Themes for improving decision making
Equity – similar decisions for similar situations
Accuracy – making correct decisions
Consistency with theory – adhering to a consistent paradigm or framework
Consistency with resources – pragmatism
Contribution to future decisions – use prior decisions and their outcomes to influence future decisions
Ethical Considerations
Decisions are often made under:
Time constraints,
During conflict, and
With personal bias.
Close and Meier (1995) pose four questions.
Will the decision violate Constitutional rights?
Does the decision treat individuals as mean?
Is the decision illegal?
Does the decision violate policy or a professional code of ethics?
Chapter Summary
A decision is based upon goals and is the process of making a choice between alternative paths toward the goal.
Information can exhibit the alternatives available.
The consequences of a decision can be estimated.
Decision rules are clinical in nature.
Decisions are influenced by the decision maker’s education, training, and experience.
Chapter Summary
Decision makers keep a repertoire of solutions in a “garbage can” and pull the solutions out as when they encounter a problem.
There are four types of criminal justice decision makers.
Sequentalist – make decisions based on experience
Ah yes – search for patterns in large amount of information
Simplifier – reduces complex problems to simplest form
Ratifier – waits for comments and feedback from others
Chapter Summary
The important themes in criminal justice decision making are:
Equity – similar dispositions across similar cases
Accuracy – separating the guilty from the innocent
Consistency – applying the same decision rules over time
Improved decision making should contribute to future decisions.
Thinking Point and Question
Your department has just received $2,000,000 from an asset forfeiture fund. This money may be spent in any way the department chooses.
You call a meeting of the command staff to decide how this money should be spent. During the meeting your four supervisors make the following statements.
Classify these decision makers as either sequentialist, ah yes!, simplifier, or ratifier.
Thinking Point and Question
“The last time we got one of these checks we used it to upgrade our radios. That was ten years ago. I think it is time we do that again.”
“Let’s ask the city manager, city council, mayor and maybe even have a town hall meeting before we decide.”
“Let’s just put it in the bank and wait for a rainy day.”
“Let’s look over our strategic plans for the past ten years and identify a need that we have not yet addressed.”
