Article Analysis- Community-Driven Interventions Budgeting for the Criminal Justice System

Article Analysis- Community-Driven Interventions Budgeting for the Criminal Justice System

One of the current criminal justice issues in my state is the community-driven public safety investment. Due to the increasing prison population due to mass incarceration, criminal justice institutions in many states across the US are investing in community-driven public safety to curb crimes (Sakala et al., 2018). These community-driven safety interventions will facilitate the attainment of safety outcomes by improving community relationships, involving community members in policy-making, increasing employment opportunities, and investing in trauma recovery centers, among other positive community wellness initiatives.

The negative impacts of over 40 years of over-policing and tough-on-crime policies have led to significant budgetary costs in running correctional facilities. Despite the tough-on-crime policies, public safety outcomes are limited as crime rates in the community continue rising (Sakala et al., 2018). The reality has led policymakers to rethink traditional criminal justice policies that require that offenders have to face incarceration. One of the initiatives toward achieving this goal is saving expenditure in correctional facilities by reducing prison populations (Sakala et al., 2018). Savings from reduced budgetary allocation to correctional facilities fund programs and initiatives that produce better outcomes than incarceration. In most cases, most budgetary interventions fund establishing more treatment centers, enhancing community supervision, and equipping law enforcers with more tools.

I chose Sakala et al.’s (2018) article because it addresses an issue gaining prominence among members of the public and criminal justice corridors. The awareness about systematic harmful practices, such as white supremacy, that have resulted in structural bias against people of color is gaining prominence across the US. People of color are likely to be fined, arrested, prosecuted, or even killed when they encounter law enforcers, a practice that continues to destabilize marginalized communities. The issue is exacerbated by the increasing use of deadly force while facing people of color by law enforcers. In particular, the killing of George Floyd after an encounter with law enforcers reinforced the call for a change of tact when dealing with crime in communities. Recognizing that people of color or the ghetto population are ravaged by the impacts of structural racism and historical segregation, opportunities for economic growth are limited; hence, higher chances of involvement in crime.

Author’s Conclusions and Recommendations

Sakala et al. (2018) recommend interventions to improve safety outcomes for investment in community-driven criminal justice interventions. First, criminal justice organizations should ensure effective messaging, public education, and consideration of public opinion while implementing these initiatives. Members of the public are core to the success of public safety interventions. For instance, peace enforcers, who are part of the program, are drawn from members of the public, and they must buy into the idea to participate. The goal of the initiatives is to prevent crime by addressing the root causes, and the public needs adequate education to support the initiative.

Also, there is a need to strengthen local infrastructure and leadership to bolster the success of community-driven initiatives. Community leaders are core to supporting criminal justice organizations to cut crime levels and should be supported to achieve professional and leadership development (Sakala et al., 2018). This will include getting sponsorship to attend learning programs that will improve their efficiency. Community members supporting the police, such as police informers, should also access security tools that will make them effective. For instance, with access to the gun ownership database, community safety advocates will identify those in wrongful possession of guns and escalate the matter to the police. Supporting community leaders, nonprofits, and local advocates helps stakeholders who are closer to issues to deal with such matters effectively.

The authors also recommend research efforts and developmental support to equip communities with information. Security matters are complex, and educational interventions will equip local advocates and the public with the right intervention mechanisms (Sakala et al., 2018). For instance, active offenders with mental health issues require extreme care to avoid causing harm to the perpetrator or the public. Psychiatrists provide valuable information that may be used by members of the public and social services providers to deal with mentally challenged offenders effectively. Notably, there is a need to establish community-based research hubs to facilitate lesson sharing among members of the public and other local advocates.

Finally, the authors conclude that the discourse and budgets for creating safe communities should extend beyond policing and correction strategies. The budget should cater to restorative justice interventions, education, employment creation, affordable housing, and trauma treatment, among other vital deliverables that people of color and marginalized communities lack. Community consultation and people involvement will steer community-driven criminal justice interventions to success. Community-driven safety interventions may be implemented directly by criminal justice institutions or through other government agencies and nonprofit organizations. For instance, law enforcers may direct some funding to social service providers to shelter street families and curb street crime. Community-driven safety investment by the criminal justice system will alleviate mass incarceration and enhance safety in communities.

My Conclusions and Recommendations

I believe policymakers within the criminal justice system are adopting newer budgeting trends because over-policing and mass incarceration have proved ineffective in addressing crime rates in the community. Despite the significant budgetary allocation to law enforcement departments and correctional facilities, there is little value for money because they do not reduce crimes and improve safety outcomes (Sakala & La Vigne, 2019). Mass incarceration and conventional punishments are only forms of retribution that do not improve community well-being despite the significant investments in these areas. Investing in community-driven intervention will deal with the root causes of crime, such as poverty, drug addiction, predisposition to mental health problems, and generational trauma, among other factors that encourage offending.

Moreover, a cost-benefit analysis between over-policing/mass incarceration and investing in community-driven initiatives shows that the former increases the costs of law enforcement. For instance, investing in recruiting more police officers will increase future budgets since the officers will get paid. The case may be different when investing in community-driven initiatives, where a one-off investment initiative goes a long way. For instance, investing in a research center or technological hub to educate members of the public on how to handle disorder or violence is a one-off investment with lasting returns on investment.

As the examples above show, public safety is directly linked to the overall community’s well-being. The strategies to achieve the broad objective of attaining community well-being are linked to other factors such as good jobs, efficient transportation services, healthcare access, and safe spaces in the community. As community-driven approaches take center stage in the criminal justice system, budgeting considerations involve reviewing the environment, determining local needs, and allocating funds to address such needs. The new budgeting mechanisms position prisons and jails as a measure of last resort, and for serious offenders.

References

Sakala, L., & La Vigne, N. (2019). Community-driven models for safety and justice. Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 16(1), 253–266. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1742058x19000146

Sakala, L., Harvell, S., & Thomson, C. (2018). Public investment in community-driven safety initiatives landscape study and key considerations: Landscape study and key considerations. Urban Institute. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99262/public_investment_in_community-driven_safety_initiatives_

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Locate an article on the internet that addresses a current budgeting issue for an area of criminal justice administration in your state.

Article Analysis- Community-Driven Interventions Budgeting for the Criminal Justice System

Write an 1100-word paper on the following:

The main idea of the article and reasons for your choice
The author’s conclusions and recommendations
Your own conclusions and recommendations

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.