There are several examples of how one incident requires the attention of more than one branch of the criminal justice system. Put yourself in the shoes of the officers in the scenarios. How would you ensure that the best possible outcome is accomplished?
The branches of criminal justice may appear to function autonomously, but there is a lot of interaction and collaboration between them. In this part of the career investigation, you will need to think about some scenarios where communication and collaboration would be required for these branches to function effectively. Which branch appears to be more in line with how you approach communication and collaboration? Read the following scenarios and answer each prompt.
How does the ability to conduct legal searches differ between the police officer, probation officer, and corrections officer in the performance of their duties?
A police officer was conducting an investigation involving an incarcerated prisoner. The police officer would like to know who the prisoner spoke to on the phone and who visited him. Describe who the police officer would need to collaborate with to obtain that information, explaining why.
Lou, a suspect the officer was investigating in a burglary case, was just convicted for that crime. Prior to his sentence, a pre-sentence report must be conducted. Who is most likely to conduct the investigation: the police officer, probation officer, or the corrections officer? Who will he or she collaborate with to complete the report? Support your response by explaining how this process impacts interagency collaboration.
Select one court case from the Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric document where communication and collaboration was a driving factor, and discuss the impact of that case in reshaping the role of the corrections practitioner.
Based on your findings regarding the differences in how each branch communicates with each other, which career path is most in line with your communication and collaboration practices and why?
For additional details, please refer to the Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric document and the Final Project Document in the Assignment Guidelines and Rubrics section of the course.