Criminal justice decision making is an important process and a lot of things have to be taken into account when a decision is made including but not limited to an individual's circumstances, prior history with the criminal justice system, and/or other related factors. In addition, our decision making may be influenced by our biases, experiences and/or level of education. So, the question becomes, how can one (a judge, correctional officer, evaluator) make an objective decision or make the best decision for the clients they see and serve. With this in mind, and reading chapter 5, please (1) define Presentence Investigation report, (2) read the PSI re: Richard Knight p.118 or p.119 of the textbook, and (3) critically answer questions presented under the PSI report. Do you agree with the recommendation for Richard Knight's sentence? Is there additional information that you would like to have if you were the sentencing judge?
This writing assignment is meant for you to analyze decision making, see how discretion is used, become an analytical thinker and evaluate cases. You all will be doing this in your future careers.