Introduction
The ultimate goal of criminal justice is to deal with various offenses that affect human welfare. Leaders in criminal justice should conduct numerous researches, think critically, and develop viable solutions that can improve the living conditions of more people (Ramirez, 2008). Many national and global agencies have been using the most desirable strategies to deal with the major crimes affecting humanity (Drudge, 2015). Despite such efforts, some issues make it hard for leaders in the criminal justice system to have peaceful nights. The major issues that call for immediate attention are presented below.
Key Issues in CJA Today
The connection between drug use and crime is a critical concern for many leaders in this field. Over 70 percent of criminals test positive for illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine (Drudge, 2015). Drug use has remained a major problem for the criminal justice system. New studies have shown a link between substance abuse and crime. Consequently, the number of crimes has increased significantly over the past three decades.
Juvenile offending has become another major issue affecting the United States. More youths and adolescents are committing new crimes every single day. The incarceration rate has increased significantly in the United States. Some analysts and humanitarian groups have argued that minorities are affected the most by this malpractice. The other major issue in criminal justice is violence against innocent women (Ramirez, 2008). In 2015, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) indicated that around 1.3 million females were assaulted by their partners annually (Drudge, 2015).
Prioritizing the Issues
It has been hard for many professionals in criminal justice to prioritize most of the above issues. This is the case because the above key problems affect communities differently. For instance, drug abuse and crime have been observed to affect the lives of many people in some states and not others. However, the problem of crime remains the leading issue in different parts of the globe. In the United States, crime is a major challenge that forces the government to incur numerous expenses in an attempt to deal with it (Drudge, 2015). The level of crime has been associated with the increasing use of illegal drugs.
The second priority should be on the number of youths committing crimes in the country. Experts have been focusing on the best approaches to dealing with this problem. For example, some professionals have supported the use of restorative justice (Doyle, n.d.). Scholars believe that proper measures should be put in place to punish these juveniles. The outstanding fact is that more youths are committing a wide range of crimes than ever before (Drudge, 2015). That being the case, the criminal justice system must consider the most desirable approaches in an attempt to deal with this issue.
The rate of incarceration within the past decade has been unprecedented. The number of people engaging in various crimes or using illegal drugs has been on the rise (Garrison, 2009). This level of incarceration affects the targeted individuals and their respective family members. The government spends over fifty billion dollars to support these inmates (Drudge, 2015. This fact explains why new measures are needed to address this issue.
Violence against women is the other issue that should not be taken lightly by the criminal justice system. This is the case because women deserve care, support, and empowerment. Although this is not the first key issue for the criminal justice system, it should be wise for criminal justice leaders to support more women (Garrison, 2009). These measures will play a positive role in addressing the issues affecting the lives of many community members.
Effects on the Criminal Justice Profession
The criminal justice profession is usually guided by the changes experienced in different communities. For instance, criminal justice professionals will focus on the major issues affecting more individuals in society. The current focus has been on the use of illicit drugs and crimes. This is the case because the two constitute the major challenges affecting many American communities (Ramirez, 2008). That being the case, the government must identify new measures and initiatives that have the potential to minimize crimes in society.
Future professionals in the field of criminal justice will be focusing on the best initiatives to deal with the increasing number of youth offenders. These professionals must identify new measures to support these young ensures and encourage them to engage in productive activities. Criminal justice is a profession that should be guided and informed by evidence-based facts obtained from different communities (O’Connor, 2015). The duties of the system are to minimize crime and ensure more people live in secure communities.
The criminal justice system is currently facing numerous challenges in its effort to deal with these key issues. Experts are undertaking new researches to identify new strategies that can address these problems. The government is forced to incur numerous expenses to support the welfare of the growing number of inmates (Ramirez, 2008). The criminal justice professionals will, therefore, continue to change by the issues experienced in different communities.
References
Doyle, A. (n.d.). Informational interviewing. Web.
Drudge, B. (2015). Facts encyclopedia, crime and law enforcement. Web.
Garrison, A. (2009). The influence of research on criminal justice policy making. Professional Issues in Criminal Justice, 4(1), 1-14.
O’Connor, T. (2015). MegaLinks in criminal justice. Web.
Ramirez, F. (2008). Juvenile delinquency: current issues, best practices, and promising approaches. GPSOLO, 1(1), 1-13.