You are a law enforcement officer assigned as a School Resource Officer (SRO) at your local high school. Before the school day begins, you are seated at your SRO desk checking police department email and familiarizing yourself with the missing person case that happened the night before.
A 16-year-old student, Erin Jones, went missing and was last seen at her residence. Her ex-boyfriend, Sam Henson, also 16, was quickly identified as a person-of-interest. Erin and Sam attend the same high school. You are familiar with Sam’s criminal history. Unfortunately, Sam comes from a rough household; his mother is an abusive alcoholic, and his father is in prison. Sam’s criminal history includes battery, disorderly conduct, and stalking. The stalking case victim was another female student from the high school.
While you are reading the details about Erin’s case, Sam walks into your office and sits on the comfortable upholstered chair on the other side of your desk. He smiles and quietly says, “I know where Erin is and if you do not find her in the next ten minutes, she will die.” Sam finishes with a chuckle, crosses his arms, and sinks comfortably into the chair.
Erin’s survival is now in your hands. It is your job to convince Sam to give up Erin’s location. Your moral appeals to get Sam to “do the right thing” and tell you where Erin is are unsuccessful. While every minute ticks by, Erin’s life hangs in the balance. Based upon Sam’s demeanor and background, you believe he is the only person who knows where Erin is and her life is in danger.
You are faced with two theoretical approaches to get Sam to reveal Erin’s location and save her life: due process model or crime control model. The due process model advocates that criminal suspects or defendants should be exposed to procedurally fair processes that protect and preserve their rights (e.g., freedom from unreasonable searches, protections against compelled self-incrimination, prohibitions of cruel and unusual punishment, etc.). The due process model is more concerned about the rights of the accused versus the nature of the crime. In contrast, the crime control model is more concerned about controlling criminal behavior, although illegal means are not advocated, and less concerned with the due process rights of the accused. Regardless of the approach used, any intentional violation of a suspect’s rights is detrimental to any criminal case.
There are now three minutes left. Every interview and interrogation technique tried has failed. Sam just chuckles at your feeble attempts and calmly says, “Erin is going to die.” You glance at the first aid kit on the wall and recall that there is a sterilized needle inside. You consider using the sterilized needle by shoving it under one of Sam’s fingernail beds to get him to reveal Erin’s location and save her life. Indeed, this will cause severe pain, but no permanent disability, and Erin’s life will be saved. However, this is a clear and intentional violation of Sam’s due process rights, which will expose you to civil or criminal liability. If you do not use the needle and continue your failed interrogation strategy and Erin’s location is not revealed, she will die.
Consider what you would do in this scenario.
Task
During the first three course modules, you have learned about the three components of the criminal justice (CJ) system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Each component plays a unique role in the CJ system and serve as checks and balances to ensure the rights of the accused are protected. You also discovered that there are two competing theories of justice, the crime control model and the due process model. Finally, the history of law enforcement was explored.
This task requires you to create a Power Point (PPT) presentation that explores the following content:
Describe the three components of the CJ system and their primary roles. Discuss how each component serves as a check and balance against power to ensure the rights of the accused are protected.
Discuss the difference between the crime control model and due process model.
Determine how the officer in the case study would have handled the case during the early American era of policing and during the community policing era.
Discuss how you would respond to the case study. Justify your response with the due process or and crime control model.
Example Layout:
Describe the three components of the CJ system and their primary roles. Discuss how each component serves as a check and balance against power to ensure the rights of the accused are protected.
Slide 1 – Cover Slide, student name, course, and assignment title.
Slide 2 – Law Enforcement
Slide 3 – Courts
Slide 4 – Corrections
Discuss the difference between the crime control model and due process model.
Slide 5 – Due process model
Slide 6 – Crime control model
Determine how the officer in the case study would have handled the case during the early American era of policing and during the community policing era.
Slide 6 – Early American era of policing
Slide 7 – Community policing era
Discuss how you would respond to the case study. Justify your response with the due process or and crime control model.
Slide 8 – Case study response
Requirements for Grading:
Your presentation must include the following or you will score a 0% and be asked to resubmit.
Number of Slides: Maximum of 12 slides
Time limit: No more than ten minutes