Individual Development Plan Term Paper

Emotion in Criminal Justice

Although criminal justice professionals strive to maintain and promote ideals of objectivity, emotion will always enter into the equation. No human endeavor can be emotionless, and criminal justice is no exception. Crimes, especially violent ones, can have devastating effects not only on the victim and his or her family, but on the entire community. Anger, fear, vengefulness, sorrow, grief, and even elation can all accompany the criminal justice process. Media hype and other elements contribute to the creation of intense emotion that surrounds the process of criminal justice. The process of criminal justice entails balancing the needs of the community with the needs of the individual victim(s) and the perpetrator(s). To balance these needs, criminal justice officials must occasionally rely on emotional input. Sometimes that emotional input arises from within the professional, in the form of sympathy for the victim, or in many cases, compassion for the suspect. Therefore, one of the most difficult aspects of criminal justice is to create compassionate punishments that fit the crime but that do not overstep the boundaries of justice. All members of the criminal justice system, from officers of the law to judges on their benches, must to a certain degree use their emotions as guidance for making important decisions regarding sentencing or plea bargaining. While emotion should not overrun reason and objectivity, emotion does have a key role in the criminal justice procedure. Emotion in criminal justice can inspire compassion for all people involved. On the other hand, emotion can be a detriment to the criminal justice official when it interferes with reason, objectivity, and common sense.

There are several ways that criminal justice officials can develop mature emotions and incorporate emotional input into the decision-making process. For example, law enforcement officials can develop sensitivity to the needs of women and minorities in their community and through emotional awareness, learn how to better attend to the needs of victims. When a woman complains about domestic violence, the police should take the call seriously and treat the woman with respect and concern as well as with authority. In times of need, homeless people need to be treated with respect by law enforcement officials, who need to develop sensitivity and kindness toward disadvantaged members of the community. On the other hand, law enforcement officials should also learn how to overcome or hone powerful emotions such as anger and rage. Anger can be useful to the law enforcement official, who can use it to spark a burst of energy in pursuing a suspect.

Other criminal justice officials, such as officers of the court, prison officials, attorneys, and judges, can incorporate emotion into their professional life more effectively as well. Prison officials especially need to address emotionality in their work because of the…