Module Two Journal Assignment
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Jan 9, 2024
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Module Two Journal Assignment
Laura L. Lira Fuentes
Southern New Hampshire University
CJ-230-T6854: Discretion in Criminal Justice
Professor Nathan Mutter
July 9, 2023
Journal: Juvenile Versus Adult: Integrity, Authority, and Discretionary Power
The criminal justice system operates with three basic principles: Integrity, Authority, and
Discretionary Power. Integrity refers to moral uprightness, or the sound moral principle and
character. Authority is the unquestionable entitlement to be obeyed that comes from fulfilling a
specific role. This gives the right to give orders, make critical decisions, and enforce obedience.
The last principle is Discretionary power, which is the right to make decisions using reason and
judgment to choose an acceptable alternative (Pollock, 2018).
The three basic principles are there to uphold ethical moral values. Integrity helps ensure
that decisions are made correctly and honestly without anyone supervising. The authority ensures
that decisions are made within the scope of one’s role. Discretionary power gives the opportunity
for decisions are made without any external constraints. The main point of these principles is to
make sure that criminal justice officials are being trustworthy and committed to uphold ethical
morals.
When addressing an adult defendant, the criminal justice system needs to keep in mind
that adults have a mind of their own. When it comes to integrity, one would believe that an adult
will tell the truth, but it is not always like that, most adult defendants do not take responsibility
for their actions. One we can assume a defendant to use integrity is when they are told that they
must tell the truth in court. When it comes to authority it can be difficult with an adult because
they do not like to be told what to do, especially when they are being arrested, situations like this
can make it difficult, but officials must make their presence as authorities clear. When addressing
adults’ criminal justice officials can use discretion when they see possible, but it is up to how the
defendant behaves.
Juveniles are a different story. Most juveniles will have some integrity and tell the truth.
This is mostly because they fear the consequences already because they got caught in some sort
of criminal activity. When it comes to authority, officials can keep their authority without it
really being questioned or fought, this is due to the fact that juveniles are usually taught to
respect adults and to listen to them. Criminal Justice officials tend to use more discretion with
juveniles and try to find other ways to help, like rehabilitation, or programs like Big Brother.
This is because officials believe that most juveniles deserve second chances, and juveniles will
mostly cooperate with officials.
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Refrences
Pollock, J. M. (2018). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice (10th ed.). Cengage
Learning US. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781337670876