critical issues in corrections perception vs reality and quot the true administration of justice quot
The New York State Supreme Court Building has the following quote etched above the entrance: “The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government.” Do a little research first and let us know when where this quote came from (and when). There is some controversy regarding this quote so see if you can identify what that is. With this quote in mind, what does that say about modern penological theory and practice? Being tough on crime is a popular political stance that assists in getting someone elected. Once elected, however, the reality of fiscal issues moves to the fore and balancing expenses and revenue becomes a high concern. Usually someone will always bring up that for every prison bed built or filled, children will go hungry or suffer a lower quality of education. So how do you accomplish both? This is a dilemma for the politician to resolve and for the correctional administrator to be prepared to respond to in testimony and budget preparation. When you increase the number of crimes you have on the books (pass more sentencing laws every time a public issue arises) you increase the number of arrests and the population of the jails and prisons. How do you deal with this issue and now does that relate to the quote we are researching? Do you support the increased sentences and sanctions? Do you testify against that legislation and remind the committee that it will cost more money and detract from other very important social programs? What do you do in public and what do you do behind the scenes? What do these kinds of choices have to do with the administration of justice? These are some of the issues you need to think about.
