Key Social Issues

CJ100

Key Social Issues

Prof.

Key Social Issues

This assignment will identify, define and discuss three key social issues that contribute to the need for criminal justice practitioners and discuss how these social issues impact criminal justice professionals. Several examples will be provided to support my position.

The first key social issue is police brutality. It is defined as a conscious and deliberate action that a police officer undertakes toward suspects who are usually members of a powerless social group. Police brutality is a growing issue because some officers take advantage of how much power they have. All over the country, police officers abuse their authorities by intimidation or assaulting people. An example is, former tennis star James Blake, was mistaken for a suspect in an identity-theft ring by an NYPD officer with a history of using excessive force, the unidentified officer charged at him, picked him up and slammed him to the ground. About four other cops helped detain and handcuff Blake, who showed I.D. and cooperated immediately. But Blake was detained for 10-15 minutes before police realized their mistake (Colarossi, 2015). This type of excessive force is unacceptable when the police officers are sworn to uphold the laws, support, and defend the nation.

The second key social issue is Drug Abuse. It is defined as “the recurrent use of illegal drugs, or the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs with negative consequences” (Merrill, Zieve, Black, 2013). The effects of drug abuse in society is astonishing. The economical cost which includes everything from lost wages to legal, medical, and mental health implications is in the billions in which cost taxpayers. The most common drugs that are abused are Alcohol, Amphetamines, Cannabis, Cocaine, ecstacy, Hallucinogens, Nicotine, and Inhalants. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting takes more than good intentions or a strong willed human being. Drug abuse...