Recently, a few high-profile cases involving sentencing recommendations from probation officers within the Collier County Probation Department have brought some bad press to the department. According to the public's perception via the media, the department is not as tough on sentencing sanctions as it could be. In the event that the current chief probation officer, John Brown, is on annual leave, Joan Casey will need to address the publics and media's concern regarding the case of a young man convicted of murder after years of physical and mental abuse. The media is threatening to reveal less than favorable press of the probation department and the decision in relation to intermediate sanctions for the young man involved.
As Joan Casey is essentially in charge although Chief Brown is on leave, she must use her discretion, along with the probation department's policy concerning media relations. To reinforce her probation officer's findings in regard to this case will be a pivotal point in public relations with the community and the media. Justification of the intermediate sanctions must be clear and concise if Joan Casey is to retain the respect of the community, media members, and the probation department. How she resolves this matter will be essential to the trust, communication, and credibility of not only herself, but also the entire probation department for Collier County.
[...] Casey is now a supervisor for the probation department. She oversees eight probation officers. Her department is in charge of eighty adult offenders who are serving or preparing to serve their probationary terms. The Collier Probation Department and the department's chief, Jack Brown, have been recently slandered in the local paper. The papers claim that the department is too lenient on their offenders; scoring front page of the paper with headlines that read “Collier County Soft on Crime!” (Peak 2010, pg para. I). [...]
[...] Chief Brown is more than furious with the bad publicity; he takes a much needed vacation leaving Casey in charge. Before he leaves he tells Casey he wants to see better Presentencing Investigations (PSI's) heads will roll” (Peak pg para. I). Casey receives a call from a local news reporter asking for her to comment on potential disposition on a case involving a young man who committed murder. The case is of 23-year-old man who murdered his stepfather with a knife after suffering many years of physical and mental abuse. [...]
[...] Thus, it is imperative that the lines of communication be kept formal, congenial, and operational in a forthcoming manner. With Joan Casey responding to the phone call in a professional manner with a follow-up press release, this should appease the media about the manner in which the decision was arrived upon to sentence the young man with the intermediate sanctions that he received. All calls from the media must be addressed in a timely manner and followed up with a media press release. [...]
[...] Out-of-Town Brown and the Besieged Probation Supervisor Out-of-Town Brown and the Besieged Probation Supervisor Recently, a few high-profile cases involving sentencing recommendations from probation officers within the Collier County Probation Department have brought some bad press to the department. According to the public's perception via the media, the department is not as tough on sentencing sanctions as it could be. In the event that the current chief probation officer, John Brown, is on annual leave, Joan Casey will need to address the publics and media's concern regarding the case of a young man convicted of murder after years of physical and mental abuse. [...]
[...] The most promising intermediate sanction would be probation for the young man. Under the directives of his probation officer, the otherwise non- violent young man must attend therapy sessions in order to being the healing process. It will be a long and hard road to recovery for the young man and prison will not be able to offer the young man the help that he truly requires. References Peak, K. J. (2010). Justice administration: Police, courts, and corrections management (6th ed). [...]
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