Crime Criminal Justice Administrator\'s Responsibilities

Crime

Criminal justice administrator's responsibilities

Criminal justice administrator's responsibilities

The criminal justice administrator has a number of aspects to consider when it comes to employee rights. These rights, which include the right to privacy, as well as protection from sexual harassment and the rights of the disabled, are equivalent to the rights of employees in other sectors of society. The point is also made by commentators that these rights in both the public and private sectors of society have "… changed dramatically over the Last 200 years" and that "Evolution and revolution have reconfigured the landscape of employee / management relations" in criminal justice. (Chaires and Lentz. P. 259).

There is also a contemporary emphasis on employee privacy and protection from sexual and other forms of harassment within the system. As one study on this aspect notes, supervisors and managers within the justice system are aware of various types of behavior that transgress employee rights. These can include voyeuristic contacts, sexual shakedowns and citizen-initiated sexual contacts (Peak, 2010).

Other employee rights include the various facets of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under this act, for example, employees have the right to protection from intentional discrimination as well as "…the right to equal opportunity in employment regardless of their national origin, race, religion, color or sex" ( Allen, 2010). Employees are also protected in terms of age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) provides equal employment opportunities regardless of age and agencies "…cannot post job advertisements and notices specifying age limitations and preferences" ( Allen, 2010).

Gender equality is another area that has been improved in terms of the protection of employee rights. This refers specially to the Equal Pay Act (EPA). In terms of this act

… employees have protection against compensation based on gender. Men and women have equal rights in getting the same amount salary and benefits if they have the same work performance, possess the same qualifications and bear the same responsibility under one employer ( Allen, 2010).

Employees are also protected under these laws from sexual harassment. A type of sexual harassment that is particularly relevant is known as hostile work environment harassment. This refers to "…unwelcome conduct that is so severe or pervasive as to change the conditions of the claimant's employment and create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment" (Rubin, 1995). The effects of this form of harassment can impact the criminal justice system in a number of ways. Employees who are harassed can "…expose the agency to liability in its capacity as an employer," which in turn places the onus on management to reduce the number of sexual harassment claims. The department may also be sued by claimants who assert that they have been harassed by members of the criminal justice services (Rubin, 1995). .

Employees also have the right to express their grievances and complaints. As the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) states

All employees, including part-time employees, at all levels of employment, should be afforded the protection of due process through clear grievance procedures. It is the obligation of members of the Academy when acting as employers to communicate these procedures and to protect the rights of employees who initiate complaints (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences: Code of Ethics).

New legislation has also recently been implemented that further protects the rights of criminal justice employees. This legislation follows in the wake of reports of violence against employees in this sector and criminal justice workers have been provided with "… an extra layer of privacy from the public" (NEW LEGISLATION GIVES CRIMINAL JUSTICE EMPLOYEES GREATER 'PEACE of MIND'). This refers to House Bill 1317 which "… exempts employee photographs and their month and year of birth from disclosure under the state's Public Records Act" (NEW LEGISLATION GIVES CRIMINAL JUSTICE EMPLOYEES GREATER 'PEACE of MIND').

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Diversity training has become an important part the focus of modern labor management, especially as it applies to the Department of Criminal Justice and Human Resources. This is largely due to the composition of the contemporary workforce, which is usually a "…a diverse mix of age, gender, race and ethnicity" ( Managing Diversity Training Series). This mix is added to by the fact that the modern workforce combines the skills and the requirements of a number of different generations; which"…brings a unique perspective to the workforce with different values about how work should be accomplished" ( Managing Diversity Training Series). Managers and human resource administrators therefore have to be aware not only of the legal aspects related to diversity but also to the dynamic potential that is an intrinsic part of this diversity.

With Regard to the criminal justice system, diversity is an important part of protecting the rights of the employees, as well as adding to the depth of skills and talents in the system itself. A good example is the diversity training program developed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Human Resources Division. This program allows for the protection of the rights of employees and subscribes to affirmative action legislation, while at the same time allowing for the application of the criminal law Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws. These EEO laws include the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), 1967's Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) (Allen, 2010).

In essence, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice makes a point of encouraging employees to recognize that workplace diversity is an important aspect of the Department's functioning and that it is in fact seen as one of its "strengths" (Managing Diversity Training Series). As the Managing Diversity Training Series website run by the Department states; " by capitalizing on diverse backgrounds and expertise, not only does the Agency accomplish its mission, but employees also enrich themselves both professionally and personally" (Managing Diversity Training Series).