The ethical issues of criminal justice

Discussion 1
Considered policies and programs
1. Criminal Justice system: Impact caused by a lengthy criminal justice system on crime suspects
2. Border Control Program: Significance of enhanced boarder control in preventing crime, drug trafficking and counterfeit goods
3. Innocence Program-Suspect Conviction processes: Consequences of wrongful conviction of inmates and measure needed to alleviate wrongful convictions

Impact of relevant political and ethical issues associated with the program evaluation
The criminal justice system has many good but also negative consequences. To the extent that there still are wrongful convictions and the policy makers may have to reevaluate the program with an objective of rethinking the loopholes. Zalman (2006) describes the importance of developing what he terms as an innocence movement. The objective is to litigate matters in the best interest of likely exonerates and promote a research and policy agenda that takes care of innocent convicts. Zalman (2006) proposes a research initiative by scholars in criminal justice aimed at exploring pertinent issues in favour of innocent convicts.

The "innocence program" speaks to the ethical issue of human rights and the right to a fair trial. Subjecting suspects to a lengthy period of waiting and court processes is in effect inflicting pain and curtailing their rights. The emotional and physical pain suspects go through is often not accounted for in the criminal trial system. There are instances where decades have passed before a judgement is issued and in some few instances innocent suspects have ended up behind bars. Zalman (2006) points to the relevance of borrowing models of research from sociology and political science with regard to public policy area of study. This will enhance the understanding of researchers on capacity of integrating reforms in the justice system.

The boarder control program touches on geopolitics and ethical issues surrounding quality of products getting into a country from other partners in international trade. Even with heightened boarder security it is not lost on the government that substandard goods and counterfeit products still find their way into the country. The problem of drug trafficking has also been a thorn in the flesh. A scholarly approach to the border control program and policies might significantly assist in improving effectiveness of such programs.

Reasons for considering each program

1. Criminal Justice program: Even though the criminal justice system has gone through many reforms aimed at improving the expedition of justice there are still misgivings in the time taken to prosecute criminal cases (Crutchfield, 2017). This problem lives unintended negative consequences on the suspects who might be innocent. The issue of human rights and the right to a fair trial are abused due to the delays and apprehension of suspects. A solution to this policy issue needs to be reviewed by scholars in order to explore better ways of expediting justice.

2. Border Control Program: Although there are tight policies and programs put in place with the objective of minimizing entry of drugs, counterfeit goods and criminals through points of entry, there never seems to be a closure on the border control issue. it is clear that tighter policies and programs needs to be put in place with an objective of making it more difficult to smuggles counterfeit goods and drugs and for crime suspects to pass through border security.

3. Innocence program: The number at which innocent people get convicted of crimes they did not commit, due to factors such as wrong identity and selective application of law is alarming. There is an urgent need to improve the criminal justice system with an objective of alleviating wrongful convictions and enhancing the innocence program. This will minimize the chances of convictions and subversion of justice for convicts.

Criminal justice system: it is said that it’s better to allow 100 guilty suspects to go free than to have an innocent man convicted. From a political stand point the criminal justice system works when criminals are convicted. The ethical dilemma in this context is the likelihood of interfering with the right to a fair trial for any suspect. An enhanced justice system may mean allowing criminals to ride of these rights to propagate an evil agenda.

Innocence program: Often after a person has exhausted all the legal mechanism available for them in a criminal case there is no other recourse. Having an innocence program is a great idea only to the genuinely innocent convicts. Politically this would mean that culprits have another opportunity to let themselves off the hook. It is a tough balancing act presenting numerous political and ethical dilemmas.

Theoretically speaking the criminal justice system should be full proof, in practice though this might not be possible. The logistical and practical issues characterizing this evaluation include an established system of rolling out justice and the difficulty of adjusting procedural and policy frameworks. The justice system has invested a lot in the current framework and it would be near impossible to radically adjust the systems.

A good evaluation question focuses and provides an evaluation structure, it guides the process of evaluation planning, and informs on how incorporation of results will be done with an objective of enhancing a program (UN Women, 2012). According to De Salazar and Hall (2009) effective evaluation questions reflect perspectives of stakeholders in their diversity, detail fundamental program components, the most critical information requirements and the resources needed to give answers to the question.

Process of formulating and developing evaluation question:
· Assemble relevant stakeholders
· Examine supporting material like strategic plans, evaluation framework and program monitoring
· Come up with evaluation question with regard to the entire program or a given activity in the program
· Categorize the evaluation questions into groups that have relevance to stakeholders and program.
· Make a decision on the evaluation question to handle.
· Check to ascertain that the questions are associated with the program
· Make a determination on the manner in which data regarding the chosen evaluation question will be chosen.
Appropriate Topic: Sealing the loopholes in the criminal justice system
Preliminary research evaluation Question: In what ways can the criminal justice system be enhanced to expedite justice and alleviate occurrence of innocent convictions?

Evaluability according to Lipsey, Petrie, Weisburd and Gottfredson (2006) entails the appropriateness of a program for the purpose of impact evaluation. Issues such as circumstances and complexion of a program, the prerequisite requirements for credibility of research and the availability of resources may hinder an otherwise good evaluation question. These issues may derail the prospects of performing an effective assessment of the effects of a program.

Evaluability assessment answers questions such as: will the program design quality make it possible to have an evaluation? Is the intended intervention justifiable and realistic? Is there clarity on the program objectives? Are performance indicators available? Are indicators of performance adequately monitored? Was the intervention logic modified and for what reason? (Unodc.org, n.d.).