A leadership approach to criminal justice education: developing tomorrow’s decision makers

Abstract

Justice delivery in criminal law systems depends on the quality of the decisions of its members; then fair and equitable delivery of justice should be its central goal. Criminal justice educators need to develop their students into persons who are capable of making these decisions. When the knowledge and skills needed to make these tough decisions are examined they are shown to be the same skills that make someone an effective leader and manager. Incorporating leadership education and making ‘leadership skills’ an identified outcome of undergraduate and graduate criminal justice curricula will prepare students to be effective leaders and managers in creating and administrating a ‘just’ criminal law system for society.

Keywords:

• criminal justice
• law enforcement
• culture
• liberal education
• leadership
• management
• citizenship skills

Notes

1. Feminist Ethics is an attempt to revise, reformulate, or rethink those aspects of traditional Western ethics that depreciate or devalue women’s moral experience. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism‐ethics/ (accessed 29 September 2004).

2. Oscar Arias Sanchez Former President of Costa Rica (1986–90), Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1987).

3. More detailed information about curricula offerings and other aspects of these programs can be found at www.inform.umd.edu/OCP/NCLP/CampusLinks.html, which is the Internet site for the National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs and provides links to over 100 national and international programs.

4. Anyone interested in receiving a copy of this syllabus or other items used in this course should contact the authors.