Criminal justice professionals
follow guidelines based on court decisions and data trends, then assess results to inform decisions for future programs.
How have Supreme Court decisions in recent years affected trends, policies, or court decisions in your state? What do you predict for the future of the Supreme Court? Which research and program evaluation practices can courts use to improve justice and influence public policy in your area?
There have been many Supreme Court decisions in the past few years that have changed our communities drastically. Most notably, the laws on abortion and affirmative action have received the most attention. I would like to add gun laws, but there are still no changes on how to proceed in a way that satisfies all parties involved. I believe the Supreme Court will continue to be influenced by activists and those who strongly put in the work to change a bill. (Personally, I disagree with the changes, but that is how it is done) In 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided, it did not come lightly. Abortion had been an issue since the 1800's. Back then, they proceeded with caution due to the medical practitioner being charged with murder if the mother died. Nowadays, the issue is whether or not a fetus is considered a child or not. With affirmative actions, the law now states that universities and colleges cannot admit students based on race, but there are other ways to ensure diversity lives on. College admissions teams target mid to lower class communities to provide opportunities to receive an education and these communities are mostly brown and black.
Courts mostly rely on the changes being asked within the community. They can use the SARA Model as way to decide which changes are necessary. The SARA Model is known to SCAN, ANALYZE, RESPOND, AND ASSESS. They would identify a problem, use relevant data to analyze the problem, develop an action plan, and evaluate the effectiveness of the response. This model provides different outcomes, depending on the action taken and can foresee which changes are best.
