Journal: Juvenile Versus Adult: Integrity, Authority, and Discretionary Power
The criminal justice system operates with three basic principles: Integrity, Authority, and
Discretionary Power. Integrity refers to moral uprightness, or the sound moral principle and
character. Authority is the unquestionable entitlement to be obeyed that comes from fulfilling a
specific role. This gives the right to give orders, make critical decisions, and enforce obedience.
The last principle is Discretionary power, which is the right to make decisions using reason and
judgment to choose an acceptable alternative (Pollock, 2018).
The three basic principles are there to uphold ethical moral values. Integrity helps ensure
that decisions are made correctly and honestly without anyone supervising. The authority ensures
that decisions are made within the scope of one’s role. Discretionary power gives the opportunity
for decisions are made without any external constraints. The main point of these principles is to
make sure that criminal justice officials are being trustworthy and committed to uphold ethical
morals.
When addressing an adult defendant, the criminal justice system needs to keep in mind
that adults have a mind of their own. When it comes to integrity, one would believe that an adult
will tell the truth, but it is not always like that, most adult defendants do not take responsibility
for their actions. One we can assume a defendant to use integrity is when they are told that they
must tell the truth in court. When it comes to authority it can be difficult with an adult because
they do not like to be told what to do, especially when they are being arrested, situations like this
can make it difficult, but officials must make their presence as authorities clear. When addressing
adults’ criminal justice officials can use discretion when they see possible, but it is up to how the
defendant behaves.
