ATS1282 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Shared Experience
26 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
Police have different options to chose from and them choosing not to do something can be just as significant as doing something. Police are gatekeepers to the cjs so they can put people in the cjs or direct them away from it. Reality is not everyone gets equal treatment e. g. someone with a criminal record may be treated differently to someone else without a record who commits the same offence. The funnel effect suggests that there are different courses of action which can be taken and these decisions are based on the individual police officer. Benefits > police discretion allows them to consider the context/circumstances. Disadvantages > it can lead to over/under-policing and differential treatment (as a result of personal prejudices) Societal factors > social norms/expectations, presence/absence of legislation, technology, political climate, whether there are witnesses, minor vs. major offences. Organisational factors > cultural norms and values e. g. institutionalised racism.
