Managing Criminal Justice Organizations

Book excerpt: Managing Criminal Justice Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, 3rd Edition, covers the formal and informal nature of the organizations involved in criminal justice. Kania and Davis provide an introduction to the administration, organization, and management of criminal justice organizations. This management aspect is the key to ensuring the proper running of criminal justice agencies in their efforts to combat crime. The book begins by discussing the eight principles of public management: leading, organizing, deciding, evaluating, staffing, training, allocating, and reporting. It then describes management positions in criminal justice. These include police and law enforcement management; managing the prosecution of criminal suspects; managing bail, bond, and pretrial detention services; managing victim and witness services; managing the judicial system; and managing adult corrections. The remaining chapters cover the pioneers and predecessors of modern public service management theory; leadership in criminal justice; bureaucracies and organizational principles; decision making and planning; performance evaluation, appraisal , and assessment; staffing and personnel issues; training and education for criminal justice; allocation of organizational resources; information management and organizational communications; and future issues in criminal justice management. This text is suitable for introductory criminal justice management courses, preparing students to work in law enforcement, corrections, and the courts. The companion website offers case studies, test banks, lecture slides, and handouts, exercises and forms for use in class.