Week 5 Discussion: Deconstructing the Status Quo Reflection

In Week 1, you contemplated the philosophical image of our criminal justice system as impartial and objective; in Week 2, you examined the concept of implicit and explicit biases; in Week 3, you explored how different characteristics influenced the criminal justice system; and, in Week 4, you looked at how perceptions influenced outcomes in criminal justice. While this was, by no means, an exhaustive examination of the elements that contribute to sociocultural intelligence, it should give you a high-level overview of the challenges and benefits of developing cultural competencies.

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, review

Your IAT results from your Week 2 What Is Your Implicit Score? Reflection discussion forum.

Reforming the Criminal Justice System—An Ethical Leadership Approach

Initial Response: Reflect on the topics covered throughout this course, then thoughtfully and critically consider whether your perspective has shifted. Many people believe that if you can change your thoughts, you can change the world. In an initial post of at least 250 words,

Explain whether your thoughts have changed on the topics of bias, diversity, or cultural competencies.

Share what you feel you have learned about yourself, including how you see and interact with members of society who are different than you.

Discuss the impact of labels and biases.

Discuss the implications for the criminal justice field and society.

Identify the skills and knowledge you will take out of this class and how will it influence your future actions.

Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. Your responses should be at least 100 words in length, support your response with examples from the required materials or other scholarly resources. Also, remember that this is a discussion; do not just agree—challenge your peers’ assessment, and ask questions to enhance the scope of the discussion. If a peer or your instructor asks you a question, it is your responsibility to respond. Continue to monitor the discussion forum throughout the day on Day 7 of the week.