AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES

An Analysis on Collier County Probation Department on Media Handling Concerns and Issues Your name here Learning Team Criminal Justice Management Theory and Practice/454 Date here Professor

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES An Analysis on Collier County Probation Department on Media Handling Concerns and Issues

Media is an inevitable element an organization must face. Thus, there is a need for every organization to have a standard media operating procedure specifically addressing media concerns and issues that are both good and bad. Presented herewith are the analysis of the Collier County Probation Department case study and the scrutiny of the department ways of handling media concerns. This case study will depict the significance of a standard media operating procedure in the event that there is no top management to do the decision-making. Standard Media Operating Procedure When Casey assumed and took charge of the position of her superior, she unfortunately faced black media propaganda. A journalist wanted to take hold of a confidential material from the case of a 23-year old criminal handled by Caseys department. The first adhering standard media operating procedure that Casey should adapt is to have the reporter forwarded to the office of communicationthe concerned department for media relations. Then, the second step is the assignment of a media relations officer who will assist the reporter of his needs. This media relations officer as well will be in-charge of the press conferences and other media portal discussions concerning the issue. He will also take hold of the position to relay whatever information the top management and other key officers of the organization have to say to the public and vice versa. Assigned, as well, for various departments and divisions of the organization are various media relation officers. Thus, these standard media operating procedures facilitate a more organized media handling within the organization (Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2010).

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES In addition to this, media should respect the procedures of the organization; otherwise,

the media not following the designated rules shall deem persona-non-ingrata of the organization that will waive all their right to interview as well as to gather information from within the organization. Hence, it should then follow that all media concerns of the organization dispatched through the office of communication, which will then assign a media relation officer specifically to address media issues and media relation officers from each department within the organization. This media standard operating procedure potentially expected to organize the flow of transfer and exchange of information from within the organization. This also potentially looked to expedite the media requests by directing all media issues in one departmentthat is the office of communication (Minnesota Department of Corrections, 2010). Halfway Penalization Collier County Probation Office suggestion of a halfway penalization will in no way constitute the organizations take on criminal law and punishment. Halfway penalization aims to reduce congestion in penitentiaries; it targets to avoid leveraging of light offenders to serious criminals from taking experience from serious criminals in jails; and its objective is to thwart repetitious criminal acts. This penalization also wanted to achieve a way to aid in the rehabilitation of light offenders so they can still go back to the society. Various factors such as the socio-economic status, personal values and surroundings upbringings are not justifications for criminals to do wicked acts but these factors are pivotal in the better understanding of the reasons why these criminals do such wicked actions (Schmalleger, 2009). The above stated factors are helpful for probation officers to determine if an offender should be a candidate for halfway penalization. Assessment of these factors will tell if there is a chance for the offender to repeat the crime. If this is not implemented, the chance for a non-

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES repetitious offender to become otherwise is huge a percentage. This is because inside the penitentiary, convicted felons will mold a light offender to become a carnal criminal. This irreparable damage would harm not only the light offender but also the society. Thus, it is necessary to have a separate penalization terms for light offenders so that they can still have a chance to go back to the society and depart from criminal acts (Schmalleger, 2009). In the case of the 23-year old light offender handled by the Collier County Probation Office, the halfway penalization is the most appropriate penalization after series of broad and

complete assessment. The accused did the unlawful act for the first time in his entire life and the various factors that might affect his leaning to do the act again is miniscule. He did the killing of his stepfather out of defense from the latters constant abuse of himphysically, mentally and sexually harassing him since he was five. He has no previous criminal recordsa conclusive fact of his passive and non-aggressive being. His young age also is a detrimental factor for him to be a candidate in the halfway penalization. If provided with proper rehabilitation, he has a huge potential to go back on his normal life and to contribute to the society. He shall be a beneficiary of the halfway penalization and his life should not throwaway living with convicted felons who will just take advantage of his innocence. Thus, it is most effective and feasible a suggestion to give him halfway penalization after the scrutiny of the stated factors (Peak, 2010). Halfway Penalization after a Full-blown Assessment of Probation Officers Probation officers suggesting a halfway penalization for the 23-year old felon as against long time conviction as per the full-blown assessment of the contributory factors is the most feasible suggestion therein. The officers came up with this recommendation because of the following reasons. First is the sexual abuse the felon experienced from his father. The 23-year old offender suffered sexual exploitation from the victim since he was five. The tremendous

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES mistreatment he underwent for almost 18 years is such a contributory factor taken in consideration by the probation officers. It is also an advantage looked in by the officers is the clean criminal and violence record of the felon. No previous record of wicked act and aggressiveness recorded against the felon before he killed his stepfather. It will only show

therefore, that he is a non-hostile individual that is a threat to the society. These assessments lead to the formulation of an impartial and objective suggestion of halfway penalization for the 23year old offender (Peak, 2010). His records of carnal exploitation, corporal abuse and psychological cruelty he suffered since he was at the age of five affects his ability to communicate and get along with the society, destroys his capability to create and maintain a relationship with anyone, damages his youth and injures his confidence (National Council On Child Abuse & Family Violence, 1998). These damages are irreparable that it is in his individuality forever. This injures not only his being but also his treatment to other people. These factors, facilitated by the victim himself, agitated the felon to kill him and to be criminally liable for the act. Thus, the 23-year old offender is just defending himself because of the various exploitations the victim, his stepfather, has caused over him. The offender needs proper medical treatment and therapy to aid in his full recovery from the incident and not conviction with other self-incarcerated murderers and felons (Lewis, 1992). Doing otherwise shall mold this light offender to become a hardened criminal as wella liability that the society cannot afford anymore. Thus, the aim of the department was indeed to aid in avoiding repetitive criminal acts from light offenders, a step taken in by considering the 23-year old light offender in the halfway penalization to prevent him from becoming a hardened criminal (Foster, 2006).

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES

It is therefore necessary a step to fully scrutinized and looked into the factors contributory to the offenders chances to repeat the criminal act again so to create an impartial and based on facts and evidentiary documents recommendation likewise with the case of the 23-year old felon. This recommendation is beneficial not only to the accused but also to the Collier County as well. It helped the felon to refrain from becoming a carnal criminal and aided him in getting back his life and in becoming an asset to the society. Hence, the department of the probation officers thereby adheres to the recommendation provided therein that the 23-year old offender be a candidate for halfway penalization because of his clean criminal records, non-aggressive history and minimal chances of repeating the criminal act (Peak, 2010). Various Ranges and Extent of Halfway Penalization There are various halfway penalizations therein; but in the case of the 23-year old felon and Collier County, the most viable is the psychological therapy with electronic monitoring and day-to-day reporting. The felon has been through a lot of physical, psychological and sexual mistreatment and maltreatment. The wide-ranging therapy can only resolve his trust issues needed for him to get back a normal life. The Collier County Probation Department also demands a detailed technological monitoring so that they can have a full grasp of the necessary information whenever needed with regard to the 23-year old accused (Peak, 2010). This will also help in enhancing his individuality so that he can have skills and abilities essential for his future employments. A day-to-day reporting also backs up the monitoring to help in the accuseds ability to go back to the society, have an education, get a job and lead a normal life. This halfway penalization targets decongestion of the penitentiaries; aims decrease in recidivating offenders; and wanted convertible light offenders from evolving into vicious criminals that are liability to the society (Peak, 2010).

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES Summary

Unaddressed media concern and issues can heavily damage an organization. Thus, it is of utmost importance that the organization creates and stands on its standard media operating procedures no matter what is the scenario or situation at hand. An organization with unyielding and straightforward standard media operating procedure is a successful and long living organization. In addition, through the construction of a standard media operating procedure, the organization can boast only of responsive media actions from the organization. As exhibited by the case study on Collier County Probation Department, the organization was able to adapt an effective standard media operating procedure and implemented the same even without the top management. Thus, it depicted the importance of having a well-formulated and well-versed standard media operating procedure.

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES Collier County Probation Department General Guidelines for Media People OBJECTIVE: To guarantee quick and well organized organizational answer in the events of media inquiries regarding the organization even in the view of non-to-management. RANGE: Organizationally covering all the premises and staffs therein

STRATEGY: Implementation of a standard media operating procedure that is tailored-fit for the organizations rules and procedures, the contents of which are not contrary to law and public policy. DESCRIPTIONS: Office of Communication the department in-charge of the over-all communication outside and within the organization; it handles all media queries, requests and inquiries. It is comprised of the communications director and the departments information officers. Manager head of the department or officer-in-charge of the central office and field offices STANDARD MEDIA OPERATING PROCEDURES: A. All media inquiry should go through the office of communication, a department focused on handling all the media inquiries of the organization. B. One media inquiry means one media relations officer assigned by the office of communication to handle specifically the concern and assist in the fulfillment or declination of his or her request. C. The media relations officer shall have a full grasp of the legal provisions of the State and the Minnesota Data Practices Act. The manager and/or top management executives must be communicated with all the incoming media inquiries and outgoing press releases. D. The manager shall authorize the release of any press information regarding the organization.

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES E. A detailed list of all media entities and personnel to contact with is a must-have for the manager. F. Whatever confidential information regarding an offender handled by the organization shall go through and screened by the organizations procedures on Offender Access to the Public News Media. G.

Assigning media relation officer for each department that would handle all media queries is necessary. Only through him or her should all media concerns directed. Each of these media relation officers shall be equipped of the media standard operating procedures that ruled over within the organization.

H.

Officer-in-charge of the premises shall secure a designated place accessible and open for media people that would like to inquire on a certain media concern or just to investigate and to look at the organizations way of handling cases.

I.

Uncertain media inquiries should not entertained by the staff or media relation officers or the office of communication.

ASSESSMENT:

Yearly

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 10 Collier County Probation Department Guidelines on Offender Access to the Public News Media OBJECTIVE: Collier County Probation Department is always transparent and clear. The

organization is open to all media queries or media interviews with accused. However, nonconformity to the organizations standard media operating procedure shall render the nonconformists persona-non-ingrata to the organization. RANGE: All Departments

STRATEGY: Media people permitted to personally communicate or converse via phone any accused handled by the organization if the former conform to all of the organizations standard media procedures. Only the jail warden shall allow taking of photos and identifying interviews for the grown-ups and only with consent of the accused he personally wrote. In the case of minor felons, only the jail warden too shall allow taking of photos and identifying interviews if only with consent of the accused he personally wrote plus a legal written permission from his parents or guardian. DESCRIPTIONS: Media people an accredited and properly identified and documented employee or representative of television stations or radio stations certified by the Federal Communications Commission. It also covers official employee or staff of a broadsheets, tabloids and newsprints with recurring and periodic printings of at least a thousand copies. STANDARD MEDIA OPERATING PROCEDURES: 1. The office of communication of the Collier County Probation Department is in charge of all the media queries and inquires as well as permissions to conduct interviews with prisoners handled by the organization. Considered only are written pleadings that are

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 11 filed and sent at the office at least 48 hours earlier. An exception happens when granted are written-permissions due to quick response from the prisoner and readiness of the escorting guards. However, this is still prior to approval of the organization, because such issue should strictly conform to the standard media operating procedure. 2. Media people should follow a standard form in writing a written permission. It should comprise the identity of the official requesting the interview as well as the media people that will be involved in the requested interview, the media station where he or she belongs, the requested prisoner and the list of the gadgets, such as recorders, cameras and the like. After which, mailed the letter to the Collier County Corrections System Office of Communication. 3. Provide a copy of the written permission to interview with the interview form of consent to the prisoner. The prisoner will then agree to the terms of the interview and sign the consent form or do otherwise, and send those to the Public Information Office. A positive prisoner response means that the media relation officer will schedule a time convenient with the media requestor and with the prisoners regular visiting schedule. 4. The prisoner should freely decide if he or she wanted to do the interview. If he or she chose to decline and wish to excuse, then the media requestor is banned for three (3) months in requesting such interview to the same prisoner. 5. Media people involve in the interview shall provide the following details: documented name, birthdate, sex and if there is a driver's license number. This is for the conduction of background check. Banned are those media people with derogatory records; and permitted are those who have a clean criminal slate.

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 12 6. Prisoner can request media station to be part of his or her visiting list. Nevertheless, the latter should not influence it. Moreover, the list still needs to undergo the regular process of background check. However, the list should always be open to the prisoner together with his visitors license number and social security number. 7. The prisoners can receive personal letters from media stations and media people. The letter should have the prisoners name with his identification number and addressed to the penitentiary. Not permitted to ask are those informal confirmation if the prisoner receives the letter or not. Not permitted as well are those self-stamped reply letters sent to the prisoners; should he or she wants to reply on the letter, the prisoners can only buy one from the canteen. In addition, it should be take note that all letters sent to the outside go through the process of screening, even law-related matters sent to his or her lawyer go through the same process. 8. Prisoners have his or her own allowable phone correspondence that is collect calls; and, unless the media belongs to that list, he cannot talk with the prisoner via phone patch. A prisoner can ask for the addition or removal of a media people in his or her telephone list on a day notification. All phone conversations recorded and it will state that the call came from New Hampshire State Prison. 9. The prisoners in seclusion should observe 30 days of no calls, no interviews and limited to no personal communications from the outside. 10. Special Housing Unit (extreme tolerance) as provide by the DOC policy limits the prisoners communication with the outside world. Prisoner belonging to the SHU has no interviewing rights.

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 13 11. Secure Psychiatric Unit allows media interview as long as this will not intervene to the medical treatment of the patient. The media request to interview must have an enclosure of the latest clinical evaluation of the patient from his or her resident psychiatrist. It must also have a written consent from the patients parents or legal guardian. Once the request is completed, forward it to the Office of Communication and a media relations officer will assist on your request. 12. There are instances wherein the prisoners has no visitation, telephone communication and interview rightsthese are prisoners on review by the administration. Nevertheless, letters are accepted. 13. Communication between the media station and the inmates are open by the organization. However, constant monitoring, searching and guarding are still there. This is to safeguard the premises. Any deviations from the standard media operating procedure is not acceptable; it may mean barring from the premises of the media people. 14. Only designated areas by the warden and the commissioners office are official interview places. Cells of the prisoners, jail premises, yard of the penitentiary and other compromising locations are some examples of places that are not acceptable places for interviews. This is because of security purposes and safeguarding of the premises. Only gadgets that are in the list are tolerable in the interview proper. 15. Offering of things to prisoners on the interview proper prohibited by RSA 622:24 or the act forbidding the conveyance of items to inmates or vice versaa second grade crime.

The organization conforms to the call for transparency the public should have in the information of the prisoners way of living and progressing of his or her case. Indorsed and spear headed by

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 14 the organization is the creation and implementation of standard media operating procedure. This is to maintain an organized way of doing things and at the same time to keep a secured and wellprotected inhabitant for the prisoner. Thus, expected from you is that you cooperate on this matter as well as we are hand-in-hand in the promotion of a better jail system in the country. Send your snail mail to Collier County Probation Department, Office of Communication, PO Box 1806, Collier County, CA 90012 all of your requests and inquires. Alternatively, you can opt to have those letters faxed at (888) 213-5643 or e-mailed to ccprobationco.@colliercounty.gov. You can also contact us through Phone: (888) 213-5602 for more details. REVIEW: Yearly

AN ANALYSIS ON MEDIA HANDLING CONCERNS AND ISSUES 15 References Foster, B. (2006). Corrections: The Fundamentals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Lewis, M.D., D. (1992). From Abuse to Violence: Psychophysiological Consequences of Maltreatment. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/little/readings/lewis.html Minnesota Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Media Contacts. Retrieved from http://www.doc.state.mn.us/DocPolicy2/html/DPW_Display_TOC.asp?Opt=101.310.htm Minnesota Department of Corrections. (2010). Offender Access to the Public News Media. Retrieved from http://www.doc.state.mn.us/DocPolicy2/html/DPW_Display_TOC.asp? Opt=303.110.htm National Council On Child Abuse & Family Violence. (1998). Child Abuse Information. Retrieved from http://www.nccafv.org/child.htm New Hampshire Department of Corrections. (n.d.). New Hampshire Dept. of Corrections Media Policy Overview. Retrieved from http://www.nh.gov/nhdoc/news/media_policy.html Peak, K. (2010). Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management (6th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall. Schmalleger, F. (2009). Criminology Today: An Integrative Approach, 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall.