Procedural Justice Theory to Law Enforcement's Response to Persons with Mental Illness

Procedural Justice Theory to Law Enforcement's Response to Persons with Mental Illness
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Violent crime is a pertinent issue worldwide since it poses significant threats to communities causing economic disruption, social instability, and insecurities. Although violent crime has significantly reduced in the United States, the rates of gun homicide remain 25 times higher than in other countries, regardless of nonlethal crimes recording similar rates. Also, study shows that countries like the United States are more likely to die from violent crimes due to increased shooting (Shepley et al., 2019). In this context, public confidence and trust in law enforcement agencies are crucial for anticipating public collaboration with police in a democracy. Public collaboration and cooperation with law enforcers are vital to the effective control of violent crime, mainly because law enforcement agencies depend on community members to report these crimes or suspicious activities, as well as help in offender identification. Citizens' expressions of confidence in law enforcement agencies are influenced by their perspectives concerning police commitment to helping and caring for their communities, thus prioritizing communities' best interests. However, minority societal groups, including people with mental illness, are likely to mistrust law enforcement agencies, as they fear that police will discredit their reports as victims of violent crime (Morgan & Higginson, 2023). The purpose of this paper is to apply procedural justice theory in violent crime, specifically focusing on discussing the factors leading to violent crime and examining how the theory can help in policy formulation and practice in mitigating such crimes. Through investigating procedural justice application to violent crime, this paper aims to offer valuable insights into the drivers of violent crime, the decision-making of the perpetrators, and its prevention and intervention.
Description of Procedural Justice Theory
Procedural justice implies the primary significance that individuals attach to interactions with authority. The procedural justice theory refers to the criminological aspect, which focuses on the vitality of fair and equal interaction processes in the criminal justice system. The theory presents that the interaction course with authority significantly affects the subjective assessment of the involved persons and the interaction results. There is a just and fair perception decision-making process during interaction with the authority, even when the outcome is unfavorable. According to the procedural justice theory, interpersonal traits like fairness, voice, validation, respect, motivation, and information influence the perception of the interactions (Wittouck & Beken, 2019). The theory posits that people's perception of fairness in their interaction with authority, consistent application of laws and rules, and transparency in decision-making significantly affect their behaviors, attitudes, and compliance with the law. People accept decisions, show rule-abiding behavior, and adore legal authority if they believe the criminal justice system is procedurally fair and just (Morgan & ...