Civilian role
Scenario You are working in one of the following civilian roles located in your hometown or work area, or in a nearby metropolitan area. You have recently been asked to gather a group of community members and certain sworn officials to offer a diversity training to. The training presentation will include common terminology and stereotypes, and the community members will have to identify their implicit biases.
First, select one association-sworn official from the Criminal Justice Professional Associations PDF document. Next, select one of the following civilian roles:
• Paralegal
• Court Clerk
• Victim Advocate
• Nonprofit Administrator
• Eligibility Specialist
Directions Training After you have chosen your civilian role and your audience of specific sets of sworn officials, follow the directions below to complete your assignment:
1. Describe how culture impacts communications from criminal justice professionals, using appropriate terminology. You may include any videos or supplemental theories you think may be relevant.
o Include key terminology related to cultural awareness, including:
i. Terms related to classifications of cultures (e.g., contraculture)
ii. The difference between race and ethnicity
iii. The difference between discrimination and prejudice
o Provide at least one example of each type—speaking and listening—when there is miscommunication.
2. Explain how cultural stereotypes can negatively influence decision making in criminal justice settings. Include the following:
o Three examples of stereotypes common to these defined groups and how they can be harmful when generalized and lead to poor decision making:
i. Race
ii. Ethnicity
iii. Language ability
iv. Citizenship
v. Religion
3. Explain how diversity stereotypes can negatively influence decision making in criminal justice settings. Include the following: o Five examples of stereotypes common to these defined groups and how they can be harmful when generalized and lead to poor decision making:
i. Socioeconomic status (SES)
ii. Gender
iii. LGBTQ+ status
iv. Age
v. Disability (including mental disabilities)
o A brief explanation of the history behind stereotyping one of these five diverse communities in the United States
4. Explain how personal bias may influence speaking and listening.
o Explain the relationship between ethnocentrism and communication issues among criminal justice professionals and the public.
o Distinguish implicit from explicit bias. o Include an example from your (or another's) examination of implicit biases.
Training presentation on cultural diversity and implicit bias for criminal justice professionals:
Introduction
Good morning, everyone. My name is [your name] and I'm a [your civilian role]. I'm here today to talk to you about cultural diversity and implicit bias in the criminal justice system.
What is culture?
Culture is a set of shared beliefs, values, and norms that guide the way people think, feel, and behave. It's important to understand that culture is not static. It's constantly evolving and changing.
There are many different ways to classify cultures. One way is to divide them into two main categories: macrocultures and microcultures.
- Macrocultures are large, overarching cultures that encompass many different microcultures. For example, the United States is a macroculture that includes many different microcultures, such as African American culture, Hispanic culture, and Asian American culture.
- Microcultures are smaller, more specific cultures that exist within a macroculture. For example, the culture of a particular police department or prison would be considered a microculture.
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Communication problems
- Ineffective decision-making