U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

NCJ Number
6251
Journal
Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JULY 1970) Pages: 99-119
Author(s)
W R PARTRIDGE
Date Published
1970
Length
11 pages
Annotation
INTERAGENCY CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS REGARDED AS ESSENTIAL FOR EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF A SYSTEM AND COOPERATIVE PLANNING AND FUNDING.
Abstract
IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING EMPHASIS ON TREATING POLICE, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS AS PART OF A UNIFIED SYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. WHILE THIS TOTAL SYSTEM CONCEPT HAS IMPORTANT VALUES, IT CAN OVERSIMPLIFY A COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF PERSONS AND AGENCIES IN INTERACTION WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND IN THE PROCESS OF THAT INTERACTION, CONFLICTS ARISE. THESE CONFLICTS, WHICH OFTEN TEND TO DEFEAT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS OF THE TOTAL SYSTEM AND OF ITS PARTS, CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS - (1) CONFLICT BASED ON DISSENT REFLECTING DIFFERENCES IN VALUES AMONG GROUPS WITHIN A SYSTEM, (2) CONFLICT ARISING FROM STATUS AND ESTEEM DIFFERENTIALS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, (3) OPERATIONAL CONFLICT WHICH IS CENTERED IN THE DIFFERENCES WHICH OCCUR WHEN INTERRELATED AGENCIES SEEK TO SERVE THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, AND (4) PERCEPTUAL CONFLICT, THE RESULT OF DISTORTIONS WHICH PREVENT A CLEAR IMAGE OF THE DUTIES, FUNCTIONS, AND PURPOSES OF OTHER IN THE SYSTEM FROM BEING TRANSMITTED EFFECTIVELY. TECHNIQUES AND ALTERNATIVE METHODS, WHICH MIGHT BE PURSUED IN THE SYSTEM, TO RESOLVE SUCH CONFLICTS ARE SET FORTH AND DISCUSSED. REFERENCES MAY BE FOUND IN THE FOOTNOTES. AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED.