This assignment provides you with the opportunity to examine the importance of budgets in the criminal justice system.
You will be creating a hypothetical budget for one of the following criminal justice agencies (select ONE):
• police department,
• sheriff’s department,
• jail,
• prison,
• probation department,
• federal agency,
• state agency,
• child protective agency,
• private security firm, or
• private investigation agency.
After selecting a criminal justice agency, complete the budget detail worksheet by first downloading the worksheet (click here to download the worksheet) and then inserting the budgetary details in the worksheet, including the following items:
• the purpose,
• sections A through I (including the rationale), and
• the budgetary summary.
On the last page of the worksheet, you will find the following questions. Use these questions as a guide before, during, and after preparing the budget. To wrap-up this assignment, provide a brief response to each question within the worksheet.
1. How large is your agency and the community you serve?
2. What responsibilities does your agency possess?
3. What material resources does your agency need? How will you prioritize these resources for the budget?
4. What creative sources can you use to increase your budget, or what types of strategies (and cost-saving
measures) would you use to maximize your budget?
5. What issues do you foresee in implementing your budget (e.g., obtaining approval through a committee, legal implications, risks, weaknesses)? What types of consequences might exist for the agency and the community as a result of implementing your budget?
6. How can you mitigate any issues that may arise (e.g., a committee does not approve the budget—what will you
do; consequences for the agency—how will you handle them; consequences for the community—how will you
handle them)?
7. Why might it be advantageous to include excessive funds within your budget? In other words, why might it be
helpful to conservatively estimate expenses within your budget?
8. What sort of challenges and problems could you face from having a deficit in your budget?
Proofread your work, and then submit your assignment in Blackboard for grading.
