Discussion 1
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 9 from your text as well as the Bain (2014), Bryant (1998), and Freeman (2001) articles.
Most Americans are familiar with the concept of branding. We are all aware of logos, brand names, and symbols that identify specific brands of goods such as athletic shoes, soft drinks, video games, or magazines. Branding has become a multimillion dollar industry as an increasing number of organizations and public entities strive to align themselves strategically with a readily identifiable brand.
The concept of branding is also very important for law enforcement and correctional agencies. Agencies within criminal justice exist within a marketplace that is highly monopolistic. In the United States, there are no other agencies obligated to protect and serve the public other than local, state, or federal law enforcement organizations. There is no market for competition for the services provided by law enforcement.
However, within the field of corrections, the situation is somewhat different. Private prisons strive to offer better, more secure services and facilities at lower rates than public prisons. The correctional marketplace lacks the monopolistic nature found within the field of law enforcement.
Examine the concept of branding as it applies to law enforcement and correctional agencies. In your initial discussion post, you must address the following:
Explain the basic elements of public finance and how the idea of branding can be an important aspect of budgeting for law enforcement and corrections agencies.
Explain the basics of budget management and preparation in law enforcement and correctional organizations and how branding would fit into their finance scheme.
Evaluate the financial constraints that arise in budgeting and finance within the fields of law enforcement and corrections and how branding might be an important facet of those.
Discussion 2
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 10 from the text and the Ball (2014) article.
After reading the required resources, your task is to examine the ways economic decision making affects the gestalt of an organization. The various facets of economics, financial decision making, and budgeting do not exist in a vacuum. Decision makers must consider a host of salient extra-organizational aspects such as the existing political climate, legal mandates, and public relations in order to formulate effective solutions for the betterment of the agency.
For this discussion, you will examine the five phases of project management. You must focus on the integration of project management as applicable to either a law enforcement or corrections organization.
If you opt to focus on the integration of project management from a law enforcement perspective, your task is to select a project suitable to policing highlighted in your text. Suitable law enforcement projects might include the purchasing of firearms, development of a new policing strategy, implementation of marketing strategies, or the creation of branding schemes. Ultimately, the choice of which project you examine is entirely up to you.
If you opt to focus on corrections, your task is to examine the ways inmate leasing was addressed by correctional agencies as highlighted in the Ball (2014) article. Inmate leasing programs were an integral part of corrections for many years. Such programs did not fully die out until well into the 20th Century. These programs served important financial and economic purposes for the agencies and local economies in which the inmates were leased to work. You must examine the practice of inmate leasing programs.
In your initial post:
Identify each phase of your law enforcement or corrections agency project and provide a working definition for them.
Explain how the basics of budget management and preparation are affected by the integration of project management.
Analyze how the technical aspects of budgeting and finance are integrated into the various phases of project management for your organization.
Evaluate financial constraints that can arise during the integration of project management.
