Student Staff Project Update from Diane Wesh

The project I am currently working on is IJM. IJM is an acronym for  “International Justice Mission,” a global organization that protects the poor from violence in the developing world. International Justice Mission works with governmental authorities and organizations to: rescue victims of sexual violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen the justice system. My project consists of aiding my team in drafting a legal memo regarding police accountability. Our main focus is to identify and explain: 1.) major criminal/administrative investigations of police officers in the U.S & U.K; why they worked or did not work; 2.) how criminal and administrative investigations of police officers affect the public; 3.) how to implement a social demand for police accountability in societies with high crime and terrorism; and 4.) whether police accountability is better served by internal affairs or independent oversight.

The toughest part of the project is the extensive amount of research I have to do. A lot of my hours go into looking for scholarly journals, articles, books and anything that I can find pertaining to my project. The most rewarding part of this project is learning about organizations that I never knew existed and seeing how there are so many people that want to see a change in this world. I also like the fact that I am able to meet and work with students from different cultures who share similar interests as me.