Best patterns and practices have determined the best way to reduce one of the major flaws in the American criminal justice system: wrongful convictions. Getting something done about it is another story entirely, however. According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, incoming Illinois State Rep. Scott Drury has introduced two bills he hopes will make a difference. Drury is a former federal prosecutor. Now he represents part of Lake County, which has a history of convicting the wrong men.

Federal law enforcement is confusing. People entering the country illegally are in violation of our immigration laws. So one would imagine that ICE really has the same mission as the Border Patrol. Is that the case? And if tobacco, firearms and alcohol are legal, what is the ATF supposed to do? It’s easy to see where people could lose the plot. According to a South Florida TV news station, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been raiding local smartphone repair shops and seizing counterfeit Apple parts.

Americans aged 65 and older are the nation’s fastest growing demographic group, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. And although crimes committed against the elderly are increasingly a matter of concern, advocates say too little is being done to address the problem. “It’s the dirty little secret no one wants to talk about,” said Robyn Grant, public policy and advocacy director for the “National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care” in Washington, D.C. “We’ve got to give it the attention that child abuse and domestic abuse are given in this country.”

Long before officers wore Kevlar, they put on emotional body armor heaping on more and more layers when investigating crimes against children. The vulnerability, innocence, and defenselessness of children makes the crime resonate and tug at the essence of the police officer as a protector. Dr. Vincent Henry, a retired NYPD officer and author of Death Work: Police, Trauma, and the Psychology of Survival, admits that law enforcement has done a poor job in preparing officers for the emotional upheaval of the profession and crimes against children are especially toxic.