Assignment:
This course provides students with an understanding of principles and interconnectedness of public policy, law, and ethics and their implications for the criminal justice practitioner. Policy development and implementation, federal and state laws, and issues of ethics are addressed in a broad criminal justice context and in varying settings. The link between criminology theory and social policy is be explored. Students engage in a comprehensive examination of selected theories of crime causation and critique a wide range of public policies, informed by theory, designed to prevent and combat crime.
Course Title: Crime and Public Policy
Final Paper
In the Final paper, each student will develop a new or novel policy initiative designed to improve/reform one non-policeaspect of the criminal justice system (i.e., federal, state or local issue). The policy initiative must be connected to a national, state or local effort to address a compelling criminal justice interest (policy, practice, outcome) that is fundamentally unfair to a segment of justice system consumers. Students will describe the major ideological, political, and/or ethical dimensions (as applicable) of the policy issue and develop recommended actions that, in their judgment, would improve outcomes/equity for the intended constituency. The recommended actions should be in the form of changes in thinking, practice, policy, law, or regulations.
The paper will be a five complete pages, doubled spaced, justified left in 12-pointTimes New Roman font. Please use APA format for in-text citations and Reference page entries. The Cover page, Table of Contents page, Reference page and optional Appendixpage(s) shall not be included in reaching the five-page requirement. The section headings for numbers 1,2, 7 and 8below shall be centered and bold. The section headings for numbers 3, 4, 6 and 6 below shall be left justified and bold. No photographs, charts, tables, or other visual displays will be included in the body of the paper. These items may be displayed on an Appendix page. No running headers are permitted.
The paper must reflect the following specifications:
1. Cover page
2. Table of Contents
3. Introduction
a. Identify the topic of your paper, tell the reader why it is relevant/important in the context of criminal justice practice or reform, identify intended constituents, preview major components of your paper
4. New or Novel Policy Initiative
a. Summarize your new or novel policy initiativecreated to improve/reform one aspect of the criminal justice process. Why is it needed and who is it designed to help?
5. Obstacles to Implementation
a. Identify the major ideological, political, financial and/or ethical issues you are likely to encounter in the implementation of your policy and briefly describe the process you will use to overcome said challenges
6. Conclusion (provide a one paragraph summary of your entire paper)
7. References used in the paper
a. minimum of five scholarly references required
8. Appendix (optional)