Literature Analysis: Topic Identification & Bibliography
During this course, students will compose an original 10-12-page Literature Analysis on a current topic or trend in criminal justice. In preparation for the Literature Analysis, each student will submit their topic for approval, along with a preliminary bibliography. The bibliography must cite at least six (6) scholarly resources that are significant to the topic (current, relevant, credible, and each carries its weight), with a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources.
Criminal sentencing embraces a number of philosophies and seeks to satisfy sometimes conflicting goals: retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and restoration. The means to accomplish those tasks have traditionally been comprised of fines, probation, imprisonment, and death. To adapt to the financial, social, and international pressures, the criminal justice system has experimented with mandatory, indeterminate, and structured sentencing. However, each defendant-based alternative must be viewed with in the light of its impact on the victims and society at-large.
Beginning with the material conveyed in the assigned reading and presentation, select 2 scholarly articles from the university criminal justice databases, and integrate those resources to discuss the practical implications of alternative and innovative sentencing options. Finally, integrate within your discussion the impact of a Judeo-Christian viewpoint on the viability of such new sentencing options.