Assignment: Influences on Criminal Justice
Select one of the following topics as the focus of your paper: drugs, terrorism, media, or victims.
Write a 2- to 4-page paper in which you address the following:
• What are the main problems, priorities, or goals regarding the topic in criminal justice in America?
• In what way is the topic relevant to different parts of the criminal justice field (police, courts, and corrections)?
• How did it develop into the complicated issue that it is today? What politics influences have played a role in how this topic has impacted American criminal justice?
• Address the question for your selected topic:
• Media: Do the media have too much influence on criminal justice? Provide a real-world example to support your position (e.g., an actual criminal case where the media made either a positive or negative impact on the criminal justice process) and assess media influence in that case.
• Drugs: Should the criminal justice system continue to focus on enforcing anti-drug laws, or should some or all of these drugs be legalized? Provide specific support for your answer.
• Terrorism: Should foreign nationals who are suspected of terrorism against the United States be afforded the same protections (U.S. Constitutional rights, etc.) as a U.S. citizen who is accused of a crime, or should some other method (such as military tribunals) be utilized to determine the outcome of suspected foreign terrorists? Provide specific support for your answer.
• Victims: Identify a program in your state of residence that assists victims with the criminal justice process (e.g., Victim/Witness Assistance Program or a Victim Compensation Fund), and discuss the services that are provided to victims of crime by this entity. How would you improve this particular program to enhance services to victims?
Support your analysis with a minimum of two references. The course textbook may be one resource. Additional references may include scholarly articles, websites, blogs, podcasts, or other relevant sources.