Week 6 – Final Paper
Emerging Issues in Criminal Justice Policy
The final assignment for this course is an analysis of a contemporary policy issue in criminal justice. Note: this course builds on itself – three of your assignments and both of your journal articles may be applicable to your Final Paper. In the text, Criminal Justice Policy, Gardiner and Mallicoat (2014) lay out four emerging policy issues in “Chapter 20: Emerging Issues in Criminal Justice Policy.” In addition, numerous policy issues are presented throughout “Section II: Criminal Justice Policy in Action” in Criminal Justice Policy. For your Final Paper, select one issue to research from either Section II or Chapter 20. Each of these criminal justice policies is shaped by constitutional issues and will have future implications. Your Final Paper must:
- Summarize the criminal justice policy by explaining how the policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure.
- Complete a literature review for the policy incorporating your two journal article reviews.
- Analyze the criminal justice policy process including the relationships between the federal, state, and local stakeholders who influence criminal justice policy.
- Address the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Revise existing public policy to address specific criminal justice issues.
- Explain the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations.
- Analyze the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice.
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper must:
- Be a minimum of eight double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the
- Include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Utilize a minimum of 10 scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources; five of these must be from the University Library.
- Document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
- Include a separate references page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric:
Description:
Total Possible Score: 35.00
Explains How the Criminal Justice Policy Affects the Basic Premises of the Criminal Justice System, its Organization, and its Structure
Total: 5.00
Distinguished – Thoroughly explains how the criminal justice policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure.
Proficient – Explains how the criminal justice policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure. Minor details are missing.
Basic – Minimally explains how the criminal justice policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure. Relevant details are missing.
Below Expectations – Attempts to explain how the criminal justice policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure; however, significant details are missing.
Non-Performance – The explanation of how the criminal justice policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.
Completes a Literature Review For the Criminal Justice Policy
Total: 6.00
Distinguished – Completes a comprehensive literature review for the criminal justice policy.
Proficient – Completes a literature review for the criminal justice policy. Minor details are missing.
Basic – Completes a limited literature review for the criminal justice policy. Relevant details are missing.
Below Expectations – Attempts to complete a literature review for the criminal justice policy; however, significant details are missing.
Non-Performance – The literature review for the criminal justice policy is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.
Analyzes the Criminal Justice Policy Process and the Constitutional Issues That Should be Addressed by Policy Makers or the U.S. Supreme Court
Total: 6.00
Distinguished – Thoroughly analyzes the criminal justice policy process and the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court.
Proficient – Analyzes the criminal justice policy process and the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court. Minor details are missing.
Basic – Minimally analyzes the criminal justice policy process and the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court. Relevant details are missing.
Below Expectations – Attempts to analyze the criminal justice policy process and the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court; however, significant details are missing.
Non-Performance – The Analysis of the criminal justice policy process and the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court was either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.
Revises Existing Public Policy to Address Specific Criminal Justice Issues and Explains the Effects of Public Policy on Internal Criminal Justice Operations
Total: 7.00
Distinguished – Revises existing public policy to thoroughly address specific criminal justice issues and comprehensively explains the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations.
Proficient – Revises existing public policy to address specific criminal justice issues and explains the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations. Minor details are missing.
Basic – Revises existing public policy to minimally address specific criminal justice issues and partially explains the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations. Relevant details are missing.
Below Expectations – Attempts to revise existing public policy to address specific criminal justice issues and explain the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations; however, significant details are missing.
Non-Performance – The revision of existing public policy to address specific criminal justice issues and the explanation of the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations are either nonexistent or lack the components described in the assignment instructions.
Analyzes the Effect of Criminal Justice Policy on Social Justice
Total: 7.00
Distinguished – Thoroughly analyzes the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice.
Proficient – Analyzes the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice. Minor details are missing.
Basic – Minimally analyzes the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice. Relevant details are missing.
Below Expectations – Attempts to analyze the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice; however, significant details are missing.
Non-Performance – The analysis of the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.
Written Communication: Control of Syntax and Mechanics
Total: 1.00
Distinguished – Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.
Proficient – Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.
Basic – Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.
Below Expectations – Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: APA Formatting
Total: 1.00
Distinguished – Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.
Proficient – Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors.
Basic – Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements.
Below Expectations – Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: Page Requirement
Total: 1.00
Distinguished – The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Proficient – The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Basic – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Below Expectations – The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
Written Communication: Resource Requirement
Total: 1.00
Distinguished – Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
Proficient – Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
Basic – Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.
Below Expectations – Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.
Non-Performance – The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.
