Reference no: EM132182620

CJ Decision Making Writing Assignment Instructions -

Assignment: From at least three (3) reputable sources -of which 1 (one) credible source must be from the scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article, and 1 (one) source must be from a credible government/professional organization - Students are expected to research information related to one of the following criminal justice decision-making points:

• Arrests;
• Plea Bargains;
• Bail; or
• Sentencing: Incarceration

Students are expected to:

• Summarize the rates, of the selected decision-making point, based on socio-economic class or race and ethnicity;
• Summarize steps taken (at a minimum, two existing programs, initiatives, and/or policies) that attempt to remedy disproportionate minority representation;
• Assess the efficacy of the present policies and practices and provide their rationale for deeming them ineffective/effective; and
• Suggest practices/policies that they predict would decrease disproportionate representation of minorities at the research.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate to the instructor/professor that students are competent in each of these General Education objectives:

I. Local and Global Diversity:

Researching and assessing the topic of either police arrests, the use of plea bargains, or incarceration within diverse population groups.

II. Professional and Personal Ethics:

Researching a specified CJS Decision-Making point and evaluating the efficacy of present polices/practices to decrease disproportionate minority representation at targeted decision-making points in the CJS.

III. Critical Analysis and Reasoning:

Predicting practices/policies that would decrease disproportionate representation of minorities are targeted decision-making points in the Criminal Justice System.

IV. Information Literacy:

Identifying and evaluating appropriate resources for research as well as effectively incorporate the information using APA format for in text citations and references

V. Written and Oral Communication:

Writing coherently and communicating ideas related to data, practices, and efficacy of one of three present CJS practices.

Furthermore, this assignment will assist students in obtaining the following course objectives:

VI. Analyze the structure and role of law enforcement in a diverse society;

VII. Describe the factors that influence sentencing;

VIII. Summarize the historical development of institutional corrections and current issues related to the inmate population, including its relationship to global incarceration rates; and

IX. Correlate the discretion that is exerted throughout the criminal justice process with the importance of ethical decision-making at each step.

Audience: The audience of this project is the instructor/professor; assume that he/she is un-informed, an outsider to the field of criminal justice. He/she is also not psychic, students need to make sure the information they present is self-explanatory and would not require additional clarification.