POLICY PAPER ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
This final paper will be in the form of a policy briefing or memo, with more theoretical information than is usually included in a traditional policy or briefing memo. What kinds of issues might you make a policy recommendation about? Just about anything in the crime or criminal justice realm. Students have made recommendations about:
Reducing recidivism
Establishing training protocols for law enforcement
Incorporating community outreach programs
Improving prison conditions
Reducing juvenile delinquency
Examples of student work:
All of the papers below earned at least 90% of the total points available for the assignment. They might give you ideas about what to include. Remember, you must identify a PROBLEM, a THEORY, and a POLICY RECOMMENDATION.
Use of ForceDownload Use of Force
The Presumption of SanityDownload The Presumption of Sanity
HeroinDownload Heroin
Policing Trans and Gender Nonconforming CommunitiesDownload Policing Trans and Gender Nonconforming Communities
Active ShootersDownload Active Shooters
REQUIRED COMPONENTS OF THE PAPER
Your paper is an argument. You will define a problem in the criminal justice system . You will discuss a theory that explains why that problem is happening. You will propose a solution for that problem . You will discuss alternative policies that seek to solve that same problem and indicate why your policy is better .
Remember that this is a theory class. You cannot just make up a solution you think feels right. You must use an explicit theory to drive your solution.
Your paper will include:
The Problem: Define the problem you seek to solve. Discuss the magnitude of the problem, why this is a problem that needs to be solved, who is affected by this problem, how it affects the larger society, and so on. You can use evidence from peer-reviewed journals in this section, but you could also use reports from government agencies or think tanks. Just do some background research on the organizational reports you cite – make sure you know where their biases are, because it will affect how they report and interpret the numbers.
The Theory: The theoretical perspective the existing policy embodies or which underlying the new policy being proposed. Explain how this theory sees the world and how/why this theory drives your recommendation. This section is meant to demonstrate you understand the theory well enough to apply it to solve a problem. So, if theory X says Y problem is caused by Z, your policy will be to end Z to solve Y problem. You should have lots of evidence to support your argument that this theory is the best explanation for your problem. Have studies shown that the problem is caused by what your theory says caused the problem or problems like your problem?
Policy Alternatives: A description of policy alternatives . No policy is perfect and many policies have been proposed to solve the same problem, probably. Discuss other ways to solve your problem and what is wrong with those ways of solving the problem. This section is meant to demonstrate why your theory is the correct explanation and will actually solve the problem, while other policies use an unhelpful theory and, therefore, won’t solve the problem. You should have lots of evidence from peer-reviewed journals in this section.
Your Recommendation(s): Your paper is leading up to this point. What are you recommending? Should we keep an existing policy, update or revise the policy, end a policy, or introduce a new policy entirely? Be clear and succinct here. If you’ve given us adequate background on what the problem is, what causes the problem, and why alternatives are not satisfactory, your recommendation should be obvious.
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS
10-20 pages long, double spaced, 1” margins, a standard font , a standard font size .
Reference page , formatted in APA style. If you use a different citation style, see me for approval.
A minimum of six peer-reviewed journal articles directly related to your policy or the subject of your policy .
Rule of thumb for articles: Get your sources from either the SocIndex database, the Academic Search Premier database, another academic database available through the library, or Google Scholar.
Evaluate the credibility of the sources, even from these databases. Make sure your source can pass the CRAAP test. Evaluate the Currency; Relevance; Authority; Accuracy; and Purpose. Learn more: http://libguides.webster.edu/c.php?g=98012&p=634204
NO Wikipedia or blogs
