Learning Objectives: Your goal for the first stage of the assignment is to identify the community corrections program that will be the focus of your semester project. Selecting a specialized, or innovative program intended to advance public safety, justice and the well-being of individuals, families and communities will provide the strongest foundation for the project.
Getting Started: Explore potential programs you will study for the project by consulting a broad range of information sources such as those provided below. It is important to choose a program that interests you because you will be devoting a great deal of time and energy to this project throughout the semester. Any program that fits the definition of community corrections is appropriate, but as the semester progresses you should start to focus on a specific program offered in a particular jurisdiction(s).
Examples: pretrial diversion programs, halfway houses, electronic monitoring programs, reentry programs (provided in prison, after release to the community, or “wrap around” services that do both), restorative justice programs, problem solving courts, innovative parole or probation practices, culturally competent interventions, gender responsive programs
Potential Information Sources: Websites for non-governmental organizations and non-profit agencies and associations such as: Urban Institute, Vera Institute for Justice, American Probation and Parole Association, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, The Sentencing Project, EXIT: Executives Transforming Probation & Parole; government reports from state or county community corrections agencies, federal agencies such as the National Institute of Justice, or Bureau of Justice Statistics; major print or broadcast media outlets, or The Marshall Project
Requirements: Write a one-page program description, typed in 12-point font, double spaced with one-inch margins. Include a minimum of two different sources of information about your program. American Psychological Association (APA) citation standards should be used in the written document, and to compile a list of sources titled References. The reference page does not count toward the page total.
