You will select a contemporary issue that is negatively impacting the delivery of criminal justice services to be the focus of your brief, and then research the history of the issue, select a solution, and propose strategies for implementing the solution.
Although you may choose your own topic, you may not choose public policy. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Introduction
Describe the criminal justice issue you have selected. Specifically, how is this an issue in the field of criminal justice, what is the general impact of the issue on society, and why does the problem need to be addressed?
Describe the evolution of the selected issue throughout history, providing specific examples. In other words, how did this become an issue?
What factors have caused the issue to evolve? For example, a regulation may have been created in the past to address an issue, but the regulation is now irrelevant.
Describe the evolution of the historical perception of this issue, identifying key events and factors that influenced the public perception. For example, did the public always view the topic as an issue? How has technology impacted public perception?
Issue Analysis
Select a criminological theory that informs your understanding of the issue, justifying your selection.
Identify factors contributing to the issue, justifying your identifications with the selected criminological theory. In other words, what are the factors contributing to the issue? How is the identification of these factors supported by the selected theory?
Describe how the issue impacts the criminal justice system, providing specific examples of how the branches of the criminal justice system are affected by the issue. For example, how does the issue impact law enforcement, the courts, and corrections?
Describe how the issue impacts the general public, providing specific examples. Does the issue affect specific populations?
Determine the key stakeholders of the issue, identifying both the key people impacted by the issue and those with the power to influence change. Justify your selections.
Describe strategies that are currently employed to address the issue. These strategies may be used in the community with the issue, or in a different community with the same issue.
Assess the effectiveness of the previously identified strategies in addressing the issue, justifying your assessment. How effectively do the strategies combat the issue, and where are there gaps?
How does your previous assessment impact the specific branches of the criminal justice system? Justify your response. In which branches are the strategies most and least effective?
III. Recommendations
Propose a solution to address the issue in criminal justice, justifying your proposal with your previous research. In your justification, you may consider the complexity of the solution, the possible adverse effects, and the feasibility of the solution in terms of time and resources.
Apply criminological theory to justify how your proposed solution will address the underlying causes of the issue.
Outline the immediate actions that will need to be taken to implement the solution, justifying the necessity and feasibility of these actions with evidence. Consider how you will create buy-in among invested parties.
Outline the long-term actions that will need to be taken to implement the solution, justifying the necessity and feasibility of these actions with evidence. Consider how you will create buy-in among invested parties.
Determine the types of data necessary to assess whether or not your solution is successful in addressing the issue, justifying your determinations. How will you measure your success of the solution?