Challenges Criminal Justice Professionals Face in a Multi-Cultural Society

Paper details:

STAND-ALONE PROJECT

MJ675 Investigating Difference

Stand-Alone Project: Challenges Criminal Justice Professionals Face in a Multi-Cultural Society (200 points)

You should begin working on the Stand-Alone Project early in the course. Each lesson provides a benchmark for completing the Stand-Alone Project in a timely manner while working through the course. You will find this information in the “Stand-Alone Project Benchmark” section of each lesson.

Instructions: Your Stand-Alone Project is a research paper on an issue of difference that, in your opinion, is causing a problem for criminal justice professionals in the U.S. Your project will integrate many of the topics and activities that you have accomplished throughout your assignments. You have learned and looked at issues from different points of view throughout this course; consequently, you may need to re-shape or re-think earlier considerations and modify your opinion about certain issues as you work on this project. You will select and review at least five (5) academic journal articles dealing with the issue of difference as it relates to the criminal justice field. The scholarly articles you select must be dated after January 1, 2013 (unless you are citing case law that remains good law) and come from recognized publications in the field, including but not limited to the following:

Law reviews

Criminology

Journal of Criminal Justice Research

Justice Quarterly

The Justice Professional

Criminology

Public Policy

Journal of Criminal Law

Criminology and Police Science

Law and Society Review

American Journal of Sociology

Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency

You may also use articles from websites such as these, which can be found on the inside cover of your textbook. In the end, you should have 10 pages of work, double-spaced, with an attached bibliography that includes at least thirteen (13) citations documented in APA style. (200 points) (A 10-page, double-spaced, research paper is required.)

www.asc41.com

www.jrsa.org

www.ncjrs.org

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/international

www.rand.org/crim

www.crimetheory.com

www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/lectures.htm

http://talkjustice.com/cybrary.asp

www.appstate.edu/

Please do not include articles from newspapers or newsstand magazines.

As you read these academic articles, reflect on the major themes of the course and textbook, especially how criminal justice professionals can work successfully with minorities. The term minority should include all of the minorities we discussed in this course (e.g., LGBT, women, etc.).

Based on your review of articles, write a 10-page, double-spaced, paper that includes the following components.

Part A        Summarize each of the five (5) articles.

Part B        For each article, write a critique of the research and/or conclusions; include the strengths and weaknesses of each article, including flaws in the research that the journal authors themselves may recognize as strengths and weaknesses.

Part C        For each article, make connections to content discussed in Lessons 1-6, either from the Lecture and Research Updates, the Required Readings, or the textbook.

Part D        Apply examples from the research presented in some of the articles to one (1) or more theories of investigating differences.

Part E         Draw and support personal conclusions about issues of difference, using evidence from the articles, research studies, and the text.

Part F         Make comments about areas needing further research and/or analysis.

Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (A 10-page response is required.) (200 points)

Grading Rubric

Please refer to the rubric on the following page for the grading criteria for this assignment.