Appendix_a

Associate Level Material Appendix A Final Project Overview and Timeline Final Project Overview Create a Criminal Justice Opinion Portfolio outlining your opinion on one issue from each of the eight weeks of this class. Select issues about which you feel strongly, and provide the following information for each of your eight distinct opinion essays: • A definition and the facts of the issue • Your position on the issue • Why you believe your opinion is right • Facts, statistics, and quotations from sources supporting your position • Why opponents of your issue position should rethink their stance Dedicate one page to each essay, totaling 2,500-2,800 words. Cite your sources according to APA requirements. Choose one issue from each week of this list to address in your final project: Week One: • Does the press have too much or too little freedom' • Are the media a real cause of violence and crime, or do they simply report what they see' • Should the government regulate free speech that contributes to criminal activity' • Should the government punish members of the press who refuse to reveal their sources' Week Two: • Should the media be used to fight crime' • Do offender deterrence, victimization reduction, and citizen participation programs work' • Do you agree or disagree with the advancement of media technologies for use in criminal justice and judicial applications' • How do you feel about the media's influence on public attitudes about crime' • What is your opinion of the relationship between the media and the formation of criminal justice policy' What about media and moral panics' Week Three: • Is excessive use of force is a systematic problem' • Is police brutality a problem' • Should the exclusionary rule be abolished' Week Four: • How do you feel about recent death penalty legislation' How do you feel about proposed legislation' • Should the death penalty be abolished' • Is the death penalty is an effective deterrent against crime' • Does a racial disparity exist in regard to the application of the death penalty' Week Five: • Does the criminal justice system discriminate against minorities' • Are sexual assault cases are under prosecuted' • Is the criminal justice system is biased against women' Week Six: • Is prison privatization a progressive solution to managing U.S. prison systems' • Should parole be abolished' • How do you feel about the War on Drugs' Should it be continued or ended' • Are current drug control strategies are effective' Week Seven: • Does the USA Patriot Act infringe on civil liberties' • Should intelligence operations be expanded' • Should executive powers be increased' Week Eight: • Will the bureaucratic Department of Homeland Security be more effective than a decentralized system' • Should police agencies be used for national security' • Is the U.S. prepared for acts of terror or national emergencies' Final Project Timeline You should budget your time wisely and work on your project throughout the course. As you complete course assessments, you will consider current criminal justice issues and, as part of that process, develop informed opinions; those same opinions assist you in creating your final project. If you complete your course activities and use the feedback provided by the instructor, you will automatically prepare yourself for your work on the final project. • Suggested in Week One: Read the Final Project Overview and Timeline in Appendix A. Select an issue from Week One, The Relationship between Crime and the Media, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Two: Select an issue from Week Two, Criminal Justice Applications of the Media, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Three: Select an issue from Week Three, Limits of Police Power, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Four: Select an issue from Week Four, The Death Penalty, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Five: Select an issue from Week Five, Fairness of Courts, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Six: Select an issue from Week Six, Contemporary Issues in Corrections and the War on Drugs, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Seven: Select an issue from Week Seven, Terrorism and the Constitution, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Suggested in Week Eight: Select an issue from Week Eight, Law Enforcement and National Security, Strategies for Law Enforcement, and begin writing your opinion essay for that issue. • Due in Week Nine: Submit your final project.