Category: Criminology

Each question will require students to go back to the reading(s)
covering the topic of the question and apply this material in order to
earn full credit. The suggested length of answer per question is about
two to three pages, or about 750 – 1000 words. Questions should be
answered fully, including each specific part of the question, and the
responses to the essay questions should be informed by the readings.
What I am assessing with these essay exams is (a) your understanding of
the course material, (b) your ability to synthesize multiple pieces of
information related to a topic into a cohesive answer, and (c) your
application of the course material. You must cite your work,
your response is not based on your opinion, but, on empirical
literature (assigned readings and publications listed on Canvas) to
validate your position.
Please answer the following question(s) provided below:
Based on your previous reading(s): Review and discuss
(a) trends in incarceration and crime rates since the 1970s and (b) the
empirical literature that examines whether changes in incarceration
rates led to a reduction in crime rates during that time period, what
has currently changed within the criminal justice system? Does the
empirical evidence support the assertion that increasing the use of
incarceration reduces crime/recidivism? Please discuss issues of
reliability and validity with regard to the empirical studies (assigned
readings) you reviewed.
Utilizing your previous readings, there has been a longstanding
concern with incarceration and who is most likely to be incarcerated.
Considerable attention has been devoted to the issue of race
differentials and poverty at several phases of the criminal justice
process. Evaluate the problem(s) in the American Criminal Justice System
(all components: Police, Courts and Corrections). Write an essay which
clearly defines the issues, review the empirical literature (assigned readings), and critiques that literature.

Part I
The Fifth Amendment protect individuals against self-incrimination. The Sixth Amendment affords individuals protections in the criminal process. This discussion asks you to examine the rights granted to individuals under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
Please discuss each of the following:
Discuss when Miranda must be given to an individual, including the difference between an arrest and a custodial interrogation.
What does the court look for to determine if a confession has been voluntarily given? 
Part II
Attached is the investigation report completed by the police officer called to the scene of the crime.  Also, attached is a signed confession by Mayo. Using the investigation report, the signed confession and the facts from week 1 discussion, answer the following questions:
1) Is this a valid confession made by Mayo? What will the court look at to determine if this confession will be admitted into evidence at trial?
2) Did the officer conduct an illegal interrogation of Mayo? Discuss why.
CONFESSION MAYO.docx
GLENVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICE REPORT.docx

Submission must be a minimum of 5-6 content pages in         length and should not exceed 8 content pages  – content       pages are those directly           addressing your debate topic and do not include the title        page or references (the total   paper may be longer than 10   pages once the title page and references are included)
Submission must be double       spaced, typed in 12 pt Times     New Roman font with 1”             margins on all sides, include    page numbers, completed in    Microsoft Word
Submission must be written in APA format and, at minimum,   contain:
A title page (your name,     paper title, due date etc.)
A reference page properly citing any and all sources    used for the assignment        (make sure to include appropriate in text citations as well)
Subheadings discussed        below
Paper organization (your paper should include the following       components and subheadings): Proofread the paper prior to submission – after you run         spell check, make sure to read through the assignment at         least one more time –                  proofread for grammatical        and spelling errors as well as    clarity. 
Introduction – provide an    overview of each side of      the debate related to your   topic and what the paper will discuss – should be no more than ¾ – 1 page – this should not  be a complete history or your topic or         contain simply anecdotal    information or examples     but instead should focus     on the assignment topic         specifically
Arguments in favor of your topic (for example,                arguments in favor of            legalizing marijuana) – this will be a new section where each argument in favor of your topic is discussed in a new paragraph 1.5 –              3 pages 
Arguments against your topic (for example, arguments against the legalization of marijuana) – this will be a new section where each       argument against your          topic is discussed in a new paragraph 1.5 – 3 pages
Conclusion – this should be a summary of the main points you made throughout the paper – this should be    no more than ¾ – 1 page
This is not a paper regarding     your personal opinion or what you think about your topic.  All content should be based on      reputable sources such as        academic articles or other         peer reviewed sources.  In          other words, do not submit a    paper on what you think about your topic.  Instead, develop a    logical position based on the materials you collect and read to develop your paper.  As          such, each paper will include    at least 7 outside peer reviewed (scholarly sources) sources       for each side of the debate to support your discussion.
Websites such as                 Wikipedia, Ask.com, .org’s, .edu’s, etc. are not                    considered appropriate sources and will not be counted towards this                       requirement. 
Textbooks, including but      not limited to the one           assigned for this class, are not considered appropriate sources. The assigned text can be cited if any                   information from the text is used in writing the paper,     however it will not count towards the  required outside sources.
Do not include examples     such as “Everyone I spoke with agrees…”, “In my            opinion…” and “According   to a conversation I had         with (insert criminal justice employee here)…” Everyone you spoke with, your             personal opinion, and criminal justice employee “Ted” are not considered appropriate sources

Explain the concept of Situational Crime Theory. Based on this theory, what strategies or concepts could be used to help prevent crime or offender antisocial behaviors.

As you start to navigate the Juvenile Justice field you will find many topics of interest.
This research paper will be a topic that interests you. There are many topics in the
Juvenile Justice field that you can choose from; many of which are discussed as part of
this course. This assignment is to locate resources for the paper that relate to your
chosen topic.
Instructions:
Create an annotated bibliography. (If you need assistance creating an annotated
bibliography, watch the video in the supplemental resources in this unit.)
• Locate a minimum of 5 resources relating to your chosen topic. (Note: Wikipedia
is not an acceptable resource.)
• Clearly label each resource.
• Briefly describe the resource in one paragraph for each resource. Discuss the
relevance of the resource to your chosen topic.
• Include a separate reference page in APA format.
Requirements:
• Maximum 6 pages in length, excluding the Title and Reference page.
• APA format, including an in-text citation for referenced works.
• At least five resources.
• Submitted as a Microsoft Word Document.

Police are the first point of contact juveniles have with the Juvenile Justice System. A
positive interaction between the groups is one factor that helps to keep juveniles out of
handcuffs. The most significant sanction an officer might impose on a juvenile in a
positive interaction would be a verbal warning; however, strained relations based on
miscommunication and preconceived notions could land one or more juveniles in
handcuffs and on their way to jail. Positive communication; therefore, is key to this
relationship. In this assignment, you will discuss police and juvenile interactions.
Instructions:
You are part of the taskforce assigned to the “Effective Police Interactions with Youth”
project. The taskforce (you) is asked to explore and answer the following questions:
• What role should police organizations play in delinquency prevention and
control?
• What training and education should police officers have to improve police –
juvenile interactions?
• Propose five (5) ways to improve police and juvenile interactions.
Requirements:
• Submit a Word document in APA format.
• Maximum three pages in length, excluding the Title and Reference pages.
• At least two resources.

Supporting Lectures:
Ethical Systems
Ethics and Courts
Trial Court Workgroup
Prosecutors, as agents for the state, take an oath to uphold the Constitution and to seek justice on behalf of the state and its citizens.
Summarize the duties of a prosecutor in a criminal case, emphasizing those tasks that allow the prosecutor to wield strong influence over the case. Discuss how these particular tasks might present the prosecutor with ethical dilemmas.
Discuss how these particular tasks might present the prosecutor with ethical dilemmas.
Given that a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty under the American judicial system, is the prosecutor also required to consider the defendant as being among the citizens he or she is protecting? Identify and explain the conflicting moral imperatives present in the duties of a prosecutor.
Discuss the prosecutor’s ethical responsibilities when faced with a case that he or she would rather not pursue. For instance, consider a case in which a formerly battered wife is accused of attempted murder against her husband. Explain whether the “ethics of duty” or “ethics of care” outweigh utilitarianism for criminal prosecutors.

Despite the comprehensive background investigation and other pre-employment screening requirements, corruption is still a significant concern in corrections, particularly among correctional officers.
In your initial post, discuss at least three factors that may contribute to, or cause, a correctional officer to partake in one or more acts of corruption? Conclude your response by identifying at least three strategies that correctional leaders can implement to minimize corruption among correctional officers.
Remember to support your response with a minimum of one current (within the past 5-10 years) scholarly research. Refer to the course announcements for guidance.

Read and review one of the following non-fiction books about crime or criminology. Highlight the central ideas described in the book, offer a thoughtful review, and, if possible, make connections to your own life. Each book review will be 5 pages long (double-spaced). Also, it is important to focus on three main points of the book. 

Please post your answers to the following questions:
Can an independent thinker be a team player?
Should we admit to doing wrong?
What is the difference between a mistake of the mind and a mistake of the heart?
Dilemma:
You are the lead investigator in a double homicide case. You develop a suspect, and during your interrogation, you have the opportunity to lie to the suspect concerning the evidence you have against him in this case. The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld lying to a suspect as an ethical practice in Arthur v. Commonwealth 1997. As a Christian, you know it is a sin to lie. Will you lie to the suspect concerning the evidence you have against him in this case in an attempt to illicit a voluntary confession? This interrogation technique is legally accepted; however, is it moral and ethical?
During this class, we have continued to emphasize the importance of strong character driven leadership. Please provide a biblical example of unethical leadership and describe its consequences. Please provide a biblical example of strong ethical leadership and describe its advantages.