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OVERVIEW
The purpose of the final project is to encourage you to develop a deeper understanding of an American juvenile justice system issue. You will be required to take an objective view of your selected topic and examine the pros and cons of the issue. After presenting both sides of the issue, you will choose to support one side, providing professional literature published within the last five years as evidence to your argument.
Course objectives covered in this project include CO3 and CO5
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GENERAL PLAN
You will complete the final project in two parts. First, you will submit a detailed outline with an annotated bibliography. At the end of the course, you will submit a researched position paper.
Part Two
For Part Two of the final project, write a paper in APA style of 1750 to 27500 words (7 to 10 pages) in length, not including the title page, table of contents, and references.
1. Describe a current American juvenile justice system issue related to courts and criminal procedures. In your paper, be sure to explain and apply key terms and concepts relevant to the topic. You should choose an issue about which you are passionate. Below are a few possible sources to help you choose an issue. Note, however, that this list is not meant to be extensive; you are encouraged to find your own sources. If you find that any sources may be helpful to your classmates, feel free to share them in the Class Lounge.
a. National Juvenile Defender Center
b. Juvenile Law Center
c. Library of Congress: Current Legal Topics
2. Provide research on the issue. You are required to use at least five sources in your paper. The only types of references you may cite are as follows:
a. Peer-reviewed, professional journal articles (e.g., articles published in magazines such as Crime and Delinquency, Police Quarterly, Social Problems, and American Psychological Review), law review articles, and scholarly books (excluding the course textbook)
b. Federal and state case law (i.e., appellate court decisions)
c. State or federal statutes, including references to their legislative history
d. Government publications (e.g., Uniform Crime Reports, National Institute of Justice publications, and U.S. census data)
e. Scholarly websites
Do not cite non-scholarly newspaper or magazine articles. You may use this List of Peer-Reviewed Journals, available to you through TESU, as you conduct your research. The references you select must include at least one scholarly book published within the past five years and at least one criminal justice professional journal article published within the past five years.
3. Take a stand on the issue. Evaluate the pros and cons of both sides. After you have settled on an issue, think about it and take a stand. Formulate your thoughts. Know why you feel the way you do about the issue. Make reference to the interdependence of criminal justice with other fields, such as psychology or sociology. Then, display objectivity! You are not merely expressing your opinion; you are taking a point of view supported by professional literature. Do not merely conduct a superficial review of the issue. Evaluate various theories, consider existing research, and immerse yourself in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of both sides of the issue. You must support all of your statements with citations from professional literature. While you are analyzing your issue, it will be important to analyze how the sources relate. If you are using only one source in a section of your paper, remember to connect the source to overarching concepts and themes you have discussed in your paper. All parts of your paper, including your sources, must be related.
Your paper should fulfill the following requirements:
● Your paper should be 1750 to 2750 words (7 to 10 pages) in length, not including the title page, table of contents, and references.
● You should include a title page, table of contents page, abstract, reaction statement, body, and conclusion.
● This is a position paper; therefore, you must define the issue, include a reaction statement, and defend your position.
● Format your paper in APA style, with at least five appropriate sources that meet the required guidelines stated above.
● Your paper should be written with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
