A key strategy in ensuring that forensic psychology expertise benefits the justice system and those it serves is to clearly communicate evidence-based recommendations to those who have decision-making power. These individuals may include politicians, court personnel, or administrators in law enforcement, jails/prisons, or community-based agencies. A policy memo is one method for communicating evidence-based recommendations to decision-makers and advocating for law, policy, and practice reform.
Instructions
In this assignment, you will write a policy memo that builds on the work you have done in this course. To prepare for this assignment review the outline you completed for your lesson 6 assignment as well as your professor’s feedback. You will use the information from that outline to prepare your memo. You will also likely have to conduct a library search to obtain additional scholarly sources to include in your policy memo.
You will write your policy memo, using the template found in the resources for this lesson.
Within the template, you will notice that the memo is formatted in typical memo style rather than in APA style. Please keep the template format to be consistent with how these memos are formatted in real-world situations.
Length: 5 – 6 page policy memo, single-spaced
References: Include a minimum of 10 scholarly references. You may use references used in previous assignments in this course.
The completed assignment should address all assignment requirements, exhibit evidence of concept knowledge, and demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the content presented in the course. The writing should integrate scholarly resources, reflect academic expectations, and adhere to the Northcentral University’s Academic Integrity Policy.
Resources:
How and why Does Work Matter? Employment Conditions, Routine Activities, and Crime Among Adult Male Offenders
Apel, R., & Horney, J. (2017). How and why does work matter? Employment conditions, routine activities, and crime among adult male offenders. Criminology, 55(2), 307–343.
Apel and Horney (2017) discuss their research regarding a significant issue that many scholars suggest should be addressed by justice system reform – unemployment. Their study provides information that may guide any reform efforts that seek to increase employment opportunities for ex-offenders.
Quantifying the Restrictiveness of Local Housing Authority Policies Toward People with Criminal Justice Histories
Purtle, J., Gebrekristos, L. T., Keene, D., Schlesinger, P., Niccolai, L., & Blankenship, K. M. (2020). Quantifying the restrictiveness of local housing authority policies toward people with criminal justice histories: United States, 2009–2018. American Journal of Public Health, 110, S137–S144.
Purtle et al. (2020) discuss another issue that scholars suggest should be a focus of reform – housing. Many individuals who have been involved in the system experience difficulties in obtaining housing, and this article details the common issues that are experienced.
Enhancing Female Prisoners’ Access to Education
Ryder, J. A. (2020). Enhancing female prisoners’ access to education. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 9(1), 139–149.
Ryder (2020) review the importance of providing quality education to incarcerated females. Education has also been identified as a key focus for system reform, and this article identifies educational needs for a specific population within corrections.
Transition 2020–2021: A Federal Agenda for Criminal Justice Reform
Subramanian, R., Eisen, L. B., Merkl, T., Arzy, L., Stroud, H. King, T. Fielding, J. and Nahra, A. (2020, December 9). Transition 2020–2021: A federal agenda for criminal justice reform. Brennan Center for Justice.
Subramanian et al. (2020) present an agenda for justice reform. The issues that they identify are subject to debate, and students should read this report to identify areas that they may want to focus on in their own reform recommendations. Students may also want to reflect on issues that they support and those that they do not support.
Promoting Health Equity and Criminal Justice Reform: The Louisiana Experience
Wennerstrom, A., Reilly, B., Sugarman, M., Henderson, N., & Niyogi, A. (2020). Promoting health equity and criminal justice reform: The Louisiana experience. American Journal of Public Health, 110, S39–S40.
Wennerstrom et al. (2020) cover healthcare as an issue that reform may address. There is a case example from Louisiana, and through reviewing this reading, students will be exposed to an issue that they may want to focus on in their reform recommendations.
Lesson 8 Assignment Template
Northcentral University. (2021). Lesson 8 assignment template.
Use this template to complete the assignment for lesson 8
Optional Resources
Beyond the U.S. Department of Justice: An Intersectional Approach to Advancing Criminal Justice Reform at the Federal Level
Figgatt, S. (2021). Beyond the U.S. Department of Justice: An intersectional approach to advancing criminal justice reform at the federal level. Center for American Progress.
In this optional reading, Figgatt (2021) identifies ways in which reform may be promoted outside of the traditional system. Ideas for interdisciplinary approaches are provided.
Law Enforcement-Based Victims Services: Advocacy Parameters and Documentation.
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2021, April). Law enforcement-based victims services: Advocacy parameters and documentation.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (2021) discuss their identification of needs for victims services. This report documents the efforts that this organization has made to reform law enforcement’s approach to work with victims.
