There is a writing assignment required in this course. The assignment requires the student to identify a contemporary debate in the criminal justice realm (e.g., policing strategies, correctional reform, sentencing guidelines, etc.) and frame it with one of the theories discussed during the semester within a minimum 5 page paper (see specifics below). As part of the paper, each student is required to locate 3peer-reviewed journal articles on the chosen theory topic. The assignment must be TYPED with 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins, and Double Spaced. 

 1. Proper APA citation(in-text and Works Cited)for the peer-reviewed journal articles and any other references included in the paper(If you do not know APA either contact the Learning Commons for electronic resources or meet me with me during office hours).

A.Make sure to integrate the three peer reviewed articles into your paper where appropriate. 

2)Discuss the contemporary criminal justice issue.

a.Write a summary of the debate/argument/issue

b.Provide a brief history of said issue (i.e., why it is an issue today) 

3)Identify the chosen crime theory 

a.Briefly summarize said the theory

b.Identify if the theory has/have macro, micro, or both, components5)Discuss in detail why the chosen theory is best used as a broad framework for the criminal justice issue6)Include a References Page (i.e., Works Cited).