Final Project: Application of the Criminal Justice System Analysis

This project requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the American criminal justice system by analyzing a chosen case study from arrest through to the offender's eventual return to the community. Students must select one of three provided case studies (child abuse, gambling, or arson/murder) and focus on a single individual involved. The project involves describing the entire process the offender would go through, from arrest and conviction to sentencing (institutionalization or community-based supervision). Students must explain the rationale behind the likely sentence and explore a probable alternative sentence, justifying its potential occurrence. The analysis must include the weakest and strongest links within the criminal justice system, supported by explanations and critical thinking, drawing upon course materials and peer-reviewed journal articles, all formatted in APA style. The project requires a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 2,000 words, with a cover page and a reference page.

Final Project - An Application of the Criminal Justice System
Instructions
This assignment is to demonstrate your mastery of how the criminal justice system works. This
assignment is designed to give you an opportunity to display your knowledge of the parts and
processes of the criminal justice system. The more specific and detailed the paper is, the more
effective it will be in demonstrating your understanding of the system.
Step 1. Select one of the three Case Studies below. Where there is more than one person
arrested/charged in that case, please focus on ONE of the subjects for the purpose of this research
paper.
Step 2. Describe the process that the offender would go through in the criminal justice system,
beginning with arrest. For purposes of this assignment you are to assume that the offender will be
eventually convicted, thus your paper should also include all stages in the criminal justice process
subsequent to conviction. Upon conviction, you must also determine the probable sentence the
offender will receive, (institutionalization or community-based supervision); explain why the
sentence you have chosen would most likely occur, and what the offender can expect in light of
this sentence. Students who exhibit mastery of this project and how the system works will also
provide a probable alternative to the selected sentence, fully explaining “why” this alternative
could also occur. In essence, this paper will track the offender from removal from the community
by police, to return to the community free of imposed supervision.
Step 3. Conclude your analysis by discussing what you believe to be the weakest link in the
criminal justice process and the strongest link in the process. Provide explanations to support
your assessments for both. Careful critical thinking is required. Invest considerable effort in
thinking about what you have learned over the course of the term in addressing this final aspect of
the mission.
The sources you are to use to obtain information for your descriptions of the criminal justice
process include the course reading material and two peer-reviewed journal articles. As an
academic paper it must contain APA formatted citations throughout the paper whenever
information is being presented from a source. You can find examples of citations and references
through the following links:
http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/citationresources.cfm
http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_examples.cfm#intext
Even though you may have personal experience in the field (e.g. police officer) or use knowledge
obtained in previous courses, information used in this paper must be supported through the use of
citations which meet the criteria for sources indicated above.
An example of the correct page header and title page format can be found in Unit 3 of the APA
Tutorial in the Course Content.

Here are the sections that should appear in your paper, each of which should be subtitled:
· Introduction
· A brief description of the crime
· Description of the processes in the adult American criminal justice system the offender would
go through, beginning with arrest
· Your analysis of the weakest and strongest links in the criminal justice process
- Conclusion
Form and Format Requirements
· Paper should be a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 2,000 words
· Double space
· 12 pt. font
· 1” margins
· Use APA citations for all sources
· Include reference page (not included in word count)
·Additionally -
· Create a cover page for your assignment (not included in word count)
· Include your name
· Course title and number
· Project title
· Topic selected
· Date of submission

Case Study 1 - Child abuse
Watch the following YouTube video.
Following an introductory paragraph, your project assignment should start with the arrest of
Melissa Chambers OR Travis Derrick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26AUjPuxjyo
Case Study 2 - Gambling
Watch the following YouTube video.
Following an introductory paragraph, your project assignment should start with the arrest of
the Tracy Yoshimura. You may assume the scope and scale of this gambling operation is
sufficient for felony criminal charges in this jurisdiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1GwHzFDLog
Case Study 3 – Arson and Murder
Watch the following YouTube video.
Following an introductory paragraph, your project assignment should start with the arrest of the
Brandon Bledsoe OR Heather Raferty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWWra8xUMks
If you have any questions about this assignment, please contact your instructor.
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