1 As part of the course, students will prepare a research paper in which they will apply the methodological frameworks of at least two major theories of criminal justice related to problem areas or policies related to criminal justice.
Criminal justice theories, like all social science theories, provide useful tools that help explain human behavior and social phenomena. They offer important insights that shape practical applications and inform policy. Criminal justice encompasses several distinctive theoretical explanations for the causes and consequences of crime and criminal behavior, but three primary perspectives dominate the field (they are bolded and listed below).
Required Format:
The submitted project must be a minimum of 3,000 words (approx. 7 pages), not including cover page and references page. (For the first research paper there is no page requirement)
The cover page should include the name and number of the course, the name of the student, title of the project and the date of submission.
The composition narrative must be created using double spacing, 12 pt. font, 1-inch margins.
Resources, including course materials, must be cited both in the narrative where appropriate and on a separate references page, using APA citation rules.
At the instructor’s discretion, this project may be submitted to Turnitin or other service for verification of originality.
NOTE: References must include the text and at least three (3) external scholarly sources, (textbooks or reference publications, peer-review articles that support the points made in the report. Scholarly sources do not include news articles, text produced solely for the Internet, Wikipedia, etc. See Library Services for assistance in this area.
Examples of Criminal Justice Theories, this list is not inclusive…
Classical orientation in criminology. …
Restorative Justice
Transformative Justice
Retributive Justice
Positivist orientation in criminology. …
Cartographic school of criminology. …
Italian school of criminology. …
Biological conceptions. …
Psychological conceptions. …
Sociological theories of criminology. …
Social theories. …
Social structure theory. …
Social process theory. …