criminal justice midterm assignment

Midterm Assignment CJA 2200

The following midterm assignment will be graded in three different assignments which are posted in the grade book separately.

These assignments are a significant part of your course grade. March 10th class will be a "library day" where you will view the documentary at your own time and location. The class will NOT meet this day on campus to allow for students to spend a considerable amount of time viewing the important documentary and completing the specific documentary questions. Additionally, this research day to allow students to prepare and exam research journals to adequately address the assignment paper.

Once again, this assignment will consist of several separate components and will be graded due for our course's midterm sections.

Midterm Assignment One:  As we have described and discussed in numerous class lectures, drug abuse and usage seems to be at the heart of all criminal activity here in America. Understanding the backgrounds of what pressure and issues are present within the addict mindset is critical to understanding why crime occurs. This course is primarily to identify aspects of criminal activity and understand why it happens. As you attend this course, you prepare yourself to be a manager or policy maker for a governing organization. With this, you will need to fully understand why crime occurs and what prevention policies could work.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bczHLJ6ClbQ

 During your research day, you will view the documentary in its entirety. While viewing the documentary, you will answer a series of questions in detail through the documentary. The answers must be typed in double space and very complete and thorough with complete sentences. You must convince the reader that you understood the questions and answer the question with specific details. Answering questions with "yes" or "no" and or "I believe that it was their fault" is not acceptable. I am looking for you, the student, to think and draw off those critical thinking processes critically.  

The documentary is located on YouTube through PBS Frontline. The document is called "Chasing Heroin" and is approximately 85 mins long (the length of our on-campus class) and will require note-taking and additional answers to be typed out.

Midterm Assignment Two: 

Two-page reflection paper- 250 words double space per page with APA format. Remember, you can always write more but cannot write less than minimum requirements. This must include a cover page, Abstract, Reference page. These pages are not included in the required word count.

Remember you can always go over the minimum word count!!

Topic: The reflection paper will center around the documentary. You will give a brief introduction to what was the overview of the documentary ( 75 words).

You will then address the documentary's critical issues and how those issues affect crime in various cities. You will need to include one peer-reviewed journal article which agrees or backs up your concepts. You will find these on Google scholar or the JWL site at MTSU. (200 words).

You will then address those discussed issues and explain how you, as a policymaker, would change the direction of the city and create a more effective path to less crime, referencing the need for drug abuse intervention (150 words).

You will conclude your findings and thoughts and express if your policy concepts will be accomplishing the goal of crime reduction ( 75 words- total of 500- 2 pages APA or more).

A word count should be posted at the end of the paper.

Overview of Two:

· Create an APA paper with all the APA requirements.

· Supply one journal article for the reference page.

· Cite in-text following all APA guidelines for this brief document.

Midterm Assignment Three: Remember you can always go over the minimum word count!!

You are a city policymaker and city official. During your tenure, you are tasked with creating several policies. You are tasked with solving drug problems in your city and the procedures that the police shall follow when confronted with citizens and drugs. The crime rate is increasing in your town, and the police department is looking for policy guidance on how to address the issues of criminals and drug use. Specifically, your task is to create a policy that addresses the police department's problems and how the police should handle drug enforcement.

Specific areas to address: 

How to treat and have citizen encounters with drug addicts. How to address small amounts of drug usage and possession of narcotics. How to manage the homeless shelters, drug rehab centers, and non-profits that seek out to help the addicted citizens, what policy ideas should be address when police encounter homeless drug addicts, and what outlets could be utilized to seek prevention and deterrence from drug use. What to do with needles and drug paraphernalia, and how can the police help in the battle of blight on the city's streets due to the paraphernalia. How police officers can create better ties with the community and place community policing is the top priority list.

These are suggestions for your policy, and not all topics have to be covered. You will create a two-page double spaced mini policy replicating the critical points in the attached sample policy. Be sure to address the issues and products of the key elements of a standard city policy as listed in the sample provided.

Check due dates in drop box!