Juvenile Justice

Final Paper CRJU 3431 – Juvenile Justice The final paper is worth 100 points and is 25% of your final grade. The assignment must be uploaded to Folio in the corresponding Dropbox folder by Wednesday, June 17th at 11:59 pm EST. You will be graded according to the guidelines of the rubric which are at the end of this document. Below are a list of three questions that directly relate to the juvenile justice system. Based on the information you have learned throughout the semester, choose 1 question and write a response that is a minimum of 4 pages. This response should be a reflection and reaction to the question that you chose to answer. You can have an opinion but, you need to be able to support that opinion with data and facts. 1) What do you consider the most important issue facing juvenile justice? Why? 2) Under what circumstances, if any, should juveniles be tried in the adult criminal justice system? 3) What types of behavior (e.g., delinquent, status, violent, gang activity) should programs and funding be directed toward in the juvenile justice system? The word document should be written in Times New Roman, 12 point font, and double spaced. Your name, course title, date, and any extra identifying information do not count towards the length of the paper. If you add additional spaces in between sections or topics to increase the length of the paper, points will be deduced for not following directions. The paper should include a(n): • Introduction • Connection to at least 1 peer-reviewed journal article (not a news article or blog) • Connection to class notes/module material • APA Citations and References A reaction/reflection paper is a response to a specific question and I want to know what you think about the topic. While everyone can have an opinion and think about a topic, you have now been a student in a Juvenile Justice course and should be able to critically reflect on these questions. I want to know what you think based on what you have learned. A reaction/reflection paper SHOULD: • Have citations to back up your thoughts and argument • Include your opinion but be careful to support your opinions with evidence • Summarize what you are reacting to in the beginning of the paper • Explain your reaction(s) to the topic and explain why you think this way about the topic • Judge, analyze, and evaluate the issues of the topic A reaction/reflection paper SHOULD NOT: • Include the pronoun “you” • Be an autobiographical paper about why you like or do not like something • Simply repeat what the article or lecture notes already say IMPORTANT: • In-text citations must be in APA format and you should include a reference page. You do not need a title page. The academic dishonesty policy fully applies to this writing assignment. Each assignment will be processed through Turnitin services and any plagiarism will be reported. Final Paper – Grading Rubric Criteria Excellent Very Good Needs Work Unacceptable Points Introduction Clear introduction to the paper (5 points) Better word choice would have improved the introduction (3 points) No introduction (0 points) 5 Description of Problem and Overall Reaction/Argument A detailed description of the problem and overall reaction/argument (25 points) Adequate description is provided but missing major components and unclear argument (18 points) Minimal or no description of the problem and lack of argument (10 points) 25 Connects Argument to at least 1 Journal Article A clear and detailed connection of the argument to at least 1 journal article (25 points) Connected to 1 article but was not detailed or clear (18 points) Minimal or no connection to journal article (10 points) 25 Connects Argument to Class Notes A clear and detailed connection of the argument to the information in the class notes (25 points) Adequate connection to information in the class notes (18 points) Minimal or no connection to class notes (10 points) 25 Citations (APA format) Cites at least 2 sources of information and at least 1 is a journal article to support your argument; APA format is consistent (10 points) Only 1 citation OR 2 citations but does not include a journal article; APA format is mostly correct (5 points) Minimal or no citations included; APA format is incorrect (0 points) 10 Length and Organization Meets or exceeds the 4-page requirement (5 points) Response is between 3-4 pages (3 points) Response is less than 3 pages (0 points) 5 Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation Word choice, grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors are rare and do not detract from the response (5 points) There are a few grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors that change the meaning of sentences or make response harder to understand (4 points) There are several grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors that change the meaning of sentences or make the response harder to understand (3 points) Grammar, spelling, and/or punctuation need significant improvement (2 points) 5 Total Points: 100