CJ 320 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview The final project for this course is a state corrections analysis that will require you to review
CJ 320 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is a state corrections analysis that will require you to review the system in a state of your choice and draw connections between that state’s corrections system and that of the greater United States. You will draw connections between major U.S. milestones in approaches to corrections and your chosen state’s function and organization. You will also review the laws that have established corrections procedures, practices, and prisoner rights and review prevalent trends and challenges facing corrections in the United States. A criminal justice professional must have a thorough understanding of the organization, purpose, and philosophies of corrections systems to successfully navigate these systems.
Throughout this course, you will trace the history of U.S. corrections, analyze the theoretical and philosophical foundations of U.S. corrections practices, and explore the legal and ethical obligations and rights of offenders, families, and corrections professionals. Your final project will require you to put that new knowledge to use as you analyze the corrections system in a state of your choice and reflect on the ethical obligations of a corrections professional. To do this, you will chose a state and analyze the organization, prevalent practices, and population trends of that state’s corrections system. You will then relate the practices and trends of your chosen state’s system with larger U.S. corrections practices. You will need to perform some research on your own.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at different points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure a quality final submission. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final project will be submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
- Trace the evolution of American corrections over time by explaining the major legal milestones that have impacted correctional systems and their functions
- Analyze various ideologies for punishment used in the United States for their differences and theoretical underpinnings
- Analyze prevalent trends and challenges facing U.S. corrections systems for their impact on facility operations and management of offenders
- Explain the ethical considerations and legal boundaries of corrections professionals regarding exchanges with offenders and families
Prompt
How does the corrections system in your chosen state reflect the historical and current trends, challenges, and ideologies that have developed in U.S. corrections?
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
- U.S. Corrections: In this section, you will introduce your paper, explaining how the paper will progress and answering the following questions about the history of corrections in the United States:
- Corrections Background: Define American corrections, including its importance, purpose, and the overall organization of the federal corrections system in the United States today.
- Major Legal Milestones: Discuss in general terms three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system, explaining how each milestone helped form the system we see today.
- Ideologies of Punishment: Describe the major ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, focusing in on their key differences. In other words, what are the major philosophies of corrections that have been used in the United States, and how are they different from one another?
- Theoretical Underpinnings: Describe the theoretical basis of each of the major ideologies for punishment and discuss which ideology (or ideologies) you think would best fit the U.S. corrections system today. How so?
- Influence on the System: Determine the influence of the law, and the influence of the ideologies for punishment, on the U.S. corrections system and its overall function as they relate to each other. In other words, how have the major legal milestones and the different ideologies for punishment influenced each other, and in turn, today’s system? Use information from the course and examples to support your conclusions.
- State Analysis: In this section, you will focus in on your selected state’s corrections system, philosophies, and populations. This section will inform the next section of your analysis, in which you will draw connections between your chosen state and the U.S. corrections system as a whole.
- State Organization: Analyze the organization of your chosen state’s corrections system, its facilities, and its associated programs to discern its overall function. How do the various pieces work together in your chosen state?
- State Ideology: Determine which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds based on your analysis of its function. In other words, what does the system’s organization and function say about what ideology for punishment the state most closely identifies with? Explain.
- Corrections Populations: Analyze the demographic information of the corrections populations in your chosen state. Specifically, list out the demographic information for important populations in the state’s system, such as parolees, inmates, and corrections officers, and then explain any patterns you see in the information.
- State Patterns and American Trends: In this section, consider the organization, function, and populations in your chosen state’s corrections system and relate it to the overall trends facing corrections in the United States.
- Population Trends: Draw connections between the demographic patterns you discerned in the previous section and trends occurring in corrections populations across the United States. How do the demographic patterns you discussed in the previous section reflect population trends in corrections systems across the United States?
- Management of Offenders: How might these trends relate to the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal corrections facilities? Explain.
- Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: In this section, apply the previous sections of your analysis to considerations of the ethical and legal responsibilities of corrections professionals.
- Ethical Considerations: Reflecting on the population trends you discussed earlier and considering your own ethical beliefs, explain how your knowledge of corrections populations might influence how you, as a corrections professional, would interact with offenders and their families.
- Legal Boundaries: Describe the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families based on what you have learned in this course.
- Conclusions: Summarize the key points of your analysis and discuss how your analysis of your chosen state’s system and the corrections system in the larger United States has influenced your view of the role and evolution of corrections, the importance of adhering to legal and ethical boundaries, and your future as a corrections professional.
Milestones
Milestone One: Sentencing and Demographics of Offenders in Your State
In Module Three, you will practice valuable research skills to analyze available data. In addition, this milestone will directly assist you with completing part of Section II (especially Section IIC) of your final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Incarceration Alternatives and Successful Reentry
In Module Five, you will once again practice your research skills. What alternatives to incarceration exist in your selected state and how is the state assisting offenders to make the transition back into the community? This milestone will give you a start on Sections IC, ID, IIA, IIB, and IIIB of the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Final Submission: State Corrections Analysis
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
What to Submit
Your state corrections analysis must be 5 to 7 pages in length (in addition to a cover page and references) and must be written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.
AI Usage
If you use gen AI tools to support your work on this assignment, be sure to follow these AI usage guidelines. You must acknowledge your use of these tools in your work. Guidelines on how to cite AI tools can be found in this Shapiro Library guide.
Final Project Rubric
| Criteria | Exceeds Expectations (100%) | Meets Expectations (85%) | Partially Meets Expectations (55%) | Does Not Meet Expectations (0%) | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Corrections: Corrections Background | Exceeds expectations and detail shows a thorough grasp of the American corrections system and its role today | Accurately defines corrections with specific detail regarding the purpose, importance, and general organization of the U.S. federal system | Defines corrections, but there are inaccuracies or a lack of specific detail regarding the purpose, importance, or organization of the U.S. system | Does not define corrections | 7.91 |
| U.S. Corrections: Major Legal Milestones | Exceeds expectations and selection and explanation of major milestones reveals a thorough knowledge of key legal events that played a large role in the evolution of American corrections | Describes three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system and accurately explains how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system | Describes three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system, explaining how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system, but there are inaccuracies | Does not describe three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system or explain how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system | 7.91 |
| U.S. Corrections: Ideologies of Punishment | Exceeds expectations and description of key differences shows a thorough differentiation of the ideologies as used in the United States | Accurately describes the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, focusing on key differences | Describes the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, but inaccurately or without detail regarding key differences | Does not describe the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States | 7.91 |
| U.S. Corrections: Theoretical Underpinnings | Exceeds expectations and determination of which ideologies would best fit today’s systems shows a sophisticated analysis and philosophical knowledge of the ideologies | Accurately describes the theoretical basis of each of the ideologies and discusses which would best fit today’s system, providing support | Describes the theoretical basis for each of the ideologies, discussing which would best fit today’s system, but there is a lack of accuracy or support | Does not describe the theoretical basis for each of the ideologies or discuss which would best fit today’s system | 7.91 |
| U.S. Corrections: Influence on the System | Exceeds expectations and examples show thorough understanding of how specific laws and ideologies have influenced the system to make it what it is today | Determines the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the U.S. corrections system with supporting information and examples | Determines the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the U.S. system, but there is a lack of supporting explanations | Does not determine the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the system | 7.92 |
| State Analysis: State Organization | Exceeds expectations and explanation of the overall function effectively shows how offender management and facility operations fit within the system | Accurately analyzes the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs to discern its overall function | Analyzes the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs, but analysis is inaccurate or lacks detail regarding the overall function | Does not analyze the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs | 5.94 |
| State Analysis: State Ideology | Exceeds expectations and explanation shows thorough differentiation of the ideologies based on how they have been applied in a state system | Determines with accurate, supportive explanation which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds based on analysis of overall corrections organization and function | Determines which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds, but determination is not based on analysis of overall corrections organization and function, or explanation is not supported or not accurate | Does not determine which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds | 7.92 |
| State Analysis: Corrections Populations | Exceeds expectations and discerned patterns are particularly insightful or meaningful | Accurately analyzes the demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns | Analyzes the demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns, but there are inaccuracies | Does not analyze demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns | 5.93 |
| State Patterns and American Trends: Population Trends | Exceeds expectations and connections drawn are particularly strong or insightful | Draws accurate connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends | Draws connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends, but there are inaccuracies | Does not draw connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends | 5.93 |
| State Patterns and American Trends: Management of Offenders | Exceeds expectations and explanation of potential future impacts of the trends shows keen insight regarding management of offenders and facility operation | Accurately and logically explains how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities | Explains how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities, but with gaps in accuracy or logic | Does not explain how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities | 5.94 |
| Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Ethical Considerations | Exceeds expectations and explanation shows deep consideration of ethical responsibilities | Explains how knowledge of corrections populations may impact interactions with offenders and their families, with detail regarding personal ethical beliefs | Explains how knowledge of corrections populations may impacts interactions with offenders and their families, but description of personal ethical beliefs lacks detail | Does not explain how knowledge of corrections populations may impact interactions with offenders and families | 7.91 |
| Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Legal Boundaries | Exceeds expectations and description shows thorough consideration of the legal boundaries of a correctional professional | Accurately describes the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families | Describes the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families, but description is not accurately based on course materials | Does not describe the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and families | 7.91 |
| Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Conclusions | Exceeds expectations and discussion shows a well-rounded, ethically sound perspective on the U.S. corrections system | Discusses how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional, using summary of key points as basis for explanation | Discusses how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional, but discussion lacks necessary detail or does not use summary of key points as basis for explanation | Does not discuss how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional | 7.92 |
| Clear Communication | Exceeds expectations with an intentional use of language that promotes a thorough understanding | Consistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audience | Shows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understanding | Shows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication | 5.04 |
| Total: | 100% | ||||
