The final project consists of three stages (1) Pitch, (2) Short Research Paper, and (3) Infographic. The final paper should include at least six sources, two of which should be peer reviewed (use empirical evidence!). The Sentencing Project, Prison Policy Initiative, and Vera Institute of Justice all have great resources and information as well for context and meaning, and may provide both inspiration for a topic as well as general information.
Overview: For this project, consider yourselves to be presenting information to a relatively un-informed audience concerned with correctional policies – it should be both descriptive as well as clear in terms of a takeaway and stance you have regarding the issue. Imagine you are presenting to an audience who does not know a great deal about criminal justice, and especially mass incarceration. You should consider a contemporary issue relevant to mass incarceration and the consequences this has had on individuals, families, and/or communities (or economic, social, or other institutions). In some cases you may believe there should be greater involvement from the justice system, new or different programs and policies; you may also feel that there should be less involvement from the criminal justice system and policies that help reduce incarceration or the after-effects; from another perspective you may consider particular types of crimes or criminals who have been significantly impacted and design an argument about how to go forward.
Topic Examples: Identify a “Contemporary Issue” related to Mass Incarceration and its Collateral Consequences; something that interests you. You must link your topic to the general subject matter of this course, though you have a great deal of leeway. Focus on depth over breadth, and making sure you select a topic that you can thoroughly evaluate as an issue. This may include:
· Supervision trends and impact (specific types or efforts at supervision including in prison and the community)
· Specific consequences and policies surrounding them (impact and implication) – including smaller issues that we touch on within (e.g., particular health challenges, or differential impact).
· Considering “special populations” and their particular impact from mass incarceration (women, juveniles, racial or ethnic differences; substance abuse, mental health, violent or other crime types)
· Trends (past and present) of incarceration – policies and changes you would articulate and connect to theory/policy/outcomes.
· Things we are less able to cover directly in class such as institutional issues in corrections – overcrowding, privatization, solitary confinement, budget concerns, programs and interventions; and the long term impacts.
