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Each student is required to take a position in support of the death penalty or against it. You are required to support your position with research from professional journals and books written about the death penalty not websites. 
For this paper students will be required to cite a minimum of five sources. It is paramount that you cite the outside sources that you use in the proper manner, which for the purposes of this course is the APA format

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Rehabilitation versus Crime Control

Based on your readings in the classroom and text this week, answer the following questions:
•Are community-based corrections a punishment or a method of rehabilitation?
•If you were a sentencing judge, what factors would be important as you decided whether to sentence an offender to an intermediate punishment? Are there any types of offenders or crimes that would be particularly well-suited for these types of sentences? Are there any types of crimes that would automatically disqualify an offender from community-based corrections?
•Can we truly prevent future criminal behavior by removing the problem that caused the offender to break the law in the first place, or do you believe in the classical notion that criminals make rational choices when they decide to commit a crime? Explain your reasoning.
•Should shock incarceration be utilized as an alternative punishment for juveniles as well as adults? Explain your reasoning.

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Improving Community Corrections

In January 2015, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan signed two bills into law creating a special commission that would be responsible for exploring alternatives to incarceration, promoting rehabilitation programs, and making recommendations to the Legislature. The bills aim to improve local alternatives to prison for eligible non-violent offenders and create court consistency across the state (Michigan House Bills 5828 and 5829, 2015).

You have been appointed to a similar commission in your state. Prepare a report in Microsoft Word that addresses the tasks given below. As you can see from the governor's press release, tasks such as the following are actual real-world tasks that criminal justice professionals may encounter:
•Briefly describe the alternatives to incarceration available in your state. Identify the goal that each program seeks to accomplish (e.g., rehabilitation, deterrence, restoration, etc.).
•Evaluate the effectiveness of pretrial diversion in preventing recidivism. Should pretrial diversion be expanded? What are the benefits to the offender and the state? Are there any drawbacks?
•Evaluate the use of probation in your state. Describe how probation officers may utilize community-based resources for the purpose of rehabilitating probationers.
•Conclude by offering at least three well-reasoned recommendations for promoting rehabilitation programs and providing viable alternatives to incarceration for your state.

In a report of this type, data should accompany any recommendations to support the points being made. For this assignment, you might find the following resource helpful, along with your textbook, classroom material, and other appropriate outside sources:

A National Survey of Criminal Justice Diversion Programs and Initiatives

Source:

Michigan Office of the Governor. (2015, January 12). Gov. Rick Snyder signs bills to boost
          public safety through DNA collection at time of arrest. Retrieved from http://www.
          michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_57657-345100--,00.html

Cite your sources using APA guidelines.

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Parole Process and Success

Locate recent information about your state's (Nevada) parole process. Many states' parole boards have their own websites; others publish their annual reports as part of the state's Department of Corrections annual report. If your state no longer offers parole, choose from one of the states still engaged in parole. Once you have located parole board information, address the following issues in your submission to the discussion board:
•Identify the state you have selected and summarize the effectiveness of the state's parole process. What percentage of parole petitions are granted? What is the makeup of the parole board?
•How successful are parolees once they have been released? Your chosen state should have information regarding the number or percentage of parolees who are re-incarcerated.
•Identify the difficulties that a paroled offender will face upon being released. What does your chosen state do to try to assist the parolee's transition? Is there more that the state or local government can do?
•Identify any functions that nonprofit organizations or private citizens may perform when it comes to assisting parolees after they have been released.

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Discretionary Parole

In this assignment scenario, you are a member of your state's parole board reviewing an inmate's case.

Case:

John White is eligible to be considered for discretionary parole. He was convicted of armed robbery and has been in prison for eight and a half years. The robbery resulted in two broken fingers and concussion for the victim. John was originally sentenced to ten years. Two of John's high school friends were also convicted of the robbery, one of whom has already been released.

John is 25 years old and never married. He has no known children. The pre-sentence investigation (PSI) report indicates he had methamphetamine in his system at the time of arrest. He did not finish high school but earned a GED while in prison. He has a tattoo which might indicate that he is, or was, a member of a local gang.

John's brother owns a convenience store and has offered to hire him as a manager if he is released.

As a member of the state's parole board, answer the following:
•Using the Internet, create a proper parole agreement for this offender. The agreement should use proper terminology and lay out the conditions that the offender must meet.  You will need to create an agreement specific to the scenario in this assignment.
•In a separate section, justify any conditions that you included in the agreement.
•Indicate what additional information, if any, you would seek before determining whether to grant parole in this case.

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Victims of Domestic Abuse

Linda and her eight year old son are regularly beaten and insulted by her husband. Linda is financially dependent on her husband and is too scared to protest or to complain against his violent behavior. Her husband is well-known among the neighborhood as an ill-tempered and violent man.

Based on the above scenario, answer the following questions:
•In your opinion, what kind of help can be provided to Linda to ease her plight? Why? Support your answer with appropriate examples from articles or real-life situations.
•Which of the theories of domestic abuse are applicable to Linda’s husband? Why?
•Should Linda be blamed and held accountable for not adequately protecting her child from abuse? Why doesn’t Linda simply take her child and leave the situation? Conduct research to support your answer.

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The target for Potential Killer

The murder of a Manhattan graduate student in 2006 gained much attention not only for the brutality of the act but also for its location. The 24-year-old woman was chatting with her friend in a local bar till 2:30 A.M. After the friend left, the woman left for another bar half an hour later. Her friend could not contact her after that. Around 17 hours later, an unknown caller informed the police about a body lying near a road. The woman was found brutally murdered by suffocation. Evidence suggested that she might have also been raped and assaulted by the murderer.

What made the victim a suitable target for a potential killer? How could she have decreased her likelihood of victimization? In your opinion, could she have facilitated or precipitated her own murder? Provide a rationale for your answer. What could have she done to avoid landing in this situation? Cite at least two examples in which a "victim" overcame his or her victimizer.

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Battered Woman's Syndrome

In the 1984 movie, The Burning Bed, Farah Fawcett plays Francine Hughes, a Michigan housewife who was prosecuted for murder after she set her husband on fire while he slept on their bed. The defense argued that Mrs. Hughes was a victim of 13 years of abuse, which had made her unable to think rationally and leave the relationship, a defense now popularly known as the ”battered woman’s syndrome (BWS).”

Based on the above scenario, answer the following questions:
•In this context, explain the concept of the BWS, the arguments commonly made by the opposition, and the rationale for your arguments. Refer to the Internet and give an example of a similar case study that you have come across. Analyze whether the victim in this case got justice. Was the offender convicted? Why? What was the uniqueness of this case?
•What are the factors that compel a victim to stay in an abusive relationship? Is domestic abuse and violence common against men? Why?

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Paper Instructions:

You are working for the research wing of the National Institute of Justice. You have been assigned to a governmental task force that is investigating murder and other violent crimes in the U.S. You have been asked to prepare a speech and brief the members of the Department of Justice with regard to your findings.
•In your findings, you need to first differentiate between criminology and victimology. Some members of your audience do not know much about victimology so you need to be very detailed in your explanations.
•You will also need to explain at least three different theories on victimization. Give the strengths and weaknesses of each theory that you choose.
•Point out what the financial and psychological impacts are for murder victims or family members.

In addition to your speech, you need to create a chart that compares whether the U.S. has a higher or lower incidence of violent crime than U.K., Australia, South Africa, and Japan. Create this chart in Microsoft Excel.

Based on the analysis of your speech, answer the following questions in the same document where you have created the chart:
•Does the U.S. have more violent crimes than other countries?
•Do people's lifestyles in the U.S. place them more at risk than in other countries, or does the U.S. simply have more motivated criminals? Which one do you agree with and why?
•How does victim compensation work in the United States?

Research "Crime Rates" using the internet

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Addiction and Rehabilitation

Offenders with addictions are often required to participate in a twelve-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous as a condition of their probation or parole. Locate and read through the twelve steps carefully, then address these questions:
•Review and summarize the twelve-step program. Are there any drawbacks to these programs?
•Cite data that indicates whether they are successful. Are programs such as these appropriate for the purpose of rehabilitating a probationer?
•Explain your reasoning, keeping in mind that these programs were not necessarily designed for offenders but rather to help those with addictions.
•Can we prevent future criminal behavior by removing the problem that caused the offender to break the law in the first place, or do you believe in the classical notion that criminals make rational choices when they decide to commit a crime?
•How would your answer to the above question affect the way you approach your job as a probation officer?

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VISUAL AID & THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

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Crime in Educational Environment

Assume that you work for the District Board of Education. The Directors of the Board of education have assigned you to examine crime in K-12 (Kindergarten to 12th grade) settings. You are required to submit a report on crime in the educational environment. In your report:
•Identify and analyze the different crimes for which students are most at risk for in K-12, include some of the differences in victimization found across elementary, middle school, high schools, and college. Provide reasons why you think these crimes occur within the schools.
•Mention at least one crime each that is unique to elementary, middle, and high school. Refer to a case you know of or have read about in the media. Why do you think the crime unique to each school level does not occur at other school levels?
•Assess the various strategies that can be undertaken to reduce crime at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Mention strategies that are specific for each level and that are common to all levels of schooling. Provide reasoning for your answer.

Write a report to the head of the task force assessing the details of your findings.