Advanced Corrections Policy – CJUS 703

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the origin, philosophy and objectives of the prison system. As an advanced corrections course, students explore the far-reaching impacts of prisons policy on society. Policies related to prisons, rehabilitation, re-entry, alternative court, community corrections, recidivism and other recent relevant topics may be explored. Additionally, students will prepare new evidence-based practice corrections policy.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

The challenges related to prisons, rehabilitation, re-entry, alternative court, community corrections, and recidivism within the broader context of criminal justice policy research poses some of the greatest questions in the field, and the need for additional understanding and research is great. The student will have the opportunity to extensively examine and discuss these challenges and to be equipped with the latest research on related topics.

 

Course Assignment

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (5)

The student will complete 5 Discussions in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 1000 words. The student must then post 2 replies of at least 500 words each. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format. Each reply must incorporate at least 2 scholarly citations in current APA format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the textbooks (readings provided), and the Bible.

Biblical Worldview of Corrections Assignment

For the Biblical Worldview of Corrections Assignment in this course, you are to write a short essay which critically examines corrections from a biblical perspective. Include any theory and practical applications regarding corrections and the Bible.  This essay must internalize and express a biblical worldview of a correctional professional. Your paper must be at least 5 pages. Organize and format your paper according to the current APA format. 

Review the Biblical Worldview of Corrections Grading Rubric to see how this assignment will be evaluated. 

Research Paper: Topic Selection with Research Questions Assignment

The assignments in this course are built upon one another.  These assignments are to reflect the path one takes in the dissertation process.  This assignment and the ones that follow are to be of the same topic and to build completing the final paper.  Select a topic that you are interested in exploring this term.  Pick Research Questions and include a Bibliography to support the proposed Research Paper and Literature Review in the future modules. 

Journal Article Critique Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience critiquing a Journal Article.  You may use a Journal Article that you selected for your Research Topic Assignment or select a new Journal Article.  Use the topic that you have selected for your Research Paper.  Pay particular attention to the theoretical foundation, the methodology and the results of data analysis. Utilize headings to distinguish the various components of your paper.

Literature Review Assignment

As a Ph.D. student, your final project will be a dissertation.  The largest component of a dissertation is usually the Literature Review. A Literature Review is an exhaustive search of the academic literature regarding a specific topic. Through the research for the Literature Review, the scholar will discover what has been published and is current regarding their specific area. The Literature Review should also include a section regarding the theory that is applicable to the research question. 

Research Paper: Policy Issue and Solution Assignment

As you prepare to author a dissertation, one aspect is the solution to the research problem. This assignment empowers you, the scholar, to reflect on a specific problem within law enforcement and offer probable solutions.

Quizzes (4)

Each quiz will cover the Textbook material for the assigned modules. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 21 questions (20 multiple-choice and 1 essay) and have a 1-hour time limit.