Students are required to a write a three-part essay, from 5 to 8 pages long, demonstrating an understanding of an important criminal justice issue. Students must select one of the topics for this essay described below. The essay must present arguments in favor as well as arguments against a position on the selected topic, concluding with a preference for one or the other position. The conclusion must give reasons for preferring one position over the other.
Content
The essay must begin with a brief introduction describing the controversy surrounding the issue. This is to be followed by the three main parts of the essay: 1. the arguments for one side with supporting evidence; 2. the arguments for the opposite position with supporting evidence; and 3. reasons why one position is preferred.
Format
Essays must contain a minimum of FIVE pages of text, not including the cover page or the references page. The maximum length is 8 pages of text. Papers must be word-processed using the default fonts and margins of MS Word, e.g., Times New Roman, 12 point font. Students must retain an electronic copy of their essays. The cover page should include the student name and ID, the title of the essay, and the date of actual submission.
Due Dates
The essays must be submitted in two stages:
1) A one-page outline with references must be submitted on using Blackboard. No emailed or written submissions will be accepted
2)The final version of the essay must be submitted using Blackboard. No emailed or written submissions will be accepted.
Grades
The entire essay is worth 20% of the course grade. The initial outline and references is worth 5% and the final version is worth 15%.
Late Penalties
Grades for position papers handed in late will be reduced according to the following schedule. These penalties will be imposed regardless of the reason for the late submission.
Initial outline and references: . Half a letter grade per day will be deducted beginning at . If the assignment is not submitted by , students will receive a zero.
Final version: . Half a letter grade per day will be deducted beginning at If assignment is not submitted by students will receive a zero.
Documentation
All information presented in the essay that is derived from articles and books must be documented in accordance with American Psychological Association (APA) citation and reference guidelines. There are several online guides to APA citation form, and the John Jay Library website has various helpful handouts. A references page must be included at the end of the assignment, following APA format.
The textbook for the class may be used as a source, but at least one other scholarly journal article must be used in the preparation of the paper. Instructors will explain what constitutes a “scholarly journal article.” Internet sources will not be accepted for this assignment. It is important for students to abide by these guidelines, as all Blackboard submissions are analyzed by a software program to detect plagiarism. All position papers will be screened by the plagiarism software to assure authenticity and originality of the student’s work product.
Plagiarism
The College’s policy on plagiarism reads:
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the ideas or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
Students who plagiarize will be subject to a failing grade on the assignment and/or in the course and referred to the College’s Academic Integrity Officer. Please access the John Jay website to further understand the school’s policy, practice and definition of plagiarism. http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/rcolvin/FAQ/plagiarism.htm
Initial Outline & References (5%)
To ensure that students understand the requirements of proper documentation, a one-page outline following APA guidelines must be completed. Grades will be based on the proper use of APA documentation and will give students the opportunity to get preliminary feedback. Due Date: . Points will be allocated as follows:
– 1%: Describe the issue using adequate citation.
– 2%: Using proper citations, present arguments in favor of and against the issue.
– 1%: State your position on the topic, and use properly cited evidence to support your preference.
– 1%: Reference page: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (no internet sources) in APA format.
Final Version (15%)
The final essay must begin with a brief introduction describing the controversy surrounding issue. The remaining will consist of the three main parts of the essay: 1) the arguments for one side; 2) the arguments for the opposite position; and 3) the conclusion, presenting reasons why one position is preferred. Due Date: . Points will be allocated as follows:
– 3% : arguments and evidence for one position on the topic
– 3%: arguments and evidence for the opposite position on the topic
– 3%: student’s position on the topic, and support for preference
– 3%: Overall writing ability, and clarity and persuasiveness of argument
– 3%: Adequate Documentation: Minimum of 5 scholarly sources (acceptable sources, APA style citations and reference page)
Essay Topics
Students must select ONE of the following topics for this essay.
Topic #1
The state governor is contemplating legislation concerning plea bargaining. Some judicial scholars and jurists have suggested that the criminal justice system would grind to a halt without plea bargaining. Opponents of plea bargaining, however, argue that it is unfair to defendants who are really innocent and too lenient with defendants who are in fact guilty. Please draft an essay outlining the pros and cons of plea bargaining, concluding with a recommendation to the governor for changing the plea system or for leaving it unchanged. Be sure to include support for the decision to either change or leave the plea bargaining system as it is.
Topic #2
There are questions regarding the constitutionality and the appropriateness of the death penalty for crimes that do not involve the death of the victim. The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a state law that imposed capital punishment on child rapists (Kennedy v. Louisiana, 128 S.Ct. 2641 [2008]), in part because the victim was not murdered. However, the case did not resolve the issue of whether the death penalty can be applied to all crimes in which the victim is not killed. Taking the Kennedy case into account, draft an essay that presents both sides of the issue and concludes with a recommendation. Make sure to include support for the recommendation as to whether the death penalty should or should not be applied to crimes in which the victim is not killed. For this essay, you can pick a specific crime, such as terrorism attempts with no deaths (attempted suicide bombers), treason (aiding enemies of the United States), and torture, or you can talk generally about crimes that don’t result in murder.
Teaching Writing at John Jay College 