Overview: For this assignment, due in Module Five, you will submit a 2–3 page draft of your historical analysis as well as your analysis of criminological theories relevant to your public policy issue selection. You will analyze the history of the public policies (related decisions, actions, laws, and or positions of both the state and federal government) related to your selected public policy issue. This draft should be as detailed as possible in order to allow the instructor to provide significant feedback, which you can incorporate into your final project.
Completing an analysis of the history of your selected public policy issue and analyzing the criminological theory that best explains the development of the public policies related to it in this milestone will lay the groundwork you for your Milestone Three submission in Module Seven, where you will identify the specific public needs that are targeted by the issue and determine how well the policy addresses those needs. You will then be examining how the policy can be changed or improved upon to continue to address the identified need and how these changes can be accomplished while at the same time improving upon the delivery of necessary criminal justice services.
Prompt: Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Roman One
Historical Analysis: To inform your recommendations for the departmental public policy, you will analyze the history of the selected public policy issue, identifying key influential trends, and predict the potential future direction of the state or federal policies in supporting this issue. Specifically:
a)
Identify key trends, both modern and historical, that have shaped the evolution of the state or federal public policies surrounding your selected public policy issue, justifying your identifications. How have the policies around this issue evolved, and what trends have influenced this evolution?
b)
Identify court cases that have shaped the evolution of the public policies related to your chosen public policy issue, justifying your identifications.
c)
How have the previously identified historical events impacted the public’s perception of the relevant state or federal public policies? Provide specific examples. How has public perception evolved in relation to these specified events?
d)
Predict the potential future direction of the state or federal public policies based on the previously identified historical and modern trends. How might the state or federal public policy continue to evolve?
II.
Criminological Theory: Now that you have analyzed the related state or federal public policies, you will analyze relevant criminological theory.
a)
Select a criminological theory that best explains the development of the public policies related to the issue, justifying your selection. Consider how the theory explains the previously identified influence of the trends or court cases on the development of the policies.
b)
Draw connections between the selected criminological theory and the departmental policy. Where are there specific connections between the theory and the departmental policy?
c)
Draw connections between the selected criminological theory and the related state or federal public policies. Where are there specific connections between the theory and the selected state or federal policies?
Guidelines for Submission: Your submission needs to be 2–3 pages in length (excluding reference pages), double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and citations in APA style. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page.
Refer to the Criminal Justice Library Tips for assistance in finding and citing outside sources.
Please note that the grading rubric for this milestone submission is not identical to that of the final project. The Final Project Rubric will include an additional “Exemplary” category that provides guidance as to how you can go above and beyond “Proficient” in your final submission.

Overview: Building on the discussion of criminal justice policy-makers in Module Six, for this assignment due in Module Seven, you will write a brief, 1-page memorandum to your supervisor regarding the need to make changes to a departmental policy in your criminal justice agency. You will also describe how these changes will affect the different actors involved in the policy-making process. This memorandum will help inform policy recommendations that you will be making in your Milestone Three assignment and in your final project, because you will be outlining changes to a departmental policy based on the public policy issue you have previously identified.
Consider the following scenario: Your supervisor needs to be convinced of the need to make changes to a departmental policy in your agency and how these changes will affect the different actors involved in the policy-making process.
Prompt: Use the Memorandum Template to complete the assignment. In your brief, 1-page memorandum, address the following critical elements as they are reflected in the Sample Policy Memorandum. These critical elements appear as headings in that document as follows:
1.
Issue Presented: In a brief one-sentence question, summarize the importance of making changes to your selected departmental policy in your criminaljustice agency and how these changes will affect the different actors involved in the policy-making process.
2.
Short Answer: Provide a short answer that summarizes the conclusion of the memorandum.
3.
Statement of Facts: Describe how implementing these departmental policy changes will result in more effective policy-making.
4.
Discussion: Briefly discuss at least one recent example of a departmental policy (from law enforcement, the courts, or corrections) that has effectivelybeen revised to take into consideration the various policy actors involved.
5.
Conclusion: Provide a conclusion based on the research you have done and the details you have gathered.
6.
Recommendations:
a)
Explain how the changes you are recommending to your departmental policy will affect other policy actors, including those in the otherbranches of the criminal justice system.
b)
Identify resistance to the recommended changes from other policy actors who may find the changes lead to potential conflicts with their ownpolicies or agendas.
c)
In making your recommendations, include elements to your policy that, although not ideal for your department, will avoid conflicts with otherpolicy actors and make a smoother delivery of criminal justice services in relation to the issue.
Reference your textbook or other course readings to support your submission.
For assistance in writing this memorandum, please review the Sample Policy Memorandum as well as the optional article Policy Memo Writing Tips.
Guidelines for Submission: This policy analysis memorandum assignment should follow these formatting guidelines: minimum 1 page in length (excluding title and reference pages), single spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and citations in APA style. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page. Please use the Memorandum Template to complete this activity.
Refer to the Criminal Justice Library Tips for assistance in finding and citing outside sources.
 

• Memorandum Template Word Document
• Sample Policy Memorandum PDF
• Policy Memo Writing Tips (Optional)