CJ 320 Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The ability to conduct research using state corrections data is a valuable skill to have not only for this course but for further study in the criminal justice field. It is also a valuable skill for practicing professionals.
Prompt
In a short paper, respond to the questions below about sentencing policies and the demographics of offenders. Summarize your research from available resources that describe corrections in your selected state.
- What type of sentencing is employed in your selected state?
- What is the current sentencing philosophy in the state?
- Since when has this philosophy been in place?
- What was the impact on the prison population?
- What are the demographics of offenders in your state in terms of the criteria below?
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Incarceration rate
- Education level
- Whether or not offenders had substance abuse problems at time of incarceration (if available)
What to Submit
Your milestone should be about 1 to 2 pages in length, with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Sources should be cited according to APA style.
AI Usage
If you use gen AI tools to support your work on this assignment, be sure to follow these AI usage guidelines. You must acknowledge your use of these tools in your work. Guidelines on how to cite AI tools can be found in this Shapiro Library guide.
Milestone One Rubric
| Criteria | Meets Expectations (100%) | Partially Meets Expectations (75%) | Does Not Meet Expectations (0%) | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Sentencing in Selected State | The type of sentencing is correctly identified | The type of sentencing is not accurately identified | No evidence of type of sentencing | 20 |
| Sentencing Philosophy and Adoption Timeline | Philosophy is correctly identified and adoption timeline is accurate | Philosophy is not properly identified and/or adoption timeline is not accurate | No evidence of sentencing philosophy and/or adoption timeline | 20 |
| Impact of Sentencing Policy on Prison Population | Impact of sentencing is correctly identified and explained with reference to the source material(s) | Important aspects related to the impact of sentencing are missing from the explanation | No evidence of describing the impact of sentencing | 20 |
| Demographic Data for Specified Categories | Demographic data is accurately described for all specified categories | Demographic data for one or more specified categories is not accurately described | No evidence demographic data | 20 |
| Organization | The paper is well organized and the reader is able to easily find relevant data | The paper’s organization makes it difficult for the reader to find relevant data | The paper is very poorly organized | 10 |
| Clear Communication | Consistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audience | Shows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understanding | Shows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication | 10 |
| Total: | 100% | |||
