CCJ 240 Punishment and Corrections Short Essay

CCJ 240 Punishment and Corrections Short Essay Assignment 2: Sentencing and Sanctions

Please provide a one- to two-page written response to the question listed below. Your response should address all parts of the question and integrate the assigned readings and lecture material as appropriate. Your response should adhere to APA format, with 1” margins all around, Times New Roman, 12-pt font, with a left general alignment and double lined spacing. You must appropriately cite all references used in your response. You do not need to seek out other sources of information for this assignment as you have been provided with more than enough information in class and through the assigned readings to address this question. If you do refer to material not assigned in the class, you must also list them in a supplemental reference page. To receive full credit, you must use proper grammar and correct spelling, write in complete sentences, use appropriate punctuation, and avoid using abbreviations. I strongly encourage you to proof read your essay before turning it in. Question In recent decades, sentencing practices have begun to move away from historically harsh, retributive approaches to crime such as mandatory minimum sentencing for drug and first-time offenders. Many states, including Oregon, have been clear about their intent to rely much less heavily on the use of prison beds in favor of community-based sentencing.

Discuss in some detail the reasons behind such changes in sentencing. What goals are associated with this national trend? What evidence do we have that these efforts are effective?

PUNISHMENT & CORRECTIONS ESSAY ASSIGNMENT GRADING RUBRIC

LOWER RANGE (0 – 6 pts) MIDDLE

(7 – 8 pts) UPPER RANGE

(9 – 10 pts) SCORE

THESIS/FOCUS Essay does not address all parts of the question; essay addresses other

issues/topics unrelated to the question

Essay addresses all parts of the question; essay does not address

other issues/topics unrelated to the question

COURSE CONTENT

Connections to course content (i.e., lectures, textbook) missing or

linkage unclear; course content poorly understood

Integrates range of concepts, facts, ideas from course content;

demonstrates accurate understanding of course content

SPELLING & GRAMMAR

Significant spelling, punctuation, and/or grammatical errors

Free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors

READABILITY & STRUCTURE

Paragraphs disorganized, tangential, or unrelated to one another; transitions missing or

poorly done; weak ending; difficult to read and engage with essay due

to writing

Paragraphs logically organized to build support for thesis/position; effective transitions connecting paragraphs; strong conclusion; engaging essay

that was easy to read; educated reader about given topic or presented convincing argument in favor of thesis

GENERAL COMMENTS

Note: Essays that appear to be based solely on other courses, those that have no obvious connection to the present course, and “journals” focusing solely on one’s own life experiences will receive deductions in all areas above no matter how well written.

11/16/2015