Overview
This is a two part homework
Part A
You will be writing what is sometimes affectionally known as a 2-pager. A 2-page CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR CRIMINOLOGY POLICY BRIEF can be harder than it sounds.There are no universally accepted guidelines about what a policy brief should entail. Below are some common components of a 2-page policy brief. Some policy issues are highly salient, and not as much space is needed for problem definition or relevant context. Policy briefs should be timely. What important issues are we facing today at the local, state, national or international level? What issues should be given more attention, or face an impending deadline? Good briefs make the case that this issue should receive more attention right now, with a sense of urgency.
Policy briefs need to be informative – not too complicated, but not overly simplified either. They must incorporate relevant background and context, but not every single potentially relevant piece of information must be included. Briefs should prioritize information to convey.
Policy briefs are not just for policy specialists – they should be easy to read, with little or no jargon. It’s important to communicate with people on the level they are at. Using big fancy words doesn’t make policy writing better, and it often makes it worse.
No one wants to read anything long and dry. Excellent briefs are visually engaging and mindful of visual primacy. (People are more likely to remember images than words). Briefs that are visually engaging, well organized, and easy to navigate have greater impact.
PART B
Over the next several modules, you will work toward becoming an expert on a tiny slice of public policy in criminology, e.g., sentencing reform, police accountability, racial profiling, drug policy, juvenile justice reform, mental health, and the criminal justice system, etc. You will produce an informative, engaging, memorable, and professional 2-page policy brief using your newly developed expertise. The goal is to produce the type of brief regularly produced by think tanks worldwide. I have high expectations for the work you do on this project. But do not be daunted! Step 1: Write a six-sentence narrative of a policy (social problem about crime or the criminal justice system) that you find particularly interesting.
This part is super fun but can also be super hard! The world of criminology is your oyster!Links to an external site. While you have broad discretion in selecting a topic, some ideas are better than others, and others are easier. Here are some considerations to help you think this through.
What issues get you hot and bothered in criminology or criminal justice? You will be working on this for a bit; finding an emotional response can be motivating! What problems get you excited, inspired, or motivated? Or perhaps your issues get you angry or frustrated, or sad? Not all problems are equally important right now. Focus on something that feels important to you.
Where can your voice make a difference? You are an undergraduate student at PGCC or another institution. On what issues is your voice / perspective / framing especially useful?
*The policy proposal should describe the problem and explain why it is important to address the problem.
Step 2: You will be required to write an annotated bibliography with 5-7 scholarly sources as referenced below:
Annotated bibliographies are helpful tools when researching or writing a policy brief. They allow you to organize your sources in ways that may otherwise be difficult. With annotated bibliographies, you are able to find which source contains the information you need easily, and the citations are ready for your final paper.
Components: The Bibliographic Entry
An annotated bibliography is a list of sources (books, articles, websites, etc.) with a short paragraph about each source. An annotated bibliography is sometimes a helpful step before drafting a research paper, or it can stand alone as an overview of the research available on a topic. For us, it will help to build your policy brief.
Each source in the annotated bibliography has a citation: APA (American Psychological Association) for social sciences.