The final assignment for this course is an analysis of a contemporary policy issue in criminal justice. Note: this course builds on itself - three of your assignments and both of your journal articles may be applicable to your Final Paper. In the text, Criminal Justice Policy, Gardiner and Mallicoat (2014) lay out four emerging policy issues in “Chapter 20: Emerging Issues in Criminal Justice Policy.” In addition, numerous policy issues are presented throughout “Section II: Criminal Justice Policy in Action” in Criminal Justice Policy. For your Final Paper, select one issue to research from either Section II or Chapter 20. Each of these criminal justice policies is shaped by constitutional issues and will have future implications. Your Final Paper must: 

• Summarize the criminal justice policy by explaining how the policy affects the basic premises of the criminal justice system, its organization, and its structure.
• Complete a literature review for the policy incorporating your two journal article reviews. 
• Analyze the criminal justice policy process including the relationships between the federal, state, and local stakeholders who influence criminal justice policy.
• Address the constitutional issues that should be addressed by policy makers or the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Revise existing public policy to address specific criminal justice issues.
• Explain the effects of public policy on internal criminal justice operations.
• Analyze the effect of criminal justice policy on social justice. 

Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper must:

• Be a minimum of eight double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Include a title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Utilize a minimum of 10 scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources; five of these must be from the Ashford University Library. 
• Document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Include a separate references page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.