decide what topic you will study. What problem do you see in the criminal justice system, in crime prevention, in offending, in training, in victimization, and so on? Pick one. Find one peer-reviewed journal article that discusses that problem.

Pick a theory. What theory do you find most attractive or that explains your problem the best? You may not know a lot about this theory right now. That's okay. Just pick one and start thinking about how that theory would explain your problem.

The actual structure of the outline is up to you, but I recommend you follow the elements required for the final paper, such as: I. Introduction

A. Make us care about this - open with an interesting story, alarming statistic, something engaging B. Topic/problem C. Theory D. Policy (new or existing) E. Solutions/Recommendations II. The Problem A. Define problem B. Explain why it is a problem C. Explain which parts of the criminal justice system (or other unit) are responsible for the problem (because they would be the ones to implement the solution) III. Theory A. Your theory B. How this theory explains crime/criminality generally C. How this theory explains your specific problem - what is the cause of this problem, according to this theory? IV. Existing policies A. Other policies that have tried to solve this problem B. Why those policies are inadequate/won't work, according to your theory C. What policy would work (or how existing policies need to change), according to your theory V. Recommendations A. What needs to change to implement this policy - do we need more training, publicizing, a shift in mindset, a new set of sentencing guidelines, etc. B. Who is responsible for implementing this policy (the courts, the police, corrections, the general public, politicians, etc.) C. What resources are needed to implement this policy (funding for training, additional personnel, new/different facilities, public service announcements, etc.) VI. Conclusion A. Restate problem

B. Restate theory (explanation of cause of problem)

C. Why existing policies aren't enough/aren't working D. Your policy recommendation (which reflects your theory) E. Bring it home with an interesting story, anecdote, etc. Of course, your outline does not have to look exactly like this, but think of this as a template for your final paper. Include all the sections you think you need in your final paper and then expand the sections as you write it.

At this stage, you only need to include a few thoughts about each topic above. The more you include, the better feedback I can give you and the closer you will be to completing the final project.

Include at least two high-quality academic sources. One of these sources must be a peer-reviewed journal article. If you are struggling to find peer-reviewed journal articles, contact the librarians. You can use the online chat function.