Policy Memorandum

Prompt

TO: Students enrolled in "Juvenile Delinquency"

FROM: Your Professor

SUBJECT: Policy Memorandum Assignment

1. WHAT IS A POLICY MEMO?

A policy memo is a document that provides analysis and/or recommendations for a particular audience regarding a particular situation or problem. A well-written policy memo reflects an attention to purpose; it is well organized and has a clear, concise style.

2. THE BASICS

Your task is to composean analytic and persuasive memorandum that addresses and recommendsthe best policies and practices to achieve the primary objective of reducing the prevalence of disproportionate minority contact ("DMC") within the juvenile justice system of one county in Oklahoma. In addition to drawing from learning activities from Units 1 through 6 of this course, you are expected to conduct independent research to provide additional evidence supporting your analysis (e.g., one or more studies suggesting that policy or practice x tends to produce consequence y. You should also explain what sort of additional evidence (i.e., new data collection and analysis, qualitative research, longitudinal studies, surveys, and so forth) would be needed to accurately assess the likely impact of your proposed policies and practices and make an informed recommendation in light of whatever uncertainty exists.

3. THE TOPIC OF YOUR POLICY MEMORANDUM

You are being provided selective information from a real-life case study of a town in Oklahoma stemming from its application for federal grant funds to use in its juvenile justice system. You are asked to analyze the information provided and make policy and practice recommendations for reducing DMC within the juvenile justice system, which the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) criticized in response to the town's application for grant funds. The OJJDP has informed the town that failure to reduce DMC before their next application will negatively impact their ability to obtain future federal funding for juvenile justice programs.

Below this paragraph is a PDF document titled "Case Scenario for Policy Memo Assignment," which contains the information about this town in Oklahoma that you will need to write your memorandum. Please be sure to read it thoroughly and incorporate the information from it into your Policy Memorandum that is relevant to your analysis, discussion, and recommendations for how this town can reduce DMC within its juvenile justice system:

Template:

Case Scenario for Policy Memo AssignmentDownload Case Scenario for Policy Memo Assignment; see below

4. YOUR ROLE AND YOUR AUDIENCE

In writingthis memo, you should imagine yourself as a policy adviser. In that role, you provide analysis and argument about how and why your proposed policies should be pursued to effectively reduce DMC in the most expeditious way. Your audience is a group of officials empowered to follow through on your recommendation and put them into effect. You may refer to them in the Policy Memorandum collectively as the "DMC Council." Imagine that the DMC Council has the authority to institute any reform you might recommend. They need to be informed as to whether this would require legislative change, constitutional change, institutional change, etc.

5. FUNCTION: WHAT YOUR MEMO SHOULD DO

Although there is substantial overlap, a memo is somewhat different than a typical academic paper. Whereas in the academic context, you generally take on the role of the dispassionate investigator, writing to reason, analyze, and inform, in the memo context, you are more like an analyst/advocate. Accordingly, your memo should do the things just mentioned (reason, analyze, and inform) while also seeking to persuade. It should give the reader good reasons to understand the issue as you frame it and ultimately adopt your recommendation.

6. FORM: HOW YOUR MEMO SHOULD BE ORGANIZED

In this policymaking context, it is safe to assume that your readers are strapped for time, are not as knowledgeable as you about these issues, and are receiving different recommendations from different advisers. Accordingly, there is a premium on brevity, clarity, and persuasion.

Introductory Paragraph

A unique characteristic of a policy memo is that a summary of your conclusions and recommendations must be placed at the beginning of the memo. This paragraph sums up in no more than 3-4sentences the conclusions of your research and recommendations. It should clearly and concisely define the problems and solutions you have identified, your recommendations for implementing the solutions, who will be responsible for doing so, and the proposed time frame for full implementation. This permits your reader to easily see your recommendations and scan the rest of the memo to see why you made them and how you supported them. You should write this paragraph as if it is the ONLY part of your policy memo that will be read!

Background

Follow the introduction with a concise summary of historical or technical information that your audience will need to understand the recommendations and arguments you are making.

Supporting Arguments/Analysis

Show how the information leads logically to the conclusions/recommendations you have provided. Be sure to keep your writing simple, clear, and easy to read. Use headings and sub-headings to enable your reader to quickly skim your memo to get the gist of your argument. Choose the simplest words to express your ideas. Do not use jargon or "legalese" if your reader is not an expert in this field. Use separate paragraphs for each idea or argument, with headings or sub-headings, and clearly identify that idea or argument within the first sentence. End on a strong note!

Your memo should be approximately 3to5pages inlength (single-spaced).

CASE SCENARIO FOR POLICY MEMO ASSIGNMENT.pdf

Okla. Disproportionate Minority Contact-Reduction Case Study The Problem In Oklahoma's application for Formula Grant funds submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), disproportionate minority contact was listed as its top problem area to be addressed. The application states Disproportionate overrepresentation of minority youth exists in the Oklahoma juvenile justice system, specifically in the areas. This is neither fair nor equal and erodes minority communities' faith in the justice system. It further sends disproportionate numbers of minority youth on a path deeper into the justice system. Previous research showed that this issue specifically affects the African American community. Current data has identified a similar trend with both Hispanic and Native American youth. In Okla., where African Americans are the largest minority group, race has historically been a sensitive topic. In 2005 the relative rate index (RRI) at detention for African Americans was 1.4 and the RRI at diversion was 0.7. Racial disparities also existed at other points in the system and for smaller minority populations such as Native American and Hispanic youths. Juvenile Justice Strategies 's DMC-reduction strategy was initiated at the state level with direction from the state Juvenile Justice Specialist and the state DMC Coordinator. The state provided funding and resources to hire a local coordinator, conduct DMC training with strategic planning, and conduct evidence-based law enforcement training. The community also opened a crisis intervention center to provide law enforcement with an alternative to detention for youths who commit low-level offenses. The youths ages 10-17 are 58 percent white, 16 percent African American, 15 percent Hispanic, 9 percent Native American, and 3 percent Asian American Received Support at the State Level. Oklahoma concentrated its DMC efforts on three targeted Approximately 21 percent of children in under 18 live in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau 2012).+ counties, including and starting in 2004 the state awarded federal Formula Grants specifically to those communities. Juvenile Bureau received these grant awards, and one of the first projects was a street outreach and caseworker program for youths with high-risk backgrounds, which ran from 2005 through 2007. also got support from the state DMC Coordinator, who was available to attend all of the DMC meetings and helped with much of the DMC planning and organization