cj 675 5 1 milestone one

Overview: For this milestone, you will prepare a draft of your final project that thoroughly addresses the items listed in the prompt. To complete this assignment, you must complete the textbook reading assigned in Module Five and review the materials presented in Modules One through Five.

As a criminal justice leader, you will often be faced with making decisions that reflect not only on you but on your department as a whole. We often use tools like statistics and crime trends to offer the best possible route to finding a solution and ultimately making a decision. The field of criminal justice is constantly changing; new laws, policies, and procedures make situational, evidence-based decision making a complicated daily task. And it is nearly impossible to make an informed decision without first researching the issues at play and leveraging the power of available data to determine the right solution for each particular situation and organization.

You will assume the role of a leader within a criminal justice organization of your choice. Based on your chosen scenario, you will be presented with a specific challenge that is emblematic of wider issues in contemporary criminal justice.

Prompt: Your task for Milestone One is to complete the Introduction, Theory and Methods, and Literature Review sections of your final project. You will be given information (including this data set) for your scenario, but you must also conduct your own research on comparable organizations and trends in the field to determine opportunities and external threats.

The following critical elements must be specifically addressed:

I. Introduction: In this section, establish a context that provides your audience with any background information that is necessary for understanding your proposal.

II. Theory and Methods: In this section, explain the theoretical frameworks that underpin your analysis and proposed solution.

A. Identify foundational criminology theories that apply to your chosen organization and the challenge it faces. Draw connections between the theories and your specific context that will ultimately support your analysis and your proposed solution.

B. Examine the strategic methods used by leaders in the field for approaching problems such as yours. For example, what do the current best practices in the field suggest in terms of researching and investigating the issue? Highlight methods that support your proposal.

C. Similarly, identify best practices in the field for communicating with diverse audiences. Illustrate these practices with specific examples that will ultimately support your communication plan.

III. Literature Review: In this section, present all of the evidence that you have analyzed (including the provided data and your independent research) and that will support your proposed solution.

A. Data Analysis: Using the provided data, determine any patterns and trends that are present. What meaning and significance can you glean from the data?

B. Research: Present research on the issue that builds on the patterns and trends you identified in the data. For example, are there prior solutions that similar organizations have implemented in addressing this type of issue? What meaning and significance can you glean from your research?

C. Root Causes: Based on your data analysis and independent research, explain what you believe to be the root causes of the issue. Logically justify your conclusion using the evidence.

IV. References: In this section, cite all of your sources using APA formatting.

Guidelines for Submission: Your draft must be a submitted as a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.