4-2 Journal: Reflect on ways that criminal justice professionals make practical use of criminological theories.

Overview

In this assignment, you will reflect on ways that criminal justice professionals make practical use of criminological theories.

Prompt

You have learned about numerous criminological theories and how each attempts to explain why people commit crimes. How do those theories help prevent or reduce crime in real and practical ways? For this 350- to 500-word journal activity, do the following:

• Choose a theory that criminal justice professionals use in one of the branches of the criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts, or corrections).
• Describe a real-life example of how this theory is being utilized in law enforcement, courts, or corrections. Consider the following and address the relevant questions for the criminal justice branch you selected (not all questions below pertain to all branches):
  • Is there a program or policy in place that improves police-community relations?
  • Is there a program or policy in place that aims to reduce delinquency?
  • Has a law or policy been created in response to this theory that aims to reduce incarceration?
  • Does this theory influence approaches to sentencing?
  • Does this theory influence correctional procedures?
• Assess the effectiveness of the example you provided in terms of preventing or reducing crime. Use data or evidence from your resources to support your response.

Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:

• Identify a criminological theory that criminal justice professionals use in one of the branches of the criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts, or corrections).
• Describe a real-life example of how this theory is being utilized in that branch. Assess the effectiveness of the example you provided in preventing or reducing crime.

What to Submit

This assignment must be 350 to 500 words in length. Any references must be cited in APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.

Note: For journal assignments, you can receive a Proficient, Needs Improvement, or Not Evident score on each of your rubric criteria. There is no Exemplary score for this assignment, because you will receive feedback and make revisions to improve beyond proficiency in these concepts.