For CJ300, the student will analyze and report on a section/bureau/division in a criminal justice agency. The focus of the analysis is to examine the manner in which the section/bureau/division influences agency operations. Examples include Human Resources Section, Records Division, Office of Legal Affairs, Internal Affairs and/or Professional Standards, Labor Relations Office, Budget Section for the ABC County Sheriff’s Office or the DEF Juvenile Detention Center.
The purposes in conducting and writing this study are to improve your ability to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate information carefully and objectively, solve problems effectively, present your ideas in clear written form directed to a specific audience, in this case, your class.
To complete this project, you should:
Select the agency and section/bureau/division in which you are interested.
Gather materials from the agency, such as organization charts, annual reports, and budgets.
Interview persons working in the section about their job(s).
Observe the activities in the section.
Describe the structure, practice, and procedures of the agency and of the section you plan to analyze.
Describe the procedures you will use to conduct your study including interviewing some people who work in the section.
Compare similar agencies.
Describe the results of your study.
Make conclusions about your findings, including the positive and negative aspects you discovered.
Your paper must include:
A cover page
Introduction
Methodology section
Discussion
Reference page
Appendix which might include a summary of your interview(s) and organization charts of your agency and your section
The text of this paper should be at least 2,000 words or eight pages typewritten or computer-generated, not counting the cover page, reference pages, appendices. You must demonstrate that you understand the terminology and the concepts used in the section of the agency you study and that you know how to apply these concepts. You must demonstrate that you can synthesize, analyze, and evaluate information. You must correctly use APA format in source citation both in the body of the paper and in the reference page.