Once a criminal justice professional has completed a program or policy evaluation, they may identify a problem that needs to be addressed. They will need to apply problem-solving skills to address it, and there are many problem-solving methods a criminal justice professional can choose from. Consistently selecting the appropriate strategy for a problem will not only improve program and policy outcomes, but also improve operations management overall.
In this assessment, you will analyze the intersection of problem-solving and policy evaluation, while also addressing ethical considerations.
Preparation
Research problem-solving models and consider how you could use these models to evaluate criminal justice issues or programs.
Select a local, state, or federal criminal justice policy and research it. This could be the policy you researched and analyzed in Weeks 1–3 or select a different policy of your choice. Potential topics include:
- Stand your ground policy/castle doctrine
- Registries for individuals who have committed sexual offenses
- No bail policy/bail reform
- Plea bargaining
- Three-strikes policies
- Counterterrorism policies