1.
Read, What Every American Should Know
About the Criminal Justice System.
A.
Report to be what you think are the most important statements they make
B. Find the ‘questions to ask anyone
who wants you vote.’ Email or send them to a politician who discusses
crime (or should). Is this an effective action? Why or why not? What would
be more effective as a way to question elected officials about criminal
justice policy and hold them accountable?
C. Identify the suggestion in the conclusion you most
agree with. Write a short paper that elaborates on the basic idea and
provides more detailed suggestions.
2. Read PREVENTING CRIME:
WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T, WHAT'S PROMISING (A REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS
Prepared for the National Institute of Justice). There is another
version in Adobe Acrobat format at preventing crime.org.
A. Does the text support the idea 'nothing
works'?
B. What are the basic ideas they explore to
prevent crime? How many of these are criminal justice system based
interventions, and how many are outside it?
C. What are the limitations of the report -
what other significant ideas does it leave out?
3. Read the latest
report on corporate crime: Getting Tough on Corporate Crime?
Enron and a Year of Corporate Financial
Scandals by Jeffrey Reiman and Paul Leighton.
A.
Do you agree with their assessment of our progress fighting corporate
crime?
B. Examine the table
on the last page. Does the trend it shows in income inequality bother
you, why or why not?
