Essay 1 allows you to integrate course concepts and readings with a topic you ex
Essay 1 allows you to integrate course concepts and readings with a topic you explore in further depth.
You may choose your topic from the options listed below. All students should meet the following
requirements for the essay:
Write a five-page essay in 12-point font, double spaced with one-inch margins. Include a minimum of
five different sources of information (at least three peer-reviewed research articles) in addition to
course assigned readings. Provide details about your sources in a page labeled References, following
American Psychological Association (APA) format, and follow the format for in text citations. Include
a title page and number your pages.
Option 1-Reform and Innovation in Prosecution
The book Charged by Emily Bazelon examines the often-hidden power of prosecutors in the criminal
justice system. Bazelon describes how prosecutorial discretion influences charging decisions, bail, plea
bargaining and post-conviction review. Advocates have argued that changing who becomes
prosecutors and leaders in district attorney offices will redirect the use of prosecutorial discretion
toward policies that could reduce mass incarceration.
In addition to reading Charged, explore information about the movement to reform prosecution
through the election or appointment of district attorneys with more diverse viewpoints (typically
described as progressive) and personal characteristics. You should consult a broad range of sources
including scholarly literature about the factors that influence prosecutorial decision making, media
sources, reports and websites. Write about the key goals of the movement to elect or appoint reform
minded district attorneys, including potential advantages and disadvantages of the approach. What
problems with prosecution is the movement designed to address? What evidence exists about the
effectiveness of the approach? Include a brief (about one page) descriiption of one district attorney
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considered a part of the movement for reform minded district attorneys. What was their pathway to
becoming a district attorney, what support or opposition did they face, what changes did they pledge to
make before taking office, and how did those changes ultimately play out?
The final page of your essay should connect your findings related to the topic to a minimum of two
assigned course readings.