The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the connection between theory and pract

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the connection
between theory and pract

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the connection
between theory and practice. Whether it is explicit or not, every successful program and policy in the
criminal justice system is based upon some theory or assumption concerning the nature of human
behavior. At the same time, programs that are not effective tend not to be based on theory or are based on poorly articulated theory or a theory without empirical support.
In order to promote the use of effective programs and discourage the use of ineffective programs, the
National Institute of Justice maintains a database that of programs and their associated evidence/support.
In general, programs are described as “effective,” “promising,” or “no effect,” based on the research that
has been done to evaluate them. This database can be found here:
https://www.crimesolutions.gov/
For this paper, choose a program (not a practice) that is described as “effective” or “promising.” Ideally,
you should choose one that has multiple green or yellow checkmarks (a single checkmark means that only
research from a single study is supporting their effectiveness conclusions). Further, since we are focused
on theories of crime, you should limit your choice to the following topics:
any program from the crime and crime prevention section or any program specific to delinquency prevention (Click the “All Programs and Practices” tab, then filter under the program tab for “Crime and Crime Prevention”).
Once you have selected an effective or promising program, the next step is to describe the program.
What are the programs goals?
And how does the program attempt to accomplish its goals? Who is the target population of the program, or in other words, who is supposed to receive the program?
How long does the program last, and what are the expected outcomes?
Who is in charge of implementing the program?
Once you have explained how the program is designed, and what its expected outcomes are, identify the theory or theories underlying its design. In other words, which theory or theories is the program based on?
Are there elements of the program that do not appear to be based on any theory at all? Do not simply state
that principle X is based on theory Y. You should explain exactly how each principle relates to its
underlying theory… In other words, this paper is about you explaining why we (as a society) do what we
do to lessen crime (and why we think those actions should work).
You should name and link to the program in your paper, and cite any research you reference.
Pro tip: When you click on the program link on the website, you can scroll down the sub-heading
“evidence-base” and “additional resources” to find studies and research that will likely describe the
theoretical foundations of the program, in addition to assessing its effectiveness.
This will likely be 4-5 pages, but you have no set maximum. You may write as much as you like.