Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction: Describe your selected public policy issue, corresponding departmental policy, and explain the connection between the public policy issue and specific departmental policy.

II. Historical Analysis: To inform your recommendations for the departmental public policy, you will analyze the history of the selected public policy issue, identifying key influential trends, and predict the potential future direction of the state or federal policies in supporting this issue. Specifically:

a) Identify key trends, both modern and historical, that have shaped the evolution of the state or federal public policies surrounding your selected public policy issue, justifying your identifications. How have the policies around this issue evolved, and what trends have influenced this evolution?

b) Identify court cases that have shaped the evolution of the public policies related to your chosen public policy issue, justifying your identifications.

c) How have the previously identified historical events impacted the public's perception of the relevant state or federal public policies? Provide specific examples. How has public perception evolved in relation to these specified events?

d) Predict the potential future direction of the state or federal public policies based on the previously identified historical and modern trends. How might the state or federal public policy continue to evolve?

III. Criminological Theory: Now that you have analyzed the related state or federal public policies, you will analyze relevant criminological theory.

a) Select a criminological theory that best explains the development of the public policies related to the issue, justifying your selection. Consider how the theory explains the previously identified influence of the trends or court cases on the development of the policies.

b) Draw connections between the selected criminological theory and the departmental policy. Where are there specific connections between the theory and the departmental policy?

c) Draw connections between the selected criminological theory and the related state or federal public policies. Where are there specific connections between the theory and the selected state or federal policies?

IV. Needs: Now that you have analyzed the relevant state or federal policies and selected a related criminological theory, you will focus your analysis on your selected departmental policy.

In relation to the departmental policy, you will identify the needs of the public and the relevant branch of the criminal justice system, and assess the extent to which the policy currently addresses these needs. Specifically:

a) Identify specific needs of the public and the relevant branch of the criminal justice system at the center of the departmental policy, justifying your identifications.

b) To what extent does the departmental policy address these specific needs?

V. Policy Recommendations: In this section, you will provide specific recommendations to the existing departmental public policy to improve the delivery of criminal justice services, justifying your recommendations, and examining the impact of the recommendations on the public and specific branch of the criminal justice system. Be sure to:

a) Outline the specific aspects of the departmental policy you are targeting for your recommendations, justifying your selections. What specific aspects of the departmental policy need improving and why?

b) What specific recommendations do you have to improve the existing departmental policy?

c) Justify how the recommendations will improve the delivery of criminal justice services. Provide specific examples.

d) How does criminological theory support your recommendations? How do the recommendations support the public's needs? Consider how theory justifies the appropriateness of the recommendations for the departmental policy.

e) What are the potential impacts of the departmental policy recommendations on the public and the relevant branch of the criminal justice system? Provide specific examples. If the potential impacts are negative, how might you alter your recommendations?

f) How does your assessment of the potential impacts inform your departmental policy implementation?

For example, how can you capitalize on positive reactions in the implementation of the departmental policy? How might you create buy-in where there is possible conflict?