Project 1: Option A. Practitioner Interview
Your task is to interview a member of a correctional organization who is in a supervisory position or higher. This is someone who has responsibility for making managerial or administrative decisions that affects others (agency personnel or offender) within the organization. Correctional organizations include jails or detention centers, prisons, half-way houses, parole agency, probation agency or other institutions or entities responsible for the care, custody, control and/or supervision of persons under supervision.
In the course of the interview the student will obtain the interviewee's views on the culture of their organization, whether it works, doesn't work, and what he/she believes to be the future of corrections. NOTE: The Practitioner Interview may be conducted face-to-face, by phone of even Internet-based connection.
Project:
Introductory paragraph describing the paper.
Provide background information on the selected person.
Report the person's views on the culture of their organization, whether it works, doesn't work, and what he/she believes to be the future of corrections. This is to be in a narrative format, i.e., what you learned as the result of speaking with this person. Do not submit a "question-answer" paper.
Your analysis of what the person stated and how it compares and contrasts with relevant sections/chapters of the course instructional materials.
Project 1: Option B. Analysis of a corrections-related film
Project:
Write a narrative paper that responds to the following questions. The format requirements for this analysis are the same as the site visit report above. In order to respond to these questions (in addition to watching the film) the student will need to do some outside research. Be sure to document these outside sources both in the narrative of the paper and the bibliography page,
Shawshank Redemption
Provide a brief synopsis of the film.
How has the prison population changed (regarding demographics and types of crimes) from the 1940's and 1950's to today? To what do you attribute that change?
Based on the warden's and guard's behavior, why was there a need for prison reform during the 1960's?
In this film, are the convicted sent to prison "for" punishment or "as" punishment? Explain your answer.
Sexual and other types of assaults commonly occur in prisons. Why are the warden and prison guards unable (unwilling?) to stop them?
Brooks (prison librarian) would commit a crime to stay in prison rather than be paroled. Why? What does "institutionalized" mean?
What function does a prison library serve? Should prisoners have access to legal and educational materials? Who should foot the bill?
Should prisoners be forced to provide "free" labor? Why? Why not?
What should be the state's responsibility when evidence is found that exonerates an inmate?
Does prison rehabilitate? Explain.