Choose a topic of your choice, as long as it provides an empirical understanding of the relationship between class, race, or gender and crime/criminal justice then write a research paper.

Research Paper (Literature Review)

Choose a topic of your choice, as long as it provides an empirical understanding of the relationship between class, race, or gender and crime/criminal justice.

In other words, choose one of the extralegal factors mentioned throughout the course (i.e., class, race, or gender) and then assess how these factors influence (or are influenced by) criminal justice processes/outcomes.

For instance, if interested in class and crime you might assess corporate crimes and how often arrests/convictions occur. A student interested in race and crime might research sentencing outcomes to determine which race is most often sentenced to capital punishment (death penalty).

A student interested in gender and crime might evaluate women’s protective measures to avoid victimization.

Literature reviews evaluate scholarly articles and books relevant to the students’ chosen topic (at least 5 for this assignment). Provide a summary of the published empirical literature.