PSIR and Sentencing Recommendation – Criminal Justice

The PSIR and Sentencing Recommendation

1. This is the first of three related writing assignments. For this assignment, you are to use the following background information and an interview with the offender to create a PSIR based on the PSIR Template provided for you. These files have been attached to the order. PLEASE REVIEW THEM

Background Information

Interview with Offender

PSIR Template

2. Once you have filled in the relevant information, you are to make a sentencing recommendation to the judge. This recommendation should be consistent with the following Court Options at Time of Sentencing as well as information provided and how it relates to the defendant’s criminogenic needs:

Court options at the time of sentencing
If the offender is convicted, the court has discretion in determining offender punishment for theft, depending on the circumstances of the case. The court has the following options at time of sentencing:

The court can sentence offender to one of three terms provided by law

Misdemeanor grand theft: up to 364 days in county jail
Felony grand theft: 16 months, 2 or 3 years in county jail
Petty theft: up to 6 months in county jail
Place offender on probation and impose a sentence of up to one year in county jail
Place offender on probation with no jail time, but order offender to do community service, a work release program and repay the value of the property taken
Place offender on formal probation and assign a probation officer
Keep in mind this is a community corrections class, so we’re trying to avoid incarceration if possible. Your recommendations must be supported. Write a one-page paper supporting your decisions (this should follow the recommendation section of your PSIR). You will be graded on how well you are able to support your recommendation with information from the text, the options available for sentencing, and two outside sources. Those outside sources need to be selected from peer reviewed research articles from the online library, any of the additional sources I provide each week via the course schedule or in discussion, government agency documents, or other academic texts. Do not use online encyclopedias, dictionaries, or information from Wikipedia or you will lose points. This assignment should be submitted as one document. The recommendation section should be written using APA format, and you must include a list of the references used as well as in-text citations to support your sentencing recommendation.

Your assignment will be graded according to the following rubric.

CJ322 Assignment Rubric

Criteria

Ratings

Points

 

Meets

Expectation

10.0 to >7.0 pts

Acceptable

7.0 to >5.0 pts

 

Minimally acceptable

5.0 to >3.0 pts

 

 

Unacceptable

3.0 to >0 pts

 

Clarity

Grammar, spelling, and style make it easy for the reader to follow. Uses words correctly and avoids jargon unless it is the most precise word

 

Occasional (2 or 3 per page) grammar, spelling or style problems. Tendency to use vague words or excessive jargon.

 

Problems in grammar, spelling or style that interfere with the author’s statements. (Multiple problems in each paragraph).

 

Significant problems in grammar, spelling or style that make it challenging to follow the author’s statements.

 

10 Points

Accuracy

All statements are accurate relative to the resource being examined and/or to the material in the textbook.

All statements are accurate relative to the resource being examined and/or to the material in the textbook.

Most statements are accurate relative to the resource being examined/or to the material in the textbook.

Most statements are inaccurate relative to the resource being examined/or to the textbook. Little or no evidence of validation of facts was observed.

10 Points

Depth

Product

demonstrates an accurate and exceptional understanding of the assignment, and thoroughly addresses all aspects of the assignment.

Product

demonstrates a high-level understanding of the assignment, and adequately addresses all aspects of the assignment.

Product

demonstrates a basic understanding of the assignment and addresses key aspects of the assignment.

Product

demonstrates little or no understanding of the assignment and does not address key aspects of the assignment.

10 Points

Evidentiary Support

Statements made are supported with reference to the text and more than 3 outside academic sources (books, peer reviewed journal articles, government web sites/documents

Statements made are supported with reference to text and at least 3 outside academic sources (books, peer reviewed journal articles, government web sites/documents

Statements made are not well supported with reference to the text; fewer than 3 outside academic sources (books, journal articles, government web sites/documents were used.

Statements made are not well supported with reference to the text; fewer than 2 outside academic sources (books, journal articles, government web site/documents were used.

10 Points

Appropriate APA Format Style

Product includes summarized or paraphrased comments in the student’s own words, and clearly demonstrate the student’s comprehension of the assignment. Use of direct quotation(s) are minimal and when used are correctly cited following APA writing style.

Product includes summarized or paraphrased comments in the student’s own words and indicates the student’s general understanding of the question. Use of direct quotation(s) are frequent and when used are mostly correctly cited following APA writing style.

Product does not include summarized or paraphrased comments in the student’s own words. There is some indication of the student’s basic understanding of the question. Use of direct quotation(s) are excessive. Inconsistent correct application of APA writing style.

Excessive use of direct quotations (over 20% of total assignment) with or without citing the source, the author, or correct use of the APA writing style.

10 Points

 

 

 

 

 

50 Points