Project 2 - Describe the components of the United States

7-1 Proj 2

Competency

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competencies:

• Describe the components of the United States justice system and how they are interrelated
• Explain how various types of communication skills are utilized by sworn and civilian criminal justice professionals

Scenario

You are a community outreach coordinator at your local law enforcement agency. The department has undertaken an initiative to reach out to diverse populations in your community. There is always a need in your community for support toward becoming a citizen; numerous recent immigrants, resident aliens, and documented immigrants could benefit from a outreach materials that explain how the criminal justice system works in the United States. You have been given the task of creating outreach materials for this initiative. The materials you’ll create for this project are specific to the three main components of the U.S. justice system and how they work together.

Directions

Initiative Materials
Your initiative needs professional materials to support it. Create one or more relevant products that address all of the required elements:

1. Explain how law enforcement functions. Answer the following:
   • What are the different law enforcement agencies at different levels?
   • What are the jurisdictions of different levels of law enforcement for various types of agencies?
   • How do law enforcement officers apply discretion?
2. Explain how the court systems function. Answer the following:
   • What are the different court systems in the United States?
   • What are the jurisdictions of the different court systems in the United States?
   • How might a case progress through the courts?
     1. Include different possibilities (e.g., plea bargain, adjudication, appeals)
3. Explain how the corrections system functions. Answer the following:
   • How do the different operating methods of corrections systems in the United States function? Address the following operating methods:
     1. Public vs. private
     2. Local, state, federal
   • What are the jurisdictions of the different corrections systems in the United States?
   • How can professionals in corrections apply discretion?
4. Explain how the components of the criminal justice system function together. Answer the following:
   • How do the components fit together chronologically?
5. Explain how the three components of the criminal justice system use technology to promote transparency with the public.

What to Submit

To complete this project, you must submit the following:

Initiative Materials
For this initiative, choose the format that works best for you. Please note there is no requirement related to the way you show your knowledge, as long as you meet the rubric requirements by following the directions.

We have created the following optional template to aid you in completing this project: