CJ 320 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

The final project for this course is a state corrections analysis that will require you to review the system in a state of your choice and draw connections between that state’s corrections system and that of the greater United States. You will draw connections between major U.S. milestones in approaches to corrections and your chosen state’s function and organization. You will also review the laws that have established corrections procedures, practices, and prisoner rights and review prevalent trends and challenges facing corrections in the United States. A criminal justice professional must have a thorough understanding of the organization, purpose, and philosophies of corrections systems to successfully navigate these systems.

Throughout this course, you will trace the history of U.S. corrections, analyze the theoretical and philosophical foundations of U.S. corrections practices, and explore the legal and ethical obligations and rights of offenders, families, and corrections professionals. Your final project will require you to put that new knowledge to use as you analyze the corrections system in a state of your choice and reflect on the ethical obligations of a corrections professional. To do this, you will chose a state and analyze the organization, prevalent practices, and population trends of that state’s corrections system. You will then relate the practices and trends of your chosen state’s system with larger U.S. corrections practices. You will need to perform some research on your own.

The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at different points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure a quality final submission. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final project will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

• Trace the evolution of American corrections over time by explaining the major legal milestones that have impacted correctional systems and their functions
• Analyze various ideologies for punishment used in the United States for their differences and theoretical underpinnings
• Analyze prevalent trends and challenges facing U.S. corrections systems for their impact on facility operations and management of offenders
• Explain the ethical considerations and legal boundaries of corrections professionals regarding exchanges with offenders and families

Prompt

How does the corrections system in your chosen state reflect the historical and current trends, challenges, and ideologies that have developed in U.S. corrections?

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

1. U.S. Corrections: In this section, you will introduce your paper, explaining how the paper will progress and answering the following questions about the history of corrections in the United States:
   1. Corrections Background: Define American corrections, including its importance, purpose, and the overall organization of the federal corrections system in the United States today.
   2. Major Legal Milestones: Discuss in general terms three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system, explaining how each milestone helped form the system we see today.
   3. Ideologies of Punishment: Describe the major ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, focusing in on their key differences. In other words, what are the major philosophies of corrections that have been used in the United States, and how are they different from one another?
   4. Theoretical Underpinnings: Describe the theoretical basis of each of the major ideologies for punishment and discuss which ideology (or ideologies) you think would best fit the U.S. corrections system today. How so?
   5. Influence on the System: Determine the influence of the law, and the influence of the ideologies for punishment, on the U.S. corrections system and its overall function as they relate to each other. In other words, how have the major legal milestones and the different ideologies for punishment influenced each other, and in turn, today’s system? Use information from the course and examples to support your conclusions.
2. State Analysis: In this section, you will focus in on your selected state’s corrections system, philosophies, and populations. This section will inform the next section of your analysis, in which you will draw connections between your chosen state and the U.S. corrections system as a whole.
   1. State Organization: Analyze the organization of your chosen state’s corrections system, its facilities, and its associated programs to discern its overall function. How do the various pieces work together in your chosen state?
   2. State Ideology: Determine which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds based on your analysis of its function. In other words, what does the system’s organization and function say about what ideology for punishment the state most closely identifies with? Explain.
   3. Corrections Populations: Analyze the demographic information of the corrections populations in your chosen state. Specifically, list out the demographic information for important populations in the state’s system, such as parolees, inmates, and corrections officers, and then explain any patterns you see in the information.
3. State Patterns and American Trends: In this section, consider the organization, function, and populations in your chosen state’s corrections system and relate it to the overall trends facing corrections in the United States.
   1. Population Trends: Draw connections between the demographic patterns you discerned in the previous section and trends occurring in corrections populations across the United States. How do the demographic patterns you discussed in the previous section reflect population trends in corrections systems across the United States?
   2. Management of Offenders: How might these trends relate to the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal corrections facilities? Explain.
4. Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: In this section, apply the previous sections of your analysis to considerations of the ethical and legal responsibilities of corrections professionals.
   1. Ethical Considerations: Reflecting on the population trends you discussed earlier and considering your own ethical beliefs, explain how your knowledge of corrections populations might influence how you, as a corrections professional, would interact with offenders and their families.
   2. Legal Boundaries: Describe the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families based on what you have learned in this course.
   3. Conclusions: Summarize the key points of your analysis and discuss how your analysis of your chosen state’s system and the corrections system in the larger United States has influenced your view of the role and evolution of corrections, the importance of adhering to legal and ethical boundaries, and your future as a corrections professional.

Milestones

Milestone One: Sentencing and Demographics of Offenders in Your State
In Module Three, you will practice valuable research skills to analyze available data. In addition, this milestone will directly assist you with completing part of Section II (especially Section IIC) of your final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Incarceration Alternatives and Successful Reentry
In Module Five, you will once again practice your research skills. What alternatives to incarceration exist in your selected state and how is the state assisting offenders to make the transition back into the community? This milestone will give you a start on Sections IC, ID, IIA, IIB, and IIIB of the final project. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Final Submission: State Corrections Analysis
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

What to Submit

Your state corrections analysis must be 5 to 7 pages in length (in addition to a cover page and references) and must be written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.

AI Usage

If you use gen AI tools to support your work on this assignment, be sure to follow these AI usage guidelines. You must acknowledge your use of these tools in your work. Guidelines on how to cite AI tools can be found in this Shapiro Library guide.

Final Project Rubric

Criteria	Exceeds Expectations (100%)	Meets Expectations (85%)	Partially Meets Expectations (55%)	Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)	Value
U.S. Corrections: Corrections Background	Exceeds expectations and detail shows a thorough grasp of the American corrections system and its role today	Accurately defines corrections with specific detail regarding the purpose, importance, and general organization of the U.S. federal system	Defines corrections, but there are inaccuracies or a lack of specific detail regarding the purpose, importance, or organization of the U.S. system	Does not define corrections	7.91
U.S. Corrections: Major Legal Milestones	Exceeds expectations and selection and explanation of major milestones reveals a thorough knowledge of key legal events that played a large role in the evolution of American corrections	Describes three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system and accurately explains how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system	Describes three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system, explaining how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system, but there are inaccuracies	Does not describe three major legal milestones that have influenced the U.S. corrections system or explain how each milestone helped form today’s correctional system	7.91
U.S. Corrections: Ideologies of Punishment	Exceeds expectations and description of key differences shows a thorough differentiation of the ideologies as used in the United States	Accurately describes the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, focusing on key differences	Describes the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States, but inaccurately or without detail regarding key differences	Does not describe the ideologies for punishment that have been used in the United States	7.91
U.S. Corrections: Theoretical Underpinnings	Exceeds expectations and determination of which ideologies would best fit today’s systems shows a sophisticated analysis and philosophical knowledge of the ideologies	Accurately describes the theoretical basis of each of the ideologies and discusses which would best fit today’s system, providing support	Describes the theoretical basis for each of the ideologies, discussing which would best fit today’s system, but there is a lack of accuracy or support	Does not describe the theoretical basis for each of the ideologies or discuss which would best fit today’s system	7.91
U.S. Corrections: Influence on the System	Exceeds expectations and examples show thorough understanding of how specific laws and ideologies have influenced the system to make it what it is today	Determines the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the U.S. corrections system with supporting information and examples	Determines the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the U.S. system, but there is a lack of supporting explanations	Does not determine the influence of law and ideologies for punishment on each other and on the system	7.92
State Analysis: State Organization	Exceeds expectations and explanation of the overall function effectively shows how offender management and facility operations fit within the system	Accurately analyzes the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs to discern its overall function	Analyzes the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs, but analysis is inaccurate or lacks detail regarding the overall function	Does not analyze the organization of the state’s corrections system, its facilities, and associated programs	5.94
State Analysis: State Ideology	Exceeds expectations and explanation shows thorough differentiation of the ideologies based on how they have been applied in a state system	Determines with accurate, supportive explanation which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds based on analysis of overall corrections organization and function	Determines which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds, but determination is not based on analysis of overall corrections organization and function, or explanation is not supported or not accurate	Does not determine which ideology (or ideologies) for punishment the state holds	7.92
State Analysis: Corrections Populations	Exceeds expectations and discerned patterns are particularly insightful or meaningful	Accurately analyzes the demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns	Analyzes the demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns, but there are inaccuracies	Does not analyze demographic information of the corrections populations in the state for patterns	5.93
State Patterns and American Trends: Population Trends	Exceeds expectations and connections drawn are particularly strong or insightful	Draws accurate connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends	Draws connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends, but there are inaccuracies	Does not draw connections between demographic patterns at the state level and U.S. trends	5.93
State Patterns and American Trends: Management of Offenders	Exceeds expectations and explanation of potential future impacts of the trends shows keen insight regarding management of offenders and facility operation	Accurately and logically explains how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities	Explains how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities, but with gaps in accuracy or logic	Does not explain how the identified patterns and trends impact and will impact the management of offenders and the operation of state and federal facilities	5.94
Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Ethical Considerations	Exceeds expectations and explanation shows deep consideration of ethical responsibilities	Explains how knowledge of corrections populations may impact interactions with offenders and their families, with detail regarding personal ethical beliefs	Explains how knowledge of corrections populations may impacts interactions with offenders and their families, but description of personal ethical beliefs lacks detail	Does not explain how knowledge of corrections populations may impact interactions with offenders and families	7.91
Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Legal Boundaries	Exceeds expectations and description shows thorough consideration of the legal boundaries of a correctional professional	Accurately describes the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families	Describes the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and their families, but description is not accurately based on course materials	Does not describe the importance of legal boundaries regarding a correctional professional’s interactions with offenders and families	7.91
Law, Ethics, and Conclusions: Conclusions	Exceeds expectations and discussion shows a well-rounded, ethically sound perspective on the U.S. corrections system	Discusses how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional, using summary of key points as basis for explanation	Discusses how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional, but discussion lacks necessary detail or does not use summary of key points as basis for explanation	Does not discuss how the analysis has influenced personal view of the role and evolution of corrections, importance of legal and ethical bounds, and future as a corrections professional	7.92
Clear Communication	Exceeds expectations with an intentional use of language that promotes a thorough understanding	Consistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audience	Shows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understanding	Shows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication	5.04
Total:

his assessment is designed to highlight the role you play in high-quality, safe patient care on a daily basis.

The Scenario

In an effort to continuously improve quality and safety, your manager has asked you to share one example of patient care from your experience. Your and other team members’ submissions will be used to help facilitate an upcoming training.

In a 700-word case study, address the following:

Identify a patient care case from your own practice experience that involves quality and safety, or use a case that has received media attention or one from the textbook. Summarize the situation. Describe your (or the nurse’s) role in the patient care situation. Explain the role the patient played in their own quality- or safety-related situation. Evaluate the relationship between the patient’s care and the outcome. Identify how the care environment affected the situation, including the nurse or provider, the patient, and the outcome. Determine whether a quality model was employed. If yes, identify and explain it. If not, identify one that could have improved the situation. Explain what actions you might take to improve the outcome or prevent an adverse outcome in the future. Cite at least 3 peer-reviewed articles as references.

patient case, including all relevant information: the patient’s history, assessment findings, medications, any pertinent testing, presenting symptoms, and the final diagnosis (ensure patient confidentiality). Compare Treatment Plans:

Describe your preceptor’s recommended treatment plan and interventions. Explain the alternative treatment plan you would have recommended as a nurse practitioner based upon Clinical Practice Guidelines and Standards of Care. Justify Your Approach:

Use evidence-based guidelines, clinical research, and relevant literature to support your alternative plan. Discuss why you believe your approach would be effective, considering the patient’s history, condition, and individual needs. Reflect on Differences: Analyze the differences between your plan and your preceptor’s. Consider factors such as clinical experience, knowledge, patient-centered care, and the influence of evidence-based practice in decision-making. Lessons Learned:

Reflect on how this experience has influenced your clinical practice and approach to treatment planning. Discuss how you can apply what you learned to future patient care. How might you approach another provider professionally in the future when you find treatment plans differing during collaboration on the patient case?

HRM 630 Journal Guidelines and Rubric Approach these Journal activities as an opportunity to reflect upon and apply what you learn each week based on the assigned readings, discussions, and activities. They are also an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise based on your educational and professional experiences in the past. As a successful professional, you will need good reflective and writing skills. Journal activities offer you the opportunity to further develop these skills. The journal assignments in this course are graded separately. As you read through the material, consider how diversity, equity, and inclusion may be part of the concepts. Ensure that you read through the journal rubric so that you are not missing any of the required elements.

What to Submit Submit assignment as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Journals are informal documents and written in the first person. You do not need a cover sheet. You will need to cite resources for any information that you find on websites or in articles or books. Sources should be cited according to APA style.

JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

Review the article “Strategy Execution and Sustainability: Using the Baldrige Leadership Model to Overcome Evasive Organizational Challenges” in the Reading and Resources section. Then discuss the leadership component of healthcare quality.

patient case, including all relevant information: the patient’s history, assessment findings, medications, any pertinent testing, presenting symptoms, and the final diagnosis (ensure patient confidentiality). Compare Treatment Plans:

Describe your preceptor’s recommended treatment plan and interventions. Explain the alternative treatment plan you would have recommended as a nurse practitioner based upon Clinical Practice Guidelines and Standards of Care. Justify Your Approach:

Use evidence-based guidelines, clinical research, and relevant literature to support your alternative plan. Discuss why you believe your approach would be effective, considering the patient’s history, condition, and individual needs. Reflect on Differences: Analyze the differences between your plan and your preceptor’s. Consider factors such as clinical experience, knowledge, patient-centered care, and the influence of evidence-based practice in decision-making. Lessons Learned:

Reflect on how this experience has influenced your clinical practice and approach to treatment planning. Discuss how you can apply what you learned to future patient care. How might you approach another provider professionally in the future when you find treatment plans differing during collaboration on the patient case?

HRM 630 Journal Guidelines and Rubric Approach these Journal activities as an opportunity to reflect upon and apply what you learn each week based on the assigned readings, discussions, and activities. They are also an opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise based on your educational and professional experiences in the past. As a successful professional, you will need good reflective and writing skills. Journal activities offer you the opportunity to further develop these skills. The journal assignments in this course are graded separately. As you read through the material, consider how diversity, equity, and inclusion may be part of the concepts. Ensure that you read through the journal rubric so that you are not missing any of the required elements.

What to Submit Submit assignment as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Journals are informal documents and written in the first person. You do not need a cover sheet. You will need to cite resources for any information that you find on websites or in articles or books. Sources should be cited according to APA style.

JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

Review the article “Strategy Execution and Sustainability: Using the Baldrige Leadership Model to Overcome Evasive Organizational Challenges” in the Reading and Resources section. Then discuss the leadership component of healthcare quality.

Academic Experts

24 Apr 2026 • 2 min read

Assignment 6: Analyzing Global Health Data, based on specific indicators and its implications

Global health indicators provide a comprehensive perspective on the state of health and well-being in populations worldwide. They are vital metrics used to monitor progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations (UN) and are widely adopted by global health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) (World Bank, 2020). Examples of these indicators encompass maternal mortality rate, child mortality rate, prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and prevalence of malaria, among others.

The public availability of these data allows for critical examination and analysis to inform health interventions, policy-making, and funding decisions. The process of data analysis involves the collection, processing, and interpretation of data, typically supported by software tools like Excel, SPSS, or Stata (Dahlgren, 2018). Creating data visualizations is a key aspect of data communication, aiding in translating complex data into understandable and actionable information (Munzner, 2019).

The implications of these findings can be profound, informing strategies for tackling health disparities and guiding global health interventions. Understanding these indicators’ current state and trends is pivotal for achieving health equity on a global scale.

References:

• Dahlgren, G. (2018). Public health data: A practical guide for the use of quantitative health data in public health. Epidemiology and Public Health.
• Munzner, T. (2019). Visualization analysis and design. CRC press.
• World Bank. (2020). World development indicators. The World Bank.

Instructions

In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to collect, process, and analyze publicly available global health data related to a specific global health indicator. You will be required to create at least one data visualization and present your findings in a 3-page paper.

• Choose a specific global health indicator from the World Health Organization (WHO) or the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that interests you. Examples of global health indicators include maternal mortality rate, child mortality rate, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of malaria, etc.
• Collect publicly available data related to the selected global health indicator from reputable sources such as WHO, UN, or other credible data sources.
• Process and analyze the collected data using appropriate quantitative methods and techniques. You are encouraged to use data analysis software such as Excel, SPSS, Stata, or other data analysis tools to support your analysis.
• Create at least one data visualization to present your findings. The visualization could be a chart, graph, table, map, timeline, or other relevant visual representation that effectively communicates your data analysis results.

Write a 3-page paper describing your findings. Your paper should include:

• A brief introduction of the selected global health indicator and its significance
• Description of the data collection, processing, and analysis methods
• Presentation of the data visualization(s) with relevant analysis and interpretation
• Discussion of the implications of the findings and how they could inform global health interventions
• Conclusion summary

Grading

This assignment must be 3 pages (excluding the title and reference page).

References: Include 3 scholarly resources.

Discussion Topic: Module 8: Medical Social Work’s Role in Public Health (graded)Module 8: Medical Social Work’s Role in Public Health (graded)

Module 8Medical Social Work’s Role in Public Health Discussion Purpose

Discussion Prompt Critically reflect on the content of this module as it relates to public health, and discuss your thoughts and ideas related to medical social work practice within a public health setting.

Review the Discussion grading rubric by clicking on the ellipsis (3 dots) on top right corner of this page.

 

Textbooks and Resources Required Textbooks The following books are required for this course:

Title: Publication Manual of the American Psychological AssociationAuthors: American Psychological AssociationPublisher: American Psychological Association (APA)Publication Date: 2019-10-01Edition: 7thAPA Citation

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.

Title: Social Work in Health SettingsPractice in ContextAuthors: McCoyd, J. & Kerson, T.Publisher: RoutledgePublication Date: 2016Edition: 4thAPA Citation

McCoyd, J. & Kerson, T. (2016). Social work in health settings: Practice in context (4th ed.). Routledge.

This textbook is is not available through the Bookstore and must be purchased from a third party vendor.

Textbooks available through publishers other than Cengage may be available as eBooks through Vital Source. Please review this information for details

RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS.  Demonstrate more depth and thought than saying things like “I agree” or “You are wrong.” Guidance is provided for you in the discussion prompt.

Rosie Post

 

y name is Rosie Delgado. I am a student of the MHA program and work in community health where I see first-hand how quality relates to the patient experience. I am interested in how quality improvement can improve health care.

I have read through the “Six Domains of Healthcare Quality” (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2022) and patient centered care would be the most advantageous domain overall for an organization. According to the Institute of Medicine, patient centered care is “providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions” (Six Domains of Healthcare Quality, 2025). I feel this domain is important because it speaks to the inherent subjectivity of quality that we have discussed in our module: one person’s quality care may be quite different from another. By considering the patient’s perspective first, an organization can tailor all its processes, down to appointment scheduling and treatment decision making, to the patient’s needs.

Patient centeredness is also a tool to improve the other five domains. By routinely engaging patients in decision making, for example, clinicians decrease the risk of unnecessary care, which also improves efficiency and safety (AHRQ, 2022). This is especially critical in the era of rapidly increasing health care spending. As far back as 1980 the U.S. Office of the Inspector General foresaw the unsustainability of healthcare spending (U.S. Office of the Inspector General, 1980); this is now a reality and is only exacerbated by wasteful care. What’s more, Khan and Khan (2004) highlight that quality management requires a customer focused culture, in which improvements are based on meeting patient needs. When patient centeredness becomes a core concept for an organization, it automatically enhances effectiveness (by providing evidence based care that meets patient preferences), timeliness (by removing delays that annoy patients) and equity (by considering consumer needs of diverse populations).

So patient centered care is not merely one domain of quality, but the key element that makes all of the other domains meaningful. I would be interested to hear what others thought.

Jenna post

 

My name is Jenna. I’m currently finishing my MBA while working as a Business Manager at a pediatric hospital in Cincinnati, where I support research and global health initiatives. My background is in accounting, so I tend to think analytically, but this program has helped me grow more strategically. I also recently became a mom, which has given me a new perspective on healthcare from the patient side.

Of the six domains, I believe efficiency would be the most beneficial to an organization as a whole. In my role, I see how inefficient processes can lead to delays, increased costs, and frustration for both staff and patients. Improving efficiency is not just about cutting costs, but about reducing waste in time, resources, and workflows so that more effort can be focused on delivering quality patient care.

Efficiency also supports other domains like timeliness and patient-centered care by improving access and the overall patient experience. From an organizational perspective, it is critical for long-term sustainability, as healthcare systems must balance high-quality care with financial pressures. Overall, I see efficiency as a key driver that can positively impact performance across the entire system.