All students will submit a final project no later than the last day of the term. The project should focus on a specific type of crime, such as: Urban gang violence; domestic violence; terrorism; heroin use; the manufacture of methamphetamines (i.e. “meth labs”); animal abuse; drunk driving; human trafficking; mortgage fraud. (If you have an idea for a different type of crime, write to your professor for approval before proceeding.) Proceed as follows: 1) Conduct a literature review to describe the nature and extent of your selected crime. 2) Analyze your selected crime from the vantage point of the following three paradigms: Classical, positivist, and critical. How would each perspective explain your crime, and how would they suggest addressing it? 3) Of the three paradigms, which do you think provides the best explanation of your crime? Explain your answer. 4) Finally, design a comprehensive plan for reducing crime from your selected paradigm. Be sure to apply specific theories and theoretical concepts in your design. For example, if you select the classical perspective, you might apply routine activities theory, situational crime prevention, and/or broken windows, and so on. Completed papers should be approximately 15-20 pages in length, not counting title page and reference list. All information must be drawn from government reports and/or academic/scholarly/professional books or journals, with a minimum of ten (10) high-quality sources required.
