Given a constrained budget, should the State focus on detection of crime before it happens through risk strategies, or on social interventions that reduce inequalities which are often the pathway into the criminal justice system and prison?

Task: Essay Plan

Due date: Monday, 26 August 2024 (BEFORE 8:00pm) 

Length: 300 words (up to 600 accepted)

Question:

Given a constrained budget, should the State focus on detection of crime before it happens through risk strategies, or on social interventions that reduce inequalities which are often the pathway into the criminal justice system and prison? Justify your argument through examples of the types of strategies or social interventions that should be used.

Plan your essay format:

1. Argument: In no more than two sentences, explain your answer to the essay question. Every essay should contain an argument or contention, which is your informed response to the essay question. This is differentiated from an opinion because it is coherent and reasonable, and can be substantiated by theory and empirical evidence.
2. Choose your theories/conceptual framework and write no more than two sentences to explain how your chosen framework will make sense of and substantiate your topic.
3. Choose factual examples or evidence (where applicable) comprised of statistics or case studies etc. List your sources.
4. Essay plan: You should present a paragraph-by-paragraph plan of your research essay (see below structure).

5. Resources: No fewer than 6 academic sources (books, chapters, journal articles) that you will use in the essay. After each source, include a sentence explaining why it is useful for your essay.