Done

Like all my other class mates I suggest to start early on the research project. It is extremely time consuming. I suggest selecting a topic as soon as possible, that way you can start your research early. When doing the article critiques select an article that relates to your topic. This step helped me out by giving me some background on my topic. I did my research paper on gang prevention. I looked the effectiveness of school based programs such as GREAT, which aim to limit gang membership. I also looked at how police supervision has lowered gang activity.

What I really found helpful was the Social Control Theory by Travis Hirschi. The book is available at the school library. Understanding why adolescents join gangs is a key to stopping gang membership among them. The social control theory goes in depth with reasons why one can seek a gang.

 Hirschi, T. (1969). Causes of delinquency. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Small Steps

The biggest advice for doing this paper is starting early. Begin by reading a few books and articles. Determine what direction you want to take on your topic if you haven't already. Look in the index for key words related to your topic and read those sections. Looking for articles might be easier if you use some of the key words you looked up in the index. As you read place tabs on pages with information and take notes. Cite as you go will save you so much time. Start as soon as you have some information. Don't tell yourself you'll start once you have more information because you'll just procrastinate. Write it by sections so it doesn't seem as overwhelming. Make an appointment for the UWC more than a  week before your deadline. Visit Professor Hicks to get the best feedback.


If I would have to do this assignment again, I would change some things. I would make an appointment  at the UWC ahead of time.Sometimes it's really busy, so waiting can waste your time (especially if you have a busy schedule). I would stick more to my deadlines and specify sections I should have written by that date. I would take better notes because I wasted time checking my sources. 

I researched juvenile delinquency and the influence of family. I wanted to know how much parents influence a child's to engage in delinquency. I looked at factors of the parent-child relationship, like discipline, discord, family structure, affection, and support. I had many sources. But, I consider the following sources the most useful:

Farrington, D. P. & Welsh, B. C. (2007). Saving children from a life of crime: Early risk factors and effective interventions.


Flowers, R. B. (2009). The adolescent criminal: an examination of today’s juvenile offender.
Shoemaker, D. J.
Theories of delinquency: An examination of explanations of delinquent behavior.
Juvenile delinquency.
The previous are books found in the CSULA library.


Sokol-Katz, J., Dunham R. & Zimmerman, R. (1997). Family structure versus parental attachment in controlling adolescent deviant behavior: A social control model. Retrieved from http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=?did=11591348&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientId=17855&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Woops

Wow......

I cannot believe I made it to the end. First off I have to say that this class is the hardest class I have take so far. In this class I wrote a lot, I have never written so much for a class. I do have to say that in the end it was worth all the trouble. I learned so much in this class and was pushed so hard in writing the twelve pages for our main research paper which is our lit review. I never thought I would ever learn how to write an APA paper but since I took this class I think I could write one again. My advice for all those who want to take this class to start your lit review paper as soon as you learn about it. I regret not starting as soon as possible, I've always been a procrastinator and I started researching for my paper until the fourth week. I do think that you should take this class because I think this is the best class to take for a CRIM 301 class. I have no regrets now that I've finished and I am happy to have taken this class, I learned so much; and I will never forget the lit review I'm sure it will haunt my nightmares for a very long time.

I'm so glad It's over!!!!

Finally I’ll be able to enjoy a weekend. First of all, I was to say that this is the hardest class I have ever taken. If you are the type of person that like missing class, fails to due some assignments, and does not pay attention during class, then run while you can because this is not the class for you. If I had a chance to go back in time there are a few things I would have done differently with this class. One of them is allowing me enough time to complete my assignments in a timely manner. Especially, with the literature review that this class requires us to complete. A literature review is a very time consuming assignment and that is why I HIGHLY recommend to start on it the second week of class. I regret not starting on it during the 5th/6th week. Since I waited until the last week, I was pressure and stressed out to finish my lit review in a timely manner. My only advice for this class is to not start on time… but to start before. That way you will be able to at least enjoy a bit more this class. My topic for my lit review was Juvenile Recidivism and the Factors that contribute them to re-offend.  While looking for articles and book, I came across a very helpful article. If your topic has to do with factors of recidivism I recommend Shane Jimerson’s study, The Santa Barbara Assets and Risks Assessment to Predict Recidivism Among Male and Female Juveniles: An Investigation of Inter-rater Reliability and Predictive Validity. In regards to book I recommend you skim through this book by Bartollas, C. titled, Juvenile Justice In America 3rd edition. With that said, I am glad I took this class, but I’m also glad that our professor made the class fun. I learned so much and I do not regret taking this class -Martha

Is it over yet!?

To all the future students that might take this class when you look at the syllabus you might be thinking "no way" this is too much work. I will say this, the workload is high but it can be done, enough time is given for each assignment. Start EARLY I stress that a lot for every assignment you do start early. Everything you do has it's purpose as the quarter progresses. I guarantee to the future students that stick to the class you will feel rewarded and can pat yourself on the back.

Now for the research paper it's the biggest assignment you will do in the class. I will tell you all now, don't think you can leave it till the last week of class and get it done because it takes time and research. Take advantage of the available sources like the librarians help, the writing center and the instructors help because she will answer all your questions. My topic was on Child Abuse and Juvenile Delinquency. Rather than give you sources because it's rather easy to search through proquest anyways, I will instead suggest you take a counseling or child development class that deals with child abuse because it will be very helpful since you can use all that information for your paper.

Once again, start early, procrastination is your enemy, and have fun!

START EARLY!

Writing a lit review was something, I thought I couldn’t Handel! Hey but I did it! I can be done and it is not a bad as it sounds. Prof Hicks goes “bird by bird” in explaining it. My advice would be the same as my fellow classmate, start early. It takes time and a lot of research and reading.  But start early and you won’t feel so stressed. I wish I would have picked my topic earlier and started right way.

My topic I was on juvenile delinquency and this coloration to education.  The information I found was great but not too much. A useful source would be a journal article http://mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=i3h&AN=63558922&site=ehost-live

PLAN AHEAD it will prevent you from loosing it...

I encourage you to find a topic that you are most interested in relating to criminal justice, this will allow you to be motivated in your writing process. Also plan ahead that way you will have enough time to research your topic and make corrections on your paper. Since this is a 10-12 page literature review it is important to do this step by step it will be worth it. Don't try to do it all at once because it is impossible. Also visit the writing center, library, and email the professor as much as you can, They are there to HELP YOU. Finally, I suggest you follow the guidelines in order to successfully do well in the course. There is a lot of writing involved, but don't be scared it can be done. I wish I would have chosen my topic earlier on in the course, that way I could have done more research. By getting a head start and knowing what you will be writing about will make it less stressful.

The topic for my literature review was What theories explain the causes for Juvenile Delinquency, and what preventive  programs are there in order to rehabilitate. The source that I found most helpful was the book tittled Juvenile Delinquency and Justice Sociological Perspectives. By Ronald J. Berger and Paul D. Gregory found on the campus library.

it's over

The final literature review was a new experience, however jenni does a great job explaining the process of writing it. The best adivice for the lit review is to get started as soon as possible. If you have any topics in mind start looking for information, that way you can ask questions during your writing process. My topic for the lit review was prison education programs and its effect on reducing recidivism. There is a lot of information on the CSULA database and in the library. A very helpful source that I used was Ubah’s and Robinson’s article named, A grounded look at the debate over prison-based education: Optimistic theory versus pessimistic worldview. Best advice is to use your time wisely and take advantage of resources that we have at school.

I'll Have Another!

1. This literature review research paper can be a bit intimidating at first. Once you receive your guidelines to this paper your first thoughts will be, "What did I get myself into?!" Don't worry, this isn't as bad as it seems. I advice to start on this paper early and start researching day by day. The researching is time consuming, so I would recommend to start on this once you know what your topic will be. Once you get all the research done, the paper starts to put itself together. Ten pages can seem a lot, but once you have enough research, the problem becomes shortening what you want to put in your paper and what's important. I do wish that I would have had a little more time to proofread a couple more times. I also would have liked to work on the paper a lot more consistently because I would have to read information over and over because I forgot what I read a couple days back. Everyone feels that they can do better.

2. My topic was Organized Crime. I wanted to answer the question, how has law enforcement approached organized crime throughout the years? One source that I felt was extremely useful was Lyman, D. Michael. & Potter, W. Gary. 2007. Theories of Organized Criminal. These sources can be difficult to find, so I recommend using the library portal to find journals. I also recommend using books. I found that books had a lot of useful information that was not posted in the internet. I would start by searching google to get some brief information on your topic, then go to the library portal to find peer reviewed information. 

Well now we can all breath and celebrate the summer!!

One step at a time....

When I first entered the door of my crime 301 class I thought I was going to see a lot of students but they class size was smaller then expected. Through my journey through this class I found out a lot of things that made me understand what this course is about. This class is to reach you how to write in criminal justice. For instance, you will have to do a research paper. Which I advice you to start thinking of a topic and searching for you information as soon as possible, because before you know it your paper will be do and you might feel a little rushed to get it turned in on time. Knowing what I know I would have planned my paper out a little differently. Giving me more time to get the best information on my topic.

    The topic I did my research paper on was Incarcerated Mothers. The question I attend to answer was "How have programs to deal with pregnant women in prison changed over time, what are the outcomes of these programs , and what should  be changed in the future". One of the source that I felt was real useful this time topic was "Intergenerational transmission of attachment for infants raised in a

prison nursery" by: M.W. Byrnea*, L.S. Goshina and S.

Website:http: //mimas.calstatela.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.mimas.calstatela.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=51743136&site=ehost-live

Finally I Could BREATHE!

At this point, I don't know what makes me more happy! That I finally finish this paper or that I could finally BREATHE?

BEST PIECE OF ADVISE: Make sure that when you take this class your ready for the work load.  Since Day 1 you will be expected to complete various assignments and start thinking about your research topic. PLEASE don't wait till the last minute!  Since the beginning, when the teacher would tell us to start thinking about our research topic I would always try to put it behind me. Why? Because I though that it would be like any other research paper. Easy. I THOUGHT WRONG! This paper consists of choosing a research topic where you would be expected to deeply analyze your research material and be able to bring in all the resources you found and put them together into a Literature Review.
My topic was on the effectives of education that juvenile delinquents receive while incarcerated.
I had the advantage of writing my topic based on the environment that I experience on a daily basis.
If any one is interested in writing about this topic make sure to stop by the library and check out the book Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Practice and Theory written by Steven M. Cox and John J. Conrad.  This book is beyond helpful because it will go into further discussion about the different areas in a juvenile delinquent life's.  Most importantly, it contains important theories that are based on the topic.
I could seriously say this has been the best writing class ever.  Even though it was quite challenging and consisted of A LOT of work it helped me improve my writing skills.  If you want to do so too, TAKE Ms. Hicks. She is very helpful.  She will immediately reply to your email and is willing to help at all times.

I've Lost My Mojo

Well that was horrible...I started off the first half of the quarter at a good pace, then BAM! as soon as we got into research territory I lost my mojo. I'm so glad I took this class during spring quarter because I'm going to need the whole summer break to recuperate from that. I don't know why it happened because I had my research topic in mind during the second or third week of class! Any who, I suggest you know in which direction you are headed with your topic as soon as you have chosen your topic, that way you don't go around in circles while doing the research (like I did). I also recommend what every one else has already said, start early! Trust me because I am a HUGE life long procrastinator who thought I can write a 12 page research paper in 2 days. Didn't work out too well for me...  
My research paper was on Psychopaths. I focused on what the criminal justice field says about them. And they are basically a thorn in their side because psychopaths have the highest rate of living a criminal life style through out the life span. One source I recommend, if you plan on doing research on this topic, is the book "Understanding Criminal Behavior: Psychosocial approaches to criminality" by David W. Jones. This book has a couple of chapters that talk about psychopathy. It talks about the theories, childhood abuse, and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). You'll know what the PCL-R is if you do research on this topic. I'm too lazy to explain it right now. Well good luck to you if you decide to stick it out and stay in this class. I'm glad I did. It was a class that not only challenged my mind, but also challenged my habits.
-Eliza

cite or die

The first day of class,I was told "if you work 60 hours a week and go to school full time,is this the class for you? Probably not." I never pay attention to these warnings, but this research paper showed me that maybe I should.
This paper was a complete nightmare simply because it was a lit review, which in my opinion, is just a huge summary of other peoples findings. I was brought up doing research papers, so this was an extremely hard adjustment for me. Its not about the "why"as much as it is about the "she said then this person said."
I am in no position to give advise which would apply to EVERYONE, but i can testify what will work for the student who tends to only work when they have one day,or even worse,the morning of, to finish a huge paper.
First, just think of a topic which has a lot of research on it,but isn't as generic as legalizing drugs. Second, second gather your research about two weeks in advance. Not necessarily putting everything in our own words,just,literally copy/paste everything in an appropriate category (i.e. theories go in the theory section,stats go in the findings section,etc.). Read over all the notes so that you may internalize the information,and be able to reiterate what you have found,but in your own,more comprehensive wording. Third,is the actual writing, which has been made semi easy,because all of the information is at hand.
MY paper was on the effects which the juvenile justice system has on juvenile recidivism. There are a few databases to choose from,but the most useful of them all, in regards to this topic, was proquest. To answer this question,i found the key words "juvenile,recidivism,racism" and "juvenile,probation, effects" to conjure up the most useful results.
I personally found this paper extremely hard to accomplish because I am that 60 hour,full time student/ father, with very little time. In my case time management was extremely important. If i were to go about it differently, i would have started the very first day of class.This would have relieved alot of pressure.
Overall, the project taught me a valuable lesson,in concerns to thejuvenile justice system,and showed me a side of it I've never seen.

So glad, it's finally OVER!!

I'm so glad that my research paper is done and over with. Depsite the fact that this class was by far the toughest class I've had, I'm glad that I experienced this level of writing early in criminal justice because it will help me later with future papers for my major. At first I thought I was in and over my head when I found out that I had to write a 10-12 page paper. I told myself, "How am I going to write a 10-12 page paper?" I simply gathered myself together and gathered information and I began writing little by little, which made the paper much easier. I took time on each section but the literature review took the longest out of the whole paper. However, I managed to obtain all the research I needed but there was one book that really helped me with my topic for the paper. The book is called "Health and health care in the Nation's Prison's" and my suggestion to you is look for books instead of journal articles because books are much easier to read and comprehend. Follow the APA format because the professor is very strict on formatting. Good Luck! Future Criminal Justice 301 students!!:)

Tough but helpful criminal justice class

Despite the fact that this class was by far the toughest class I've had, I really enjoyed it. At first I didn't think I would be able to write a 10-12 page paper but by writing a little each day, you really finish quickly. And I'm sure it has been said a lot but really don't procrastinate on the literature review. If you feel like you can't sit and write for long periods of time then write a little each day. This is how I finished with a little time to spare. Another helpful thing was the library. We had to go to the library for class two times and I finally found out how to find a book there. The librarian was also helpful because she shows you how to find articles that may help with the literature review. The topic I chose was the Three Strikes Law. I chose this topic because it seemed interesting and I wanted a topic that not many people would choose. Believe it or not books are more helpful because most of the information I got was from a book Three Strikes And You're Out: Vengeance as a Public Policy. Lastly, don't stress about this class. Nothing good comes from getting stressed out. If you complete all the classwork, you should be fine. Professor Jenny answers her email really quickly so if you have questions don't hesitate to ask. I advise you start thinking of a good topic A.S.A.P. Good luck future CRIM 301 students!

Finally, it is over !

Right off the bat, this class was filled with writing assignments. Although it is beneficial to write on a daily basis, first half of the quarter had an assignment due every other class period. I was accustomed to writing in MLA format and in this class, you are required to write in APA format. My word of advice, stick through this class even though it is filled with writing assignments. Be prepared as well as open minded to learn and absorb the new material presented. I think the most dreadful assignment is the 10-12 page literature review. It may seem easy because it is a review or analysis of the current presented information, but it is time consuming so pick a topic as soon as the professor assigns a due date or brings it up in class.
I did my research on gang prevention, focusing on adolescent teens. I looked into whether in-school programs were more effective as opposed to after school program. I recommend going to the website of www.ojjdp.gov and look up all the programs if you want to get a good idea of what types of programs you want to look into. I chose two programs the Boys and Girls Club and the GREAT program. I would suggest that you look into programs you are familiar with or have heard of before so you dont have to look into new programs.
Lastly, things I would have done differently would probably be picking up the material at a faster rate. In terms of understanding what a literature review is and also be able to write and not get sidetracked. Another thing is that the library trips is very helpful, the librarian that helped us was great help. She teaches you how to look up and narrow your research information. Books are also helpful, dont underestimate books, it may be time consuming to find information, but it can support your research paper and make it a stronger paper.
Stick with the class, dont procrastinate, and good luck to future Crim 301 students !

Research Paper Nightmare

I was really surprised to see only a few students in my Crim 301 class on the first day of school. Now I know why. Since day one, Crim 301 has been a hectic class, simply because we actually do work in there. Look at Crim 301 as another English class in where you write essays and do research papers.  But listen when I say that THIS RESEARCH PAPER IS NOT LIKE OTHER RESARCH PAPERS! The kind of research paper you will be doing is called a literature review. It's about 10-12 pages long, and you will need 8-10 sources. You will learn what a literature review is in class. So don’t waste time. If you really do the research the assignment should not be as hard. Start thinking about a topic as soon as you learn about the assignment, because choosing a topic is one of the hardest parts about the paper. Make sure you completely understand the concept of what a literature review is, because if you don’t you will have a hard time writing it. The one thing I would have done differently would have been to look at books in the first place, because I just wasted my time searching for scholarly journals. In my opinion, books are much better sources, simply because they are easier to read.   

I did my research on domestic violence, which i focused on partner abuse. The question that I asked was What theories explain why domestic violence occurs?  Books really helped me in my research. I would recommend using:

The Truth about Abuse 
Domestic Partner Abuse 
Handbook of Domestic Violence Intervention Strategies
Domestic Violence The Criminal Justice Response  

You can find all of these books in the CSULA library. Asking the criminal justice librarian for help is good, because she knows a lot about finding information for criminal justice research papers. All of the books mentioned above have information that is very helpful. Start with the history of domestic violence and work your way to the present. Look in to how domestic violence was seen before, and how it is handled today. Specially, look at the theories. Most theories are explained in almost all the books because they are part of the history of domestic violence. Good luck!  

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANEEEE

            WE ALL KNOW HOW TEACHERS TRY TO SCARE STUDENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS AND THE GENERAL RESPONSE IS " THE PROFESSOR IS OVER EXAGGERATING", WELL HATE TO BREAK IT BUT NOT FOR THIS CLASS. FROM DAY ONE CRIM 301 REQUIRES STUDENTS FULL ATTENTION AND FOCUS. I WOULD SUGGEST ON EVERY ASSIGNMENT START EARLYYYYYY! THE RESEARCH PAPER IS A MASSIVE PROJECT. TEN TO TWELVE PAGES MIGHT SEEM A LOT BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY VERY SHORT SINCE THE PROJECT REQUIRES TO CRAM IN TEN TO FIFTEEN ARTICLES YOU READ INTO ONE PAPER. THE FIRST ADVICE I WOULD GIVE IS TO START VERY EARLY, SPECIFICALLY ON CHOOSING YOUR TOPIC. SECONDLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DECIDE HOW TO ORGANIZE THE PAPER WHICH WILL BE A CHALLENGE. USE SOURCES, LIKE JENNY, LIBRARY, AND THE WRITING CENTER. ALL THESE SOURCES WILL LEAD TO A BETTER SCORE, GUARANTEED. I WISH I USED THE HELP OF THE LIBRARIAN AND THE WRITING CENTER MUCH MORE THAN I DID. THE LIBRARIAN KNOWS WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT AND WILL HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT ARTICLES AND EVEN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE TOPIC. ALSO TAKE YOUR DRAFTS TO THE WRITING CENTER AND KEEP IMPROVING THE DRAFTS UNTIL THEY LOOK READY.
        I DID MY RESEARCH PAPER ON PRISON EDUCATION. I CONCENTRATED ON HOW PRISON EDUCATION AFFECTS RECIDIVISM RATES. THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE TOPIC AND IT IS VERY INTERESTING. THE LIBRARY WEBSITE HELPED ME FIND THE RIGHT ARTICLES. I STARTED BY LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE LIKE REHABILITATION AND RETRIBUTION CONCEPTS. THOSE LEADS HELPED ME FIND THEORIES ON PRISON EDUCATION. I WOULD SUGGEST TO START WITH THE BIG PICTURE AND NARROW IT DOWN. BY JUST TYPING IN "PRISON EDUCATION" ON THE LIBRARY WEBSITE YOU WILL FIND A TON OF ARTICLES ON STUDIES WHICH WILL BE THE EASY PART OF THE PAPER, BUT THEORIES ARE FOUND BY LOOKING AT REHABILITATION OR RETRIBUTION AND GETTING THE IDEAS FROM THERE. ALL IN ALL USE THE WEBSITE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE SINCE IT FINDS SCHOLARLY ARTICLES AND THOSE THAT ARE EASY TO USE AS YOUR SOURCE. ONE OF THE SOURCES THAT I FOUND WAS BY UBAH AND ROBINSON CALLED " A GROUNDED LOOK AT THE DEBATE OVER PRISON-BASED EDUCATION: OPTIMISTIC THEORY VERSUS PESSIMISTIC WORLDVIEW." THIS SOURCE CAN BE FOUND THROUGH THE CAL STATE LIBRARY. IT DESCRIBES SOME OF THE THEORIES THAT ARE CONNECTED WITH PRISON EDUCATION, AND IN MY OPINION WILL LEAD YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION REGARDING THEORIES ABOUT PRISON EDUCATION.

Oh boy...

Ms. Jenny’s CRIM 301 class challenged me like no other class had before. Her class required a lot of continuous work, and determination that I had not experienced as often as I did in this course. However, I do not regret taking the class at all, because I learned so many new things that I did not know how to do before. For example, I learned how to write a police report, annotated bibliography, and article critiques, which seems like a lot to learn in a quarter, but it was definitely possible. That being said, the most difficult part of this course involved writing a long, and detailed literature review. I started by choosing a topic of my interest, and finding articles related to my topic. You should definitely do this as soon as possible, because procrastinating will most likely result in poor quality work.  I actually did my article critiques based on articles that were related to my literature review topic, so it made the writing process a bit easier since I had learned about the subject more in-depth prior to starting my paper. I would recommend you to choose a topic that REALLY interests you, because then the assignment will not seem so tedious or unappealing to you. I would definitely recommend that future students start a few weeks before (even months, if possible) by going “bird by bird” as Ms. Jenny said. In other words, I recommend you start doing a little each day, and going section by section (theories, theorists, studies, etc.) without attempting to do everything at once like I did. To be honest, I gathered the most important information relevant to my topic all at once, and I tried to write a little bit in each section. I then went back to each section (days later), and tried to further expand it. However, by doing that I forgot a lot of the details I wanted to include in each of the different sections so I had to reread the articles/books again, which was double the work. If I knew that was going to happen, I would have done section by section since the beginning, which would have saved me a lot of time.

                My literature review topic focused on the risk factors, and causes of suicide among women in prison. I found the following article in the school’s Criminal Justice article database, and it was very helpful because it contained a lot of the information I was looking for. I found the article by searching for keywords such as: prison/jail, women/female inmates, incarcerated women, suicide in prison. You can also search in Google by pasting the article’s DOI, which should find the article very quickly for you. I tried it & it worked!

Charles, D. R., Abram, K. M., Mcclelland, G. M., & Teplin, L. A. (2003). Suicidal ideation and behavior among women in jail. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 19(1), 65-81. doi: 10.1177/1043986202239742

Good luck!

Relax and get started

First and most importantly DON'T get stress or overwhelmed by the assignment.  I suggest you start looking up a topics “ASAP”. The sooner you start your assignment the better your score will be.  It is normal to be confused but stay positive. It is important to constantly ask questions. Visit with the professor, librarian, and/or writing center for any research questions.  Theories are easily found in books, so I suggest you begin your research at the library. The writting center can also help you find journal articles that may concern your topic. 

My topic for my literature review assignment was drug involvement factors among juveniles over time. The majority of my sources were library books. I found text books concerning juvenile delinquency and they provided sufficient theories and other useful information about youth crimes, behaviors, and solutions. For such reasons this book was useful for me, Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. C. (2008). Juvenile delinquency the core (Vol. lll). Belmont , CA: Thomas learning inc. Like I said before, visit with a librarian to help you choose or research a topic. The assignment gets easier once you determine your topic. No matter what always revise your work.  

Reliving English 101 nightmare?? :(

Registering for the class was a joy, finishing the class was a nightmare. But yet, bad experiences are not always that great especially when you have to write a paper based on a literature review. But all through the quarter, Professor Jennifer Hicks responded to your messages right away and when ask for advice she gave you the best. Which at some point I could advice you to not sweat it on the paper, but that would be a total lie. Overall I did my paper on HOW EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS EFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY. The only advice I can always give to people not only in these cases, but in college overall, is to never lag anything. Especially for a research paper based on a Literature Review. Jot down the things that you already know about your subject and then research on things that will back up your ideas. In my case I knew about different variables that had effected the relationship between law enforcement and the community, but now that I am done with the research, I now know that the variables such as Race, Media, and Experiences tend to play a big role in this subject. (Hint: When researching about this topic, these variables are most likely to come out in your findings). What I wish I would have known and done differently: Other variables that I could have research and if they possibly have an effective as well in the studies and what I could have done differently is to be able to organize my notes and information more carefully. The research question for this literature review is Why does the excessive use of force by law enforcement damage the relationship between police officers and the people they are meant to protect? The theories that are best to look at in this type of subject: Conflict, Us Versus them, and Social Construction (you must believe that you can relate these theories to the variables that I mentioned). For example, one article that explained it all was: Rome, M. D., and Son, I., and Davis, M. (1995). Police use of excessive force: Does the race of  the suspect influence citizens perceptions. Social Justice Research 8(1). (YOU CAN FIND THESE ARTICLE IN THE ARTICLE DATABASE FROM THE CAL STATE LA LIBRARY WEBSITE) just by putting the first or last name of the author and the title.

There is a first time for everything......

Good Evening,

So the Spring Quarter has come and gone and I'm sure we're all better writers for taking this CRIM 301 class. Writing this research paper brought plenty of sleepless nights for me, but it's an experience I will cherish forever. This was the first time ever I've had to write a research paper in my college career, so getting started was extremely difficult. A tip of advice for anyone writing a research paper is to get the adequate help from people that have done this before. For example, taking advantage of the UWC (University Writing Center) which we pay for. The staff they have is amazing and they will lead you in the correct path in terms of success of your paper. Without having anything written yet, they help me develop my research question and even helped me to look for appropriate sources for my paper. I was extremely happy with their services. In terms of my mistakes and things I could have done differently, I should have started working on this project after the 3rd week of class. Getting started early will make your journey writing this research paper alot smoother. TRUST ME, DO IT!! You will not regret it. Doing this project in parts will save you headaches and stress. Also, don't question your writing ability. I did that for this project and I think knowing it was my first time ever writing a research paper didn't help. Trust your writing, you have made this far in your college career and I'm sure it wasn't by mistake. My paper was written on Juvenile Delinquency. I wanted to know "The Effects Family and Parenting have on Behavior Disorders in Children." I broke my research into three parts and looked at three different factors that affect children. Comparing data is the best thing you can do in a research project. Doing research wasn't easy though and again getting the appropriate help from experts will make your journey a lot smoother. I can't emphasize that any greater. Overall though, my experience writing this paper was a great one. I learned a lot not only from this project, but the class as a whole. A lot a new different writing tools I have acquired. Don't procrastinate and get working on this project early. You will be glad you did. A big thanks to Prof. Hicks for all her help and to all my classmates enjoy your one week break.

If only I had a time machine

Ok, right off the bat, this class is not meant for those who want to kick back all quarter. There will be assignments after every blink of an eye. So be PREPARED. The assignments will be easy if you don't put them aside and start working on them until the last night before class (ahem... me).
That in mind, I wrote my research paper the night before it was due. Yes, I'm a huge procrastinator and I have never regretted it so much as I did for this class. I'm probably never going to do it again! Oh how I learned my lesson!
Since I'm sure you all have done it before as well, I suggest to start spreading out your work and taking the steps your professor lays out for you. If I only had a time machine, I would use this advice and worship it.
My research topic was on the reentry process of ex-convicts into society. My question was "Is it a good idea to more widely accept ex-convicts into society?"
One source I found to be very beneficial was the article "The Reentry-Centered Vision of Criminal Justice" by Michael Pinard. He covered a lot points I've been contemplating over.
I found this source on the CSULA library website under "Articles". I used Proquest for half of my articles and Ebscohost for the rest. These two sites will get you on the right track.
Over all, I learned a lot in this class. I also stressed so much from procrastination, and I might need a week to recover from this, that I cannot begin to explain how important it is to just do your work on time. That is, if you don't want to experience madness.
The end :)

The dreadful brutality

My research topic is on police brutality, and how the media's interpretation affect viewers' perception about it. For those who want to research on police brutality, the book "The Politics of Force", written by Lawrence , will be helpful. The reason I'm saying this is because all other related books have already been checked out.
For the poor saps who decide to research on similar topic that involve media, don't waste a huge amount of time researching in criminal justice section. It is a huge trap. Instead, try researching in "Communication studies," "Sociology", and "Psychology", you may have a better luck.
Looks like I am out of time. Last thing is procrastinating if you must, if it helps you creating sentences or your are having a terrible life like I do in this recession. However, you need to have clear understanding in your essay strcuture and the sources you will be using. Othewise you will spending the night crying while writing your essay. Your hair will be white as the result of the immense pressure.

Luckily, I did not procrastinating (much) in this research essay, so I did not cry or I having a shining white hair. Thank you for asking.

Yikes

My topic discussed the causal factors of juvenile recidivism. This paper was extremely difficult. It definitely was not anything I have ever experienced or even attempted before. It was a very humbling and eye-opening experience. I had hoped to have more time to spend on this paper, but personal issues and sickness got in the way of writing to my full potential. With that being said, DO NOT DELAY IN WRITING YOUR PAPER. Due to procrastination, this paper was the bane of my existence. There are instances where I could churn out an A+ paper an hour before the due date, but this paper is not one of them. Thankfully I had made time earlier to finish the meaty portion of the paper so all I had to worry about was the extras.

If you are looking at juvenile crime or deviance, look up "Juvenile Crime and Justice" by William J. Chambliss. ISBN 978-1-4129-7858-3 It's a collection of articles and journals that discuss every possible factor that influences juvenile crime and deviance.

-js

Thank you to Professor Jenny for being so helpful and understanding throughout the quarter!