Have you been assigned to write an essay for your criminal justice class? Are you stumped on a research paper topic idea for your criminal justice course? Needing suggestions on what to write about? Here are a few tips and suggestions and topics or a criminal justice research paper.
Are formerly abused children more likely to commit violent crimes?
For this term paper, you can research the statistics regarding criminal behavior of children who were abused. Essentially you will answer the question, “Is there a link between criminal behavior and how the children were raised?” You might look for the statistics of former foster children who have committed crimes. You should also research programs that are organized to prevent former foster children from living a life of crime.
Violent Crimes Committed by the Elderly: What Should the Punishment Be?
This research paper topic is definitely intriguing. You can discuss cases such as Laura Lundquist, a 98 year old woman who was indicted for murdering her 100 year old roommate. You can read more about the case here. You can review cases of crimes committed by people who were 90 years old or older, and discuss if they should be treated any differently because of their age.
The Benefits on Inmates of Guide Dog Training Programs in Prisons
If you love animals, this could be a very fascinating research paper topic for you. You can discuss programs such as “Puppies Behind Bars” (visit their site here) and similar programs such as the Prison Pet Partnership Program here. Inmates are given a chance to train service dogs for people with disabilities. You might even be able to interview an employee from the programs. It is definitely a happy topic for a criminal justice research paper.
Pros and Cons of Prison Nurseries
There are several prison programs that allow mothers of babies less than one year old, to keep their babies in prison with them. This can be very beneficial to the child, and allow the baby to bond with his/her mother. In some programs, children six years of age and younger can live in the prison. Read “Prison Babies” to get started.
Can socioeconomic status affect the sentence / punishment that a criminal receives?
In this research paper you can discuss the role of discrimination in our judicial process. Essentially, you will answer the question, “Can a higher economic status result in a lesser sentence?” One thing to discuss in your paper, is that criminals living in poverty are unable to hire top attorneys, and (perhaps) not receive that same quality of legal counsel and representation.
These are just five topic ideas for a research paper topic on criminal justice. You might also read “Sociology Research Paper Topic Ideas” and “Psychology Research Paper Topic Ideas.” to see if they can help you come up with an idea on what to write about. Happy Writing!
