Paper details:
For this week, please respond to the following:
Watch Video
An Inmate’s Best Friend
Duration: (2:27)
User: cbs – Added: 10/30/08
YouTube URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We92yXNBv80
How meaningful should inmate work be? That is, should inmates be kept busy, or should their efforts be
aimed at some specific purpose? To what extent should we provide vocational training and work
opportunities for prison inmates? Make sure to include citations and references. Be sure to cite your sources
in APA format and include your word count. A SafeAssign number below 20% is considered acceptable and
does not cause concern. To reduce this number, use less quotes and summarize the content in your own
words. Minimum 350 words. Do not use Wikipedia as a source.
Be sure that you are using proper APA format and that you have at least one Peer Reviewed Article in your
research.
“Here is an example of a perfect post:
Effective writing is so important to criminal justice professionals for many reasons. According to Wallace and
Roberson (2009), it is estimated that we use 70% of our time communicating. This may be accomplished
either verbally or in writing. A verbal communication is considered less formal, while a written statement is
lasting and given more significance. Because written statements are permanent, they are assessed as more
significant. A report filed by a law enforcement agent can be used for the prosecution or defense of a
defendant in a court of law. Inaccuracies in a written report can result in the failure to convict an individual of
a crime. The legal ramifications of unclear or imprecise writing can be substantial. An officer must be able to
explain the reasons a report is written and filed. They must be able to defend errors in their reports. Under
oath, they will have to testify from the contents of the report. Criminal justice professionals must be able to
not only file written reports, but to draft narratives that are comprehensible and logical for others to grasp
(Wallace & Roberson, 2009).
Working in Pretrial Services I know that clarity is particularly essential. If our court officers do not precisely
note the judge’s terms or conditions of release, a defendant may inadvertently violate their release. It could
cost the individual their freedom. Many times the judiciary may be vague when defining terms of release. In
this instance court communications must be sent to distinguish the original intent from the judge. It wastes
valuable time and court resources to clear up ambiguous conditions.
Plagiarism involves stealing another person’s ideas or works and using them as your own. Sometimes this can
be blatant, like copying sentences word for word without using quotation marks. In other situations it may be
less obvious, such as paraphrasing content from another source but not citing it. This, however, is still
plagiarism because that content originated from someone else’s ideas or research, not your own. Plagiarism
in this instance can be avoided by simply using a in-text citation at the beginning or the end of the
paraphrased content. It is always a good idea to cite a source rather than chance an allegation of plagiarism,
(Keiser University, n.d.). Stealing from another can destroy the credibility of any criminal justice professional.
Because they represent the law and courts, law enforcement agents need to be above reproach.
Word Count: 401
Keiser University. (n.d.). Plagiarism [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://keiseruniversity.org
Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2009). Written and interpersonal communication: Methods for law enforcement
(4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
