PAPER

injustices are inherent in the major institutions of our society: the workforce, educational system, criminal justice system, the legal system, religious institutions and the media.  Social injustices have serious consequences on the life experiences of individuals.   This capstone essay challenges students from all three concentrations to discuss a current social injustice in the United States.  
Social Injustice vs. Social Problem
A social injustice occurs when certain members of a society do not have access to an equal distribution of wealth and resources and are denied opportunities.  Unfair treatment and denial of one’s civil rights may be based on one’s age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or religion.  
A social problem is behavior that has negative effects on an individual.  Addiction, partner violence and child maltreatment negatively impact an individual and may affect their family and friends.
Drawing from previous coursework and prior research answer one of the following questions that apply to a social injustice in our society:

Are all groups that become involved with the criminal justice system treated equally?

Consider one of the following issues and include them in your discussion. 

differential rates of arrest and incarceration among minority groups
disparity in sentencing practices for minority groups
abuse of racial profiling as a scientific tool

Illegal immigration is currently a major concern in the United States.  Discuss discriminatory practices that affect the undocumented in the United States and the positive or negative consequences of illegal immigration on the undocumented and on society at large.  
Do Juries reflect the diversity of local communities and protect an individual’s constitutional right to a fair and impartial trial? Please include the possible consequences of the current system of jury selection in your essay.
Does discrimination in the legal and paralegal professions give rise to specific social injustices?  You may concentrate on either the legal or paralegal profession or compare and contrast both. Your discussion should address the following issues: 

Differential rates in hiring practices, promotion, and pay scale among men and women. Is there a “glass ceiling” for women?
In what other ways does discrimination manifest itself in the legal environment?

Choose a social injustice that you feel passionate about and present a proposal to your course instructor for approval. 

Include in your Capstone Essay discussion:

The Institution that perpetuates the injustice
The minority group most effected by the injustice
The negative outcomes or personal consequences suffered by those who are targeted   
The cost/s of this injustice to society (financial, loss of human resources)
Solutions or alternatives to the problem/s that you have identified: new policies, legislation, social movements, public opinion

Students will be required to submit a 5-6 page essay on their selected topic. They must use at least 3 recent scholarly sources. They may use government websites in addition to their scholarly sources to quote statistics.  All sources must be cited in text and students must submit a separate reference list.  The APA Manual of Style required for this course will be the only APA source used to grade this assignment.  All written work is to be typed using 12 font, one inch margins and double spacing and utilizing grammar and spell check. 
ESSAY FORMAT
Please note that an essay is a continuous flowing paper. Your writing should reflect a sequential thought process. There are no section headers or sub-section headers in an essay.  Please remember to number your pages beginning with the title page.

Amy Garcia <[email protected]>
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Cover Page: Title of Topic, Your Name, Date of Submission
Introductory Remarks: a brief overview of your topic

a clear thesis statement which identifies the nature of the social injustice and the institution responsible for perpetrating the injustice
a statement that identifies the minority or oppressed group most affected by the injustice
some initial statistics that support the prevalence of this social injustice 

Discussion: a short narrative of the social injustice 

a brief history of this unfair practice – how far back can this injustice be traced
a description of the targeted/oppressed group
a brief discussion of personal outcomes for those who have suffered from this social injustice 
a brief discussion of the costs to society (financial, loss of talent or resources)  

Ssummary: final remarks which will be the foundation of the conclusion of your essay.

a brief note of recent changes in social attitudes/public opinion (negative or positive) regarding this injustice
a brief note of current political movements or legislation that are having a positive or negative effect on the problem you have identified

Reference List (APA): The required manual of style for the course is the only acceptable format for 
in-text citations and reference lists.

Include a minimum of 3 scholarly sources: peer reviewed.
Peer reviewed articles are found in such sources as the Journal of Criminology, Sociology and Social Research, American Journal of Psychology, American Journal of Criminal Law.  Consult the required manual of style for determining scholarly sources.  Google scholar does not guarantee peer reviewed research. 
You may use government websites for statistics in addition to your 3 scholarly sources, such as the Bureau of Justice or the US Census Bureau.
Do not use sources more than 5 years old unless you are using information for historical value.
Please use 12 font, double spacing and 1” margins.