Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the article, “Sentencing Advocates Enhance Reasoned Court Decisions,” then read the list of infamous murderers whose high profile crimes dominated headlines for many years.
Choose Your Client
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the article, “Sentencing Advocates Enhance Reasoned Court Decisions,” then read the list of infamous murderers whose high profile crimes dominated headlines for many years. Choose one of these individuals to become your client for the remainder of the course. That is, this individual and case will be the topic of your final assignment in the course:
In your online classroom, select the link “Killer Bios download” for a list of these infamous murderers. In that link, you will find several Ashford University Library sources on each murderer. In addition, there are some starter links listed below under each name.
Imagine that you have been retained by the client’s defense attorney as a death penalty mitigation expert. Your role in this capacity is to work as a sentencing advocate on behalf of your client (the defendant). In Week 5, you will prepare a comprehensive case study report. This report will contain an analysis of the psychological factors that may have contributed to the commission of the crimes in the chosen case study and how these psychological factors should be considered as a basis for a prison sentence less than the death penalty. For the purpose of this discussion, we are proceeding as if the client is still alive and has not yet been sentenced (though all of these cases have already been resolved). In your initial post of 300 words, please examine the following and address the questions below:
Tell us which client you chose and why. That is, what was it about the case that interested you?
Based upon your preliminary research on this case/client and your assigned textbook readings, what mental disorders might your client be suffering from that may have contributed to the crime?
Describe the disorder including its signs and symptoms. Connect those that you believe apply to your client’s behavior.
What does your textbook say about the likelihood that your client’s mental states contributed to the crime?
Discuss whether psychopathy, insanity, or competence to stand trial are potential issues in your client’s case based upon your preliminary research of the case and your assigned textbook readings.
Support your claims with examples from the required materials, other scholarly and/or credible sources, and properly cite any references.
CRJ308 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
Week 2 Discussion
Homicide Offenders
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 8: Psychology of Homicide in your textbook.
Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length. Please elaborate on the following as you complete your discussion. Support your claims with examples from the required materials and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references:
In your textbook, there are four different types of homicide offenders: domestic-violence homicide offenders, felony homicide offenders, accident homicide offenders, and altercation-precipitated homicide offenders. Based on your client’s case, which type, if any, describes your client’s homicide offender type? Elaborate on the homicide-offender type characteristics and the fact of the case that make you believe your client falls under that type.
If your client does not fall under any of the four types, elaborate on why you arrived at this conclusion.
Now focus on the six psychosocial (demographic) factors related to homicide discussed in the chapter. Which of these are relevant to your client? Why do you say so? Which of these are not relevant? Why do you say so? Be sure to elaborate and include details from your client’s life to support your assertions.
What does the research say about these psychosocial variables and homicide offenders? That is, what are some common themes that arise in the research about the life experiences of homicide offenders?
CRJ308 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
Week 3 Discussion
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Prior to starting this discussion, please explore Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (Links to an external site.), then read Take the ACE Quiz—and Learn What It Does and Does Not Mean (Links to an external site.)
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Please elaborate on the following as you complete your discussion:
Complete the 10-question Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire: Finding Your ACE Score (Links to an external site.) measure for the client you selected in the Week 1 Choose Your Client discussion. Complete it based on what you have been able to find out about your client’s childhood and whether your client experienced any of the events detailed in the questionnaire. What is your client’s ACES score? Keep in mind that the higher the score, the greater the likelihood of negative outcomes in adulthood.
Evaluate your client’s ACES score using examples of trauma experienced in childhood. If your client had no childhood trauma, or you were unable to locate any credible information about your client to answer the ACES questions, please provide general examples of the types of adverse childhood experiences that may lead to negative outcomes as adults.
How does childhood trauma influence criminality in adulthood? Why should the community be concerned about minimizing adverse childhood experiences?
CRJ308 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
Week 4 Discussion
Do Juvenile Delinquency Diversion Programs Work?
Prior to starting this discussion, please read Chapters 6 and 7 in your textbook, watch the Columbine: Understanding Why (Links to an external site.) video, and read the Dylan Klebold Diversion (Links to an external site.) and Eric Harris Diversion (Links to an external site.) juvenile diversion program papers.
Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Please elaborate on the following:
Your textbook covers primary and secondary types of juvenile delinquency diversion programs. Briefly examine each type and provide an example of each.
Klebold and Harris had contact with the criminal justice system prior to the Columbine shooting. Based on your textbook readings on theories of aggression, what, if anything, did you see in the video and/or read in the diversion papers that may have provided a clue as to the boys’ later aggressive and violent behavior?
In your opinion, supported by scholarly and/or credible sources, was there anything the juvenile justice system missed or could have done better that may have prevented the Columbine massacre from happening? Keep in mind that there are not always clear warning signs and not all tragedies are preventable. However, what insight, if any, was gleaned from the Columbine tragedy about the nature of aggression and delinquent behavior?
CRJ308 Psychology of Criminal Behavior
Week 5 Discussion
Opioid Crisis and Violent Crimes Debate
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 9 in your textbook, the required articles, Why the Opioid Epidemic May Have Fueled America’s Murder Spike (Links to an external site.) and Opioid Epidemic So Dangerous, Says CDC, It’s Finally Killing More People Than Guns (Links to an external site.), and watch the video: Warning: This Drug May Kill You (Links to an external site.). The opioid crisis has become a controversial issue but one that is becoming harder and harder to ignore. In the context of the relationship between psychology and criminal behavior, substance abuse is one of the leading risk factors for criminal behavior. Therefore, the opioid crisis is an issue that criminal psychologists, public health professionals, and our community-at-large are examining the implications, the most crucial of which appears to be a relationship between homicide/violent crime rates and opioid abuse. In your discussion,
Conduct additional research on the opioid crisis using the Ashford Library to ensure you are aware of the latest issues in the opioid crisis national debate. Then, briefly debate the issue with your classmates. Your instructor will assign you to one of the two prompts. Please debate the issue from the perspective that:
Prompt 1: Physicians have caused the opioid crisis by over-prescribing pain medications that are highly addictive, and
Prompt 2: From the perspective that the person taking the opiates is responsible for the person’s own behavior and doctors should be able to prescribe whatever they want in any quantity they deem medically necessary. Remember to provide your insight into whether rising violent crime rates stems from the opioid crisis as asserted in your assigned readings.
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