Criminal Justice

PSY 310 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of an executive summary report. You will write a summary, conduct a crime assessment, and create a profile of a
criminal. You will then develop a conclusion and consider the investigative use of the information you have compiled. Criminal psychology encompasses a wide
range of information about someone which can be drawn together, synthesized, and written into a format used by the criminal justice system prior to an arrest.
Typically, criminal psychologists are called upon to provide advice and consultation when the crimes are not straightforward. Law enforcement officers are
experts at tracking data and looking for crime-related clues to help them solve a case. However, when they need assistance determining who a criminal is, or
what a criminal’s motivation might be—in a predictive sense—they rely on the capabilities of professionals who are versed both in criminology and psychology.
A criminal profile emerges as data comes together. This is not the same as the information you see on the news; rather, it is a comprehensive look at the
biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors that make a person unique to a criminal case. Some of the information is based on empirical data
and some is based on educated assumptions made by the criminal psychologist.
In this executive summary report, you will look at a variety of factors and work to answer the question “who is this person?” You will examine criminal
statistics, lifestyle, upbringing, medical and mental health information, along with a range of other information, that will help you answer the “who, what,
when, where, and why” of your chosen case. It will be your job to draw from your previous education and training to learn how to understand what
information is relevant to your case. There is no piece of information that is too small to help you build the mosaic of how past activity can help predict
future activity. Your profile will be thorough, addressing all of the areas and questions above for the aim of assisting investigators to understand the
criminal and his or her motivations and motives as well as the risk of the criminal activity continuing in the future. Through prompts and independent
research outside of the text, you’ll peer into the world of investigative profiling.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality
final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
 PSY-310-01: Assess biological, developmental, and environmental factors to determine the impact on criminal behavior
 PSY-310-02: Apply relevant psychological theories to criminal behavior in order to analyze motivation
 PSY-310-03: Apply psychological methods to the development of a psychological profile that synthesizes relevant data
 PSY-310-04: Determine appropriate intervention strategies related to criminal behavior supported by psychological theory and research
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Prompt
You will complete an executive summary report that includes criminal and psychological aspects of a particular crime to inform the executive team in order
to prevent or intervene in criminal behavior. You may choose one of the following three scenarios to complete your final project:
1. White Collar Crime (Plain Text Version)
2. Serial Murderer (Plain Text Version)
3. Domestic Terror (Plain Text Version)
Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular course outcome (shown in brackets).
I. Summary
A. Summarize the case provided. In your summary, include key facts and demographic information. [PSY-310-01] B. Develop initial hypothesis about the potential motivation to commit the crime. As you consider the motivation, identify the type of crime
that was committed. [PSY-310-02] II. Crime Assessment
A. Compare data and evidence of similar crimes. [PSY-310-03] B. Identify patterns found in similar crimes. [PSY-310-03] C. Make inferences about motivation of the identified individual based on case evidence and comparison to similar crimes. [PSY-310-02] III. Profile
A. Develop a demographic summary of the individual based on analysis of data from the case. [PSY-310-03] B. Explain the impact that biological factors of the case had on the individual’s behavior. [PSY-310-01] C. Explain the impact that developmental factors of the case had on the individual’s behavior.[PSY-310-01] D. Explain the impact that environmental factors of the case had on the individual’s behavior.[PSY-310-01] E. Apply theories to the emerging hypothesis of the motivation of your chosen subject. In your response, consider the biological,
psychological, social, and criminal violence theories. [PSY-310-02] IV. Conclusion and Investigative Use
A. Develop a global summary based on a synthesis of the inputs, crime assessment, and profile. [PSY-310-03] B. Anticipate future behavior based on predictive analysis. [PSY-310-04] 3
C. Develop intervention strategies to mitigate future criminal behavior. Be sure to explain how your strategies will impact future behavior. [PSY310-04] D. Discuss limitations of data to developing your report. In your response, consider the information that was missing that you wish you had
and reliability and validity of the data you reviewed. [PSY-310-04] E. Based on your report, discuss how the information collected could contribute to the capture, understanding, and prosecution of the
individual. [PSY-310-04] Milestone One: Summary and Crime Assessment
Milestones
In Module Three, you will submit a draft of your summary and crime assessment. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Profile
In Module Five, you will submit a draft of the profile. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Final Submission: Executive Summary Report
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should
reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. You will add the conclusion and investigative use section to the final project submission.