Nature of the essay Over the course of the semester, you will write one analysis

Nature of the essay
Over the course of the semester, you will write one analysis assignment (1000-1,500 words) that applies a theory to a policy based upon the class materials and peer-reviewed journal articles. You are applying a theory to a criminal justice program or policy that is intended to address a social and criminal problem.
Learning Objectives:
Students will identify a theory that underpins the program or policy to prevent or reduce crime.
Students will apply a theory covered in the course to a public policy that prevent or reduces crime.
Students will research the identified policy that prevent or reduces crime.
Students will identify, read, and analyze peer-reviewed scholarly social science research on the policy.
Students will learn to distinguish between facts and opinions.
Students will create and develop an articulable thesis to encapsulate how the theory explains how the policy works.
Students will organize your discussion to flow throughout the paper.
Students will write in a formal voice to persuade your reader to your position.
Students will practice using a professional formatting standard—APA 7h
Guidelines:
You may choose one of the following programs: HighScope Perry Preschool, Nurse-Family Partnership, Functional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Therapy (regular or for sexually aggressive youth), Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS), Early College High School Model, or Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP).
If you are choosing to do the more creative option, you can design your own program based on a theory to address a crime problem. In your paper, you will need to define the crime problem, show what causes it, and apply one of the theories to explain how your program will prevent or reduce the crime problem. If you want this option, please meet with Dr. Artello prior to the midterm.
It is a formal written argument in the style of academic and professional standards set by APA 7th
Your paper is expected to be 4- 6 pages long using a minimum of 4 peer-reviewed research articles as your sources that evaluate the policy, preferably from 1980 forward. If the source is from the prior 2000, you will need to ensure that it has not been disproven.
Your paper should have a thesis in the introduction, a body including evidence to support the thesis, and a conclusion in 4- 6 pages. You will have a cover page and reference page, but they do not count towards the 4-6 pages of text. Papers, that are less than 4 full pages of text, lack sufficient evidence for this assignment; and consequently, will not earn sufficient points to pass this assignment.
You will also be demonstrating how to apply a theory to the policy to explain the mechanisms of change expected to be exerted over the targeted population (e.g. how does the theory explain the reasons the policy is to impact behavior change for the intended population).
You will need to provide in-text citations to any material, paraphrased, quoted, or influenced by another source (including your textbook) in proper APA 7th edition format. Papers without proper citation and reference page will be considered plagiarized and receive a zero.
The program I would like you to discuss is Multisystemic Therapy (regular or for sexually aggressive youthMultisystemic Therapy aims to keep juveniles who have exhibited serious clinical problems such as the use of drugs and violence at home, in school, and out of trouble. The main goal is to reduce harmful behaviors and keep adolescents out of legal involvement within the community.
The theory I find to be fitting that supports Multisystemic is Cultural Deviance Theory. Cultural deviance theory is a branch of social structure theory that sees strain and social disorganization together resulting in a unique lower-class culture that conflicts with conventional social norms.