“This is the final paper of the semester, a synthesis assignment in the form of a Policy Paper.
Look back over the semester and select any one focused area of forensic psychology that we have covered. It could be as specific or as broad as you wish, from any area of the field.
Then, identify one thing that you would do to improve that area and make a policy recommendation. Write a brief policy paper regarding your recommendation. What is the recommendation? What will it improve? Etc.
Identify at least one scholarly or academic article to support your policy recommendation. Be certain to cite from that source.
For example, I might choose the Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity verdict, which has no national standard. It is controlled by each individual state. So I might recommend a model policy for states to be encouraged to standardize their approach by a national standard. I’d explain a bit about how it’s done now, and why my policy recommendation would improve it. You’re free to use any sort of policy, even something from an agency you’ve worked with; as long as it falls within the area of forensic psychology.
Or, I might choose an issue regarding expert witness testimony, such as a way to address the inherent problems with “hired gun” issues. I might recommend limiting the amount of money that experts can charge for testimony, or that the courts establish a rotating list of vetted experts.
There is no minimum required word count. As a graduate student, you should write until you believe that you have sufficiently answered the question to a degree that is appropriate for the final paper of the semester and demonstrates your knowledge and mastery of the information.”
The book needed is: Wrightsman’s Psychology and the Legal System (Ninth Edition by Edie Greene & Kirk Heilbrun).