In what ways do you believe that the criminal justice system can ensure fair and equal treatment for all? Be sure to use course readings to support your thoughts.
After posting your original post, be sure to engage in discussion with your peers.
Please use the rubrics and the references should be in 7th edition APA format.
Some of the week reading
Here is a bit of information about each of the readings:
Topic: Crime & Criminal Justice
Reading 1.1
This reading will introduce you to the topic of Criminal Justice, the process and crime.
Topic: Deviance, Rule Violations and Criminality
Reading 1.2
This reading will introduce you to the idea of deviance. While most criminal acts are deviant, not all deviant acts are criminal. This is important because some deviant acts are defined as criminal, while others are not, therefore impacting the creation of laws prohibiting certain behaviors and not others.
Topic: Different Views in the Creation of Laws
Readings 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
The definition of crime dictates whether a behavior is viewed as deviance, a rule violation, or a criminal violation. It is important to discuss who decides whether a law becomes criminalized or decriminalized. Understanding the different definitions of crime help to understand the different laws. These readings present you with information regarding the different definitions of crime: interactionist, consensus and conflict.
Topic: Components of the Criminal Justice System
Reading: 1.7
Criminal justice is the study of Police, Courts and Corrections. This reading will introduce you to the three main components of the system.
Topic: Crime Control & Due Process Models
Reading 1.8
A controversy of sorts exists in the Criminal Justice system in terms of balancing the expectations of society for the system to be efficient and timely all while protecting individual rights and “serving” justice. Herbert Packer in 1960 created two models to describe these expectations of the criminal justice system. Today, these models attempt to blend and to work together. The Crime Control and Due Process models are fundamental to understanding justice.
Topic: The Formal Criminal Justice Process
Reading 1.9
While many are intrigued by what they learn watching crime television shows, the process of how cases move through the system are much different than what you see on television. Most often referred to as a “funnel” the system has many decision points in which cases are “dropped” out of the system and in the end, very few cases make it completely to the end of the funnel. Discretion and ethics are important components in this process. This reading will introduce you to the funnel model, ethics and discretion.
Topic: The Informal Criminal Justice Process
Reading 1.11
Another model of justice is what is referred to as the Wedding Cake Model Theory. This theory addresses how cases move through the system and how they may be treated differently by media and society. It is important to understand the formal and informal processes as you continue to learn about Criminal Justice. This reading will explain this model and will serve as a comparison to the funnel model of justice.
Topic: Different Types of Crimes and Offenses
Reading 1.13
There are many different types of crimes and offenses. This reading discusses the primary types of crimes and offenses: Crimes against the person; Crimes against property; Crimes against public order; Drug offenses; Misdemeanors and Felonies.
Topic: Media Coverage of Crimes
Reading 1.10
The majority of knowledge about crime and criminal justice is derived from the media. This reading will discuss the role of media in the perception and understanding of Criminal Justice.
Nonpolicereferrals
Police
juvenile
unit
Released or
diverted
Intake
hearing
Waived to
criminal
court Formal juvenile or youthful
offender court processing
Informal processing
diversion
Information
Refusal to indict
Grand jury
Information
Charges
dropped
or dismissed
Bail or
detention
hearing
Charges
dropped
or dismissed
Preliminary
hearing
Initial
appearance
Released
without
prosecution
Released
without
prosecution
Charges
filedArrest
Unsolved
or not
arrested
Investi-
gation
Reported
and
observed
crime
Felonies
Juvenile
offenders
Prosecution and pretrial services
Entry into the system
What is the sequence of events in the criminal justice system?
Arraignment
Charge
dismissed
Arraignment
Trial
Acquitted
Reduction
of charge
Guilty plea
Trial
Charge dismissed Acquitted
Sentencing
Sentencing
Probation
Revocation
Revocation
Revocation
Parole
Prison
Pardon and
clemency
Capital
punishment
Out of system
(registration,
notification)
Out of system
Out of system
Probation
Guilty plea
Adjudication
Sentencing
and sanctions
Corrections
Diversion by law enforcement, prosecutor, or court
Unsuccessful
diversion
Convicted
Misdemeanors
Convicted
Appeal
Intermediate
sanctions
Jail
Out of system
Habeas
corpus
Note: This chart gives a simplified view of caseflow
through the criminal justice system. Procedures vary
among jurisdictions. The weights of the lines are not
intended to show actual size of caseloads.
Released or
diverted
Probation or other
nonresidential disposition
Revocation
Out of system
Residential
placement
Aftercare
Revocation
Disposition
Released
Adjudication
Source: Adapted from The challenge of crime in a free society.
President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration
of Justice, 1967. This revision, a result of the Symposium on
the 30th Anniversary of the President’s Commission, was prepared
by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1997.
Prosecution
as a
juvenile
Crime
The private sector initiates
the response to crime
This first response may come
from individuals, families,
neighborhood associations,
business, industry, agriculture,
educational institutions, the
news media, or any other pri-
vate service to the public.
It involves crime prevention as
well as participation in the
criminal justice process once a
crime has been committed.
Private crime prevention is
more than providing private se-
curity or burglar alarms or par-
ticipating in neighborhood
watch. It also includes a com-
mitment to stop criminal be-
havior by not engaging in it or
condoning it when it is commit-
ted by others.
Citizens take part directly in the
criminal justice process by re-
porting crime to the police, by
being a reliable participant (for
example, a witness or a juror)
in a criminal proceeding and by
accepting the disposition of the
system as just or reasonable.
As voters and taxpayers, citi-
zens also participate in crimi-
nal justice through the
policymaking process that af-
fects how the criminal justice
process operates, the re-
sources available to it, and its
goals and objectives. At every
stage of the process from the
original formulation of objec-
tives to the decision about
where to locate jails and pris-
ons to the reintegration of in-
mates into society, the private
sector has a role to play.
Without such involvement, the
criminal justice process cannot
serve the citizens it is intended
to protect.
The response to crime and
public safety involves many
agencies and services
Many of the services needed to
prevent crime and make neigh-
borhoods safe are supplied by
noncriminal justice agencies,
including agencies with pri-
mary concern for public health,
education, welfare, public
works, and housing. Individual
citizens as well as public and
private sector organizations
have joined with criminal jus-
tice agencies to prevent crime
and make neighborhoods safe.
Criminal cases are brought
by the government through
the criminal justice system
We apprehend, try, and punish
offenders by means of a loose
confederation of agencies at all
levels of government. Our
American system of justice has
evolved from the English com-
mon law into a complex series
of procedures and decisions.
Founded on the concept that
crimes against an individual
are crimes against the State,
our justice system prosecutes
individuals as though they vic-
timized all of society. However,
crime victims are involved
throughout the process and
many justice agencies have
programs which focus on help-
ing victims.
There is no single criminal jus-
tice system in this country. We
have many similar systems
that are individually unique.
Criminal cases may be han-
dled differently in different ju-
risdictions, but court decisions
based on the due process
guarantees of the U.S. Consti-
tution require that specific
steps be taken in the admini-
stration of criminal justice so
that the individual will be pro-
tected from undue intervention
from the State.
The description of the criminal
and juvenile justice systems
that follows portrays the most
common sequence of events in
response to serious criminal
behavior.
Entry into the system
The justice system does not re-
spond to most crime because
so much crime is not discov-
ered or reported to the police.
Law enforcement agencies
learn about crime from the re-
ports of victims or other citi-
zens, from discovery by a
police officer in the field, from
informants, or from investiga-
tive and intelligence work.
Once a law enforcement
agency has established that a
crime has been committed, a
suspect must be identified and
apprehended for the case to
proceed through the system.
Sometimes, a suspect is ap-
prehended at the scene; how-
ever, identification of a suspect
sometimes requires an
extensive investigation. Often,
no one is identified or appre-
hended. In some instances, a
suspect is arrested and later
the police determine that no
crime was committed and the
suspect is released.
Prosecution and pretrial
services
After an arrest, law enforce-
ment agencies present infor-
mation about the case and
about the accused to the
prosecutor, who will decide if
formal charges will be filed with
the court. If no charges are
filed, the accused must be re-
leased. The prosecutor can
also drop charges after making
efforts to prosecute (nolle pro-
sequi).
A suspect charged with a crime
must be taken before a judge
or magistrate without unneces-
sary delay. At the initial ap-
pearance, the judge or
magistrate informs the ac-
cused of the charges and de-
cides whether there is probable
cause to detain the accused
person. If the offense is not
very serious, the determination
of guilt and assessment of a
penalty may also occur at this
stage.
Often, the defense counsel is
also assigned at the initial ap-
pearance. All suspects prose-
cuted for serious crimes have a
right to be represented by an
attorney. If the court deter-
mines the suspect is indigent
and cannot afford such
representation, the court will
assign counsel at the public’s
expense.
A pretrial-release decision may
be made at the initial appear-
ance, but may occur at other
hearings or may be changed at
another time during the proc-
ess. Pretrial release and bail
were traditionally intended to
ensure appearance at trial.
However, many jurisdictions
permit pretrial detention of de-
fendants accused of serious of-
fenses and deemed to be
dangerous to prevent them
from committing crimes prior
to trial.
The court often bases its pre-
trial decision on information
about the defendant’s drug
use, as well as residence, em-
ployment, and family ties. The
court may decide to release the
accused on his/her own recog-
nizance or into the custody of a
third party after the posting of a
financial bond or on the prom-
ise of satisfying certain condi-
tions such as taking periodic
drug tests to ensure drug
abstinence.
In many jurisdictions, the initial
appearance may be followed
by a preliminary hearing. The
main function of this hearing is
to discover if there is probable
cause to believe that the ac-
cused committed a known
crime within the jurisdiction of
the court. If the judge does not
find probable cause, the case
is dismissed; however, if the
judge or magistrate finds
What is the sequence of events in the criminal justice system?
probable cause for such a be-
lief, or the accused waives his
or her right to a preliminary
hearing, the case may be
bound over to a grand jury.
A grand jury hears evidence
against the accused presented
by the prosecutor and decides
if there is sufficient evidence to
cause the accused to be
brought to trial. If the grand
jury finds sufficient evidence, it
submits to the court an indict-
ment, a written statement of
the essential facts of the of-
fense charged against the
accused.
Where the grand jury system is
used, the grand jury may also
investigate criminal activity
generally and issue indict-
ments called grand jury origi-
nals that initiate criminal
cases. These investigations
and indictments are often used
in drug and conspiracy cases
that involve complex organiza-
tions. After such an indict-
ment, law enforcement tries to
apprehend and arrest the sus-
pects named in the indictment.
Misdemeanor cases and some
felony cases proceed by the is-
suance of an information, a
formal, written accusation sub-
mitted to the court by a prose-
cutor. In some jurisdictions,
indictments may be required in
felony cases. However, the ac-
cused may choose to waive a
grand jury indictment and, in-
stead, accept service of an in-
formation for the crime.
In some jurisdictions, defen-
dants, often those without prior
criminal records, may be eligi-
ble for diversion from prosecu-
tion subject to the completion
of specific conditions such as
drug treatment. Successful
completion of the conditions
may result in the dropping of
charges or the expunging of
the criminal record where the
defendant is required to plead
guilty prior to the diversion.
Adjudication
Once an indictment or informa-
tion has been filed with the trial
court, the accused is sched-
uled for arraignment. At the
arraignment, the accused is in-
formed of the charges, advised
of the rights of criminal defen-
dants, and asked to enter a
plea to the charges. Some-
times, a plea of guilty is the re-
sult of negotiations between
the prosecutor and the
defendant.
If the accused pleads guilty or
pleads nolo contendere (ac-
cepts penalty without admitting
guilt), the judge may accept or
reject the plea. If the plea is
accepted, no trial is held and
the offender is sentenced at
this proceeding or at a later
date. The plea may be re-
jected and proceed to trial if,
for example, the judge believes
that the accused may have
been coerced.
If the accused pleads not guilty
or not guilty by reason of in-
sanity, a date is set for the
trial. A person accused of a
serious crime is guaranteed a
trial by jury. However, the ac-
cused may ask for a bench trial
where the judge, rather than a
jury, serves as the finder of
fact. In both instances the
prosecution and defense pre-
sent evidence by questioning
witnesses while the judge de-
cides on issues of law. The
trial results in acquittal or con-
viction on the original charges
or on lesser included offenses.
After the trial a defendant may
request appellate review of the
conviction or sentence. In
some cases, appeals of con-
victions are a matter of right;
all States with the death pen-
alty provide for automatic ap-
peal of cases involving a death
sentence. Appeals may be
subject to the discretion of the
appellate court and may be
granted only on acceptance of
a defendant’s petition for a writ
of certiorari. Prisoners may
also appeal their sentences
through civil rights petitions
and writs of habeas corpus
where they claim unlawful
detention.
Sentencing and sanctions
After a conviction, sentence is
imposed. In most cases the
judge decides on the sentence,
but in some jurisdictions the
sentence is decided by the jury,
particularly for capital offenses.
In arriving at an appropriate
sentence, a sentencing hearing
may be held at which evidence
of aggravating or mitigating cir-
cumstances is considered. In
assessing the circumstances
surrounding a convicted per-
son’s criminal behavior, courts
often rely on presentence in-
vestigations by probation agen-
cies or other designated
authorities. Courts may also
consider victim impact
statements.
The sentencing choices that
may be available to judges and
juries include one or more of
the following:
• the death penalty
• incarceration in a prison, jail,
or other confinement facility
• probation allowing the
convicted person to remain at
liberty but subject to certain
conditions and restrictions
such as drug testing or drug
treatment
• fines primarily applied as
penalties in minor offenses
• restitution requiring the
offender to pay compensation
to the victim.
In some jurisdictions, offenders
may be sentenced to alterna-
tives to incarceration that are
considered more severe than
straight probation but less se-
vere than a prison term. Ex-
amples of such sanctions
include boot camps, intense
supervision often with drug
treatment and testing, house
arrest and electronic monitor-
ing, denial of Federal benefits,
and community service.
In many jurisdictions, the law
mandates that persons con-
victed of certain types of
offenses serve a prison term.
Most jurisdictions permit the
judge to set the sentence
length within certain limits, but
some have determinate sen-
tencing laws that stipulate a
specific sentence length that
must be served and cannot be
altered by a parole board.
Corrections
Offenders sentenced to incar-
ceration usually serve time in a
local jail or a State prison. Of-
fenders sentenced to less than
1 year generally go to jail;
those sentenced to more than
1 year go to prison. Persons
admitted to the Federal system
or a State prison system may
be held in prisons with varying
levels of custody or in a com-
munity correctional facility.
A prisoner may become eligi-
ble for parole after serving a
specific part of his or her sen-
tence. Parole is the conditional
release of a prisoner before the
prisoner’s full sentence has
been served. The decision to
grant parole is made by an
authority such as a parole
board, which has power to
grant or revoke parole or to
discharge a parolee altogether.
The way parole decisions are
made varies widely among
jurisdictions.
Offenders may also be re-
quired to serve out their full
sentences prior to release (ex-
piration of term). Those sen-
tenced under determinate
sentencing laws can be
released only after they have
served their full sentence
(mandatory release) less any
“goodtime” received while in
prison. Inmates get goodtime
credits against their sentences
automatically or by earning
them through participation in
programs.
If released by a parole board
decision or by mandatory re-
lease, the releasee will be un-
der the supervision of a parole
officer in the community for the
balance of his or her unexpired
sentence. This supervision is
governed by specific conditions
of release, and the releasee
may be returned to prison for
violations of such conditions.
Recidivism
Once the suspects, defen-
dants, or offenders are re-
leased from the jurisdiction of a
criminal justice agency, they
may be processed through the
criminal justice system again
for a new crime. Long term
studies show that many sus-
pects who are arrested have
prior criminal histories and
those with a greater number of
prior arrests were more likely
to be arrested again. As the
courts take prior criminal his-
tory into account at sentencing,
most prison inmates have a
prior criminal history and many
have been incarcerated before.
Nationally, about half the in-
mates released from State
prison will return to prison.
The juvenile justice system
Juvenile courts usually have
jurisdiction over matters con-
cerning children, including de-
linquency, neglect, and
adoption. They also handle
“status offenses” such as tru-
ancy and running away, which
are not applicable to adults.
State statutes define which
persons are under the original
jurisdiction of the juvenile
court. The upper age of juve-
nile court jurisdiction in delin-
quency matters is 17 in most
States.
The processing of juvenile of-
fenders is not entirely dissimi-
lar to adult criminal processing,
but there are crucial differ-
ences. Many juveniles are re-
ferred to juvenile courts by law
enforcement officers, but many
others are referred by school
officials, social services agen-
cies, neighbors, and even par-
ents, for behavior or conditions
that are determined to require
intervention by the formal sys-
tem for social control.
At arrest, a decision is made
either to send the matter fur-
ther into the justice system or
to divert the case out of the
system, often to alternative
programs. Examples of alter-
native programs include drug
treatment, individual or group
counseling, or referral to edu-
cational and recreational
programs.
When juveniles are referred to
the juvenile courts, the court’s
intake department or the
prosecuting attorney deter-
mines whether sufficient
grounds exist to warrant filing a
petition that requests an adju-
dicatory hearing or a request to
transfer jurisdiction to criminal
court. At this point, many juve-
niles are released or diverted to
alternative programs.
All States allow juveniles to be
tried as adults in criminal court
under certain circumstances.
In many States, the legislature
statutorily excludes certain
(usually serious) offenses from
the jurisdiction of the juvenile
court regardless of the age of
the accused. In some States
and at the Federal level under
certain circumstances, prose-
cutors have the discretion to
either file criminal charges
against juveniles directly in
criminal courts or proceed
through the juvenile justice
process. The juvenile court’s
intake department or the
prosecutor may petition the ju-
venile court to waive jurisdic-
tion to criminal court. The
juvenile court also may order
referral to criminal court for
trial as adults. In some juris-
dictions, juveniles processed
as adults may upon conviction
be sentenced to either an adult
or a juvenile facility.
In those cases where the juve-
nile court retains jurisdiction,
the case may be handled for-
mally by filing a delinquency
petition or informally by divert-
ing the juvenile to other agen-
cies or programs in lieu of
further court processing.
If a petition for an adjudicatory
hearing is accepted, the juve-
nile may be brought before a
court quite unlike the court with
jurisdiction over adult offend-
ers. Despite the considerable
discretion associated with juve-
nile court proceedings, juve-
niles are afforded many of the
due-process safeguards asso-
ciated with adult criminal trials.
Several States permit the use
of juries in juvenile courts;
however, in light of the U.S.
Supreme Court holding that ju-
ries are not essential to juve-
nile hearings, most States do
not make provisions for juries
in juvenile courts.
In disposing of cases, juvenile
courts usually have far more
discretion than adult courts. In
addition to such options as
probation, commitment to a
residential facility, restitution,
or fines, State laws grant juve-
nile courts the power to order
removal of children from their
homes to foster homes or
treatment facilities. Juvenile
courts also may order partici-
pation in special programs
aimed at shoplifting prevention,
drug counseling, or driver
education.
Once a juvenile is under juve-
nile court disposition, the court
may retain jurisdiction until the
juvenile legally becomes an
adult (at age 21in most
States). In some jurisdictions,
juvenile offenders may be clas-
sified as youthful offenders
which can lead to extended
sentences.
Following release from an insti-
tution, juveniles are often or-
dered to a period of aftercare
which is similar to parole su-
pervision for adult offenders.
Juvenile offenders who violate
the conditions of aftercare may
have their aftercare revoked,
resulting in being recommitted
to a facility. Juveniles who are
classified as youthful offenders
and violate the conditions of af-
tercare may be subject to adult
sanctions.
The governmental response
to crime is founded in the in-
tergovernmental structure of
the United States
Under our form of government,
each State and the Federal
Government has its own crimi-
nal justice system. All systems
must respect the rights of indi-
viduals set forth in court inter-
pretation of the U.S.
Constitution and defined in
case law.
State constitutions and laws
define the criminal justice sys-
tem within each State and
delegate the authority and re-
sponsibility for criminal justice
to various jurisdictions, offi-
cials, and institutions. State
laws also define criminal be-
havior and groups of children
or acts under jurisdiction of the
juvenile courts.
Municipalities and counties fur-
ther define their criminal justice
systems through local ordi-
nances that proscribe the local
agencies responsible for
criminal justice processing that
were not established by the
State.
Congress has also established
a criminal justice system at the
Federal level to respond to
Federal crimes such as bank
robbery, kidnaping, and trans-
porting stolen goods across
State lines.
The response to crime is
mainly a State and local
function
Very few crimes are under ex-
clusive Federal jurisdiction.
The responsibility to respond to
most crime rests with State
and local governments. Police
protection is primarily a func-
tion of cities and towns. Cor-
rections is primarily a function
of State governments. Most
justice personnel are employed
at the local level.
Discretion is exercised
throughout the criminal jus-
tice system
Discretion is “an authority con-
ferred by law to act in certain
conditions or situations in ac-
cordance with an official’s or
an official agency’s own con-
sidered judgment and
conscience.”1 Discretion is ex-
ercised throughout the govern-
ment. It is a part of
decisionmaking in all govern-
ment systems from mental
health to education, as well as
criminal justice. The limits of
discretion vary from jurisdiction
to jurisdiction.
Concerning crime and justice,
legislative bodies have recog-
nized that they cannot antici-
pate the range of circum-
stances surrounding each
crime, anticipate local mores,
and enact laws that clearly en-
compass all conduct that is
criminal and all that is not.2
Therefore, persons charged
with the day-to-day response to
crime are expected to exercise
their own judgment within lim-
its set by law. Basically, they
must decide
• whether to take action
• where the situation fits in the
scheme of law, rules, and
precedent
• which official response is
appropriate.3
To ensure that discretion is ex-
ercised responsibly, govern-
ment authority is often
delegated to professionals.
Professionalism requires a
minimum level of training and
orientation, which guide offi-
cials in making decisions. The
professionalism of policing is
due largely to the desire to en-
sure the proper exercise of po-
lice discretion.
The limits of discretion vary
from State to State and locality
to locality. For example, some
State judges have wide discre-
tion in the type of sentence
they may impose. In recent
years other States have sought
to limit the judge’s discretion in
sentencing by passing manda-
tory sentencing laws that re-
quire prison sentences for
certain offenses.
Notes
1 Roscoe Pound, “Discretion,
dispensation and mitigation:
The problem of the individual
special case,” New York Uni-
versity Law Review (1960)
35:925, 926.
2 Wayne R. LaFave, Arrest:
The decision to take a suspect
into custody (Boston: Little,
Brown & Co., 1964), p. 63-184.
3 Memorandum of June 21,
1977, from Mark Moore to
James Vorenberg, “Some ab-
stract notes on the issue of
discretion.”
Who exercises discretion?
These criminal justice officials . . . . . must often decide whether or not or how to
Police Enforce specific laws
Investigate specific crimes
Search people, vicinities, buildings
Arrest or detain people
Prosecutors File charges or petitions for adjudication
Seek indictments
Drop cases
Reduce charges
Judges or magistrates Set bail or conditions for release
Accept pleas
Determine delinquency
Dismiss charges
Impose sentence
Revoke probation
Correctional officials Assign to type of correctional facility
Award privileges
Punish for disciplinary infractions
Paroling authorities Determine date and conditions of parole
Revoke parole
Criteria
Excellent
Above
Average
Average
Below Average
Poor Criterion
Score
Content of original
post/demonstration
of material
command/integration
of course materials
and other readings.
20 points
Demonstrated a clear
understanding of the
weekly
material/subject and
articulated command
of content/subject
into well stated post
responses; and/or
displayed critical
thinking by bringing in
more than 2
relevant resources
and by promoting
significant further
thought on the topic.
Points available: 18-20
17.9 points
Displayed a good
understanding of
weekly material
/subject that was
presented in most
posts; and/or
displayed critical
thinking by bringing
in at least 2 relevant
resources promoting
further thoughts on
the topic.
Points available: 16-
17.9
15.9 points
Displayed an
understanding
of weekly
material/subject
but did not fully
articulate their
understanding;
and/or displayed
minimal critical
thinking by
bringing in only
2 relevant
resources that
minimally
promoted
further thoughts
on the topic.
Points available:
14-15.9
13.9 points
Displayed very
little
understanding
of the weekly
material
/subject and
did not
articulate an
understanding;
and/or did not
demonstrate
critical thinking
as evidenced
by having 1 or
less relevant
resources
which
minimally
promoted
further
thoughts on
the topic;
and/or
displayed poor
command of
subject matter.
Points
available: 12-
13.9
11.9 points
Failed to display
any understanding
of the week’s
materials; and/or
incorrectly
addressed the
weekly
material/subject;
and/ or did not
display critical
thinking; or did not
bring in relevant
resources to
support thoughts;
or did not promote
further thoughts on
the topic; or did
not display
command of
subject matter.
Points available F: 0
– 11.9
No post = 0
/20
Timeliness of original
post
5 points
Posts original
discussions by day two
(2) of the academic
week.
Points available: 4.5-5
4.4 points
Posts original
discussions by day
three (3) of the
academic week.
Points available: 4-
4.4
3.9 points
Posts original
discussions by
day four (4) of
the academic
week.
Points available:
3.5-3.9
3.4 points
Posts original
discussion by
day five (5) of
the academic
week.
Points
available: 3-
3.4
2.9 points
Posts original
discussion by day
six (6) or seven (7)
of the academic
week. Points
available
F: 0-2.9
No Post = 0
/5
Peer response
content/weekly
involvement in
discussion board.
10 points
Engaged in discussion
with at least three (3)
peers whereby an idea
was built upon or
refuted and displayed
exemplary critical
thinking.
Points available: 9-10
8.9 points
Engaged in discussion
with at least two (2)
peers whereby an
idea was built upon
or refuted and
displayed good
critical thinking.
Points available: 8-
8.9
7.9 points
Engaged in
discussion with
at least one (1)
peer whereby
an idea was built
upon or
refuted.
Points available:
7-7.9
6.9 points
Replies to
others but did
not built upon
or refute peer
thoughts.
Points
available D: 6-
6.9
F: 0-5.9
0 points
Did not engage in
discussion with
peers
/10
Timeliness of peer
posts.
5 points
Posts peer discussions
by day three (3) of the
academic week.
Points available: 4.5-5
4.4 points
Posts peer
discussions by day
four (4) of the
academic week.
Points available: 4-
4.4
3.9 points
Posts peer
discussions by
day five (5) of
the academic
week.
Points
available: 3.5-
3.9
3.4 points
Posts peer
discussion by
day six (6) of
the academic
week.
Points
available D: 3-
3.4
2.9 points
Posts peer
discussion on day
six (7) of the
academic week.
Points available
Points available F:
0-2.9
No Post = 0
/5
Adherence to
Discussion Forum
10 points
All standards followed
as required (i.e. APA
8.9 points
1 discussion standard
not followed (i.e. APA
7.9 points
2-3 discussion
standards not
6.9 points
4 or more
discussion
0 points
No posts for the
discussion.
/10
Standards and
Guidelines.
format; grammar;
citations; references,
other standards as
required).
Points available: 9-10
format; grammar;
citations; references,
other standards as
required).
Points available: 8-
8.9
followed (i.e.
APA format;
grammar;
citations;
references,
other standards
as required).
Points
available: 7-7.9
standards not
followed (i.e.
APA format;
grammar;
citations;
references,
other
standards as
required).
Points
available D: 6-
6.9
Points
available F: 0-
5.9
Total /50
Excellent – Equivalent
to an A
45 points minimum
Above Average –
Equivalent to an B
40 points minimum
Average –
Equivalent to
an C
35 points
minimum
Below
Average –
Equivalent to
an D
30 points
minimum
Poor – Equivalent
to an F
0 points minimum
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Achiever Papers is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Dissertation Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, if anything is unclear, you may always chat with us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download