Academic Writing

legalization of marijuana with the legality of mandatory minimum sentencing laws A window into the literature: • Numerous judges disagree with sentencing they have been forced to enforce • The US would save billions of dollars expended on incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders • These offenders are ‘scarred for life’ as a result of the sentencing • Since drug prohibition has not profoundly decreased drug supply alternative regulatory models should be sought if drug supply and violence of the market are to be reduced. In light of the legalization of marijuana gaining steam across the nation, the legality of mandatory minimum sentencing laws have again come into question by many. The federal government’s mandate of a five year sentence attached to the drug in this country is causing great concern of officers of courts, police, and to the incarcerated family members. There is a long history of mandatory minimums for federal crimes such as murder and treason. However, with changing legislation by states of the legal status of this particular drug many police officers feel prisoner advocacy groups feel in limbo. Some of these organizations have indicated that they just want to the laws to fit the crime. Design this “pilot study” by: Create a plan to assess the effectiveness of the organizational change. 1. Identify the theory of effectiveness that you are employing. “One Page” 2. Identify the data that will be needed to test that theory. “One Page” 3. Provide instruments to collect those data. “One Page” 4. Create plans to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the data collected by those instruments. “One to two Pages” 5. Support your decisions with references to the appropriate literature. “One Page” After researching the literature on mandatory minimums sentencing reforms champion assessment and on organizational change, the organization: Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) used Kotter’s eight steps (1996) to successfully persuade their board of directors to engage in a pilot study, but they’re not quite sure how to set it up. The pilot study aim would be to see if offenders with mandatory minimum marijuana charges were released three years earlier would re-offend. Having heard about the extraordinary doctoral program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, they set out to hire one of its graduates. Upon the strong recommendation of your committee, they have hired you. Please help them determine whether or not this change should be made. Design this “pilot study” by: Create a plan to assess the effectiveness of the implementation program you designed. 1. Identify the theory of effectiveness that you are employing. “One Page” 2. Identify the data that will be needed to test that theory. “One Page” 3. Provide instruments to collect those data. “One Page” 4. Create plans to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the data collected by those instruments. “One to two Pages” 5. Support your decisions with references to the appropriate literature. “One Page” Reference Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.