Distinguished - Creates a thorough, clear, and accurate thesis statement that clearly and accurately identifies the chosen social and criminal justice issue.

Proficient - Creates a thesis statement that identifies the chosen social and criminal justice issue. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic - Creates a limited thesis statement that vaguely identifies the chosen social and criminal justice issue. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to create a thesis statement that identifies the chosen social and criminal justice issue; however, significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - The thesis statement that identifies the chosen social and criminal justice issue is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Comprehensively, clearly, and accurately summarizes the chosen social and criminal justice issue in approximately one to two pages.

Proficient - Summarizes the chosen social and criminal justice issue in approximately one to two pages. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic - Minimally summarizes the chosen social and criminal justice issue in approximately one to two pages. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to summarize the chosen social and criminal justice issue in approximately one to two pages; however, the summary is more than two pages, and/or significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - The summary of the chosen social and criminal justice issue in approximately one to two pages is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Comprehensively analyzes the empirical research on the chosen topic.

Proficient - Analyzes the empirical research on the chosen topic. The analysis is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Minimally analyzes the empirical research on the chosen topic. The analysis is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempts to analyze the empirical research on the chosen topic; however, the analysis is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The analysis of the empirical research on the chosen topic is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Proposes a thorough, clear, and accurate possible resolution to the chosen social and criminal justice issue.

Proficient - Proposes a possible resolution to the chosen social and criminal justice issue. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic - Proposes a limited possible resolution to the chosen social and criminal justice issue. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to prepare a possible resolution to the chosen social and criminal justice issue; however, significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - The proposal of a possible resolution to the chosen social and criminal justice issue is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Comprehensively and clearly evaluates which branches of the criminal justice system are impacted/involved and how they either help or hinder the issue.

Proficient - Evaluates which branches of the criminal justice system are impacted/involved and how they either help or hinder the issue. Minor details are missing or slightly unclear.

Basic - Minimally evaluates which branches of the criminal justice system are impacted/involved and how they either help or hinder the issue. Relevant details are missing and/or unclear.

Below Expectations - Attempts to evaluate which branches of the criminal justice system are impacted/involved and how they either help or hinder the issue; however, significant details are missing and unclear.

Non-Performance - The evaluation of which branches of the criminal justice system are impacted/involved and how they either help or hinder the issue is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Comprehensively analyzes how the criminal and social theories and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions impact the chosen issue and support the resolution.

Proficient - Analyzes how the criminal and social theories and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions impact the chosen issue and support the resolution. The analysis is slightly underdeveloped.

Basic - Minimally analyzes how the criminal and social theories and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions impact the chosen issue and support the resolution. The analysis is underdeveloped.

Below Expectations - Attempt to analyze how the criminal and social theories and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions impact the chosen issue and support the resolution; however, the analysis is significantly underdeveloped.

Non-Performance - The analysis of how the criminal and social theories and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions impact the chosen issue and support the resolution is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Thoroughly, clearly, and accurately examines how the judiciary, corrections, and law enforcement systems address social equality, solidarity, human rights, and overall fairness for all and how these essential concepts impact the issue and resolution.

Proficient - Examines how the judiciary, corrections, and law enforcement systems address social equality, solidarity, human rights, and overall fairness for all and how these essential concepts impact the issue and resolution. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic - Minimally examines how the judiciary, corrections, and law enforcement systems address social equality, solidarity, human rights, and overall fairness for all and how these essential concepts impact the issue and resolution. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to examine how the judiciary, corrections, and law enforcement systems address social equality, solidarity, human rights, and overall fairness for all and how these essential concepts impact the issue and resolution; however, significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - The examination of how the judiciary, corrections, and law enforcement systems address social equality, solidarity, human rights, and overall fairness for all and how these essential concepts impact the issue and resolution is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Comprehensively and clearly evaluates how poverty, racism, religion, and other sociocultural variables may apply to contemporary social and criminal justice by drawing information among the fields of, but not limited to, criminology, law, philosophy, psychology, science, and sociology.

Proficient - Evaluates how poverty, racism, religion, and other sociocultural variables may apply to contemporary social and criminal justice by drawing information among the fields of, but not limited to, criminology, law, philosophy, psychology, science, and sociology. Minor details are missing, slightly unclear, or inaccurate.

Basic - Minimally evaluates how poverty, racism, religion, and other sociocultural variables may apply to contemporary social and criminal justice by drawing information among the fields of, but not limited to, criminology, law, philosophy, psychology, science, and sociology. Relevant details are missing, unclear, and/or inaccurate.

Below Expectations - Attempts to evaluate how poverty, racism, religion, and other sociocultural variables may apply to contemporary social and criminal justice by drawing information among the fields of, but not limited to, criminology, law, philosophy, psychology, science, and sociology; however, significant details are missing, unclear, and inaccurate.

Non-Performance - The evaluation of how poverty, racism, religion, and other sociocultural variables may apply to contemporary social and criminal justice by drawing information among the fields of, but not limited to, criminology, law, philosophy, psychology, science, and sociology is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the assignment instructions.

Distinguished - Displays meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains no errors and is very easy to understand.

Proficient - Displays comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains only a few minor errors and is mostly easy to understand.

Basic - Displays basic comprehension of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains a few errors which may slightly distract the reader.

Below Expectations - Fails to display basic comprehension of syntax or mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Written work contains major errors which distract the reader.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Accurately uses APA formatting consistently throughout the paper, title page, and reference page.

Proficient - Exhibits APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout contains a few minor errors. 

Basic - Exhibits limited knowledge of APA formatting throughout the paper. However, layout does not meet all APA requirements. 

Below Expectations - Fails to exhibit basic knowledge of APA formatting. There are frequent errors, making the layout difficult to distinguish as APA.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - The length of the paper is equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Proficient - The length of the paper is nearly equivalent to the required number of correctly formatted pages. 

Basic - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least three quarters of the required number of correctly formatted pages.

Below Expectations - The length of the paper is equivalent to at least one half of the required number of correctly formatted pages.   

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.

Distinguished - Uses more than the required number of scholarly sources, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Proficient - Uses the required number of scholarly sources to support ideas. All sources on the reference page are used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.

Basic - Uses less than the required number of sources to support ideas. Some sources may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are used within the body of the assignment. Citations may not be formatted correctly.

Below Expectations - Uses an inadequate number of sources that provide little or no support for ideas. Sources used may not be scholarly. Most sources on the reference page are not used within the body of the assignment. Citations are not formatted correctly.

Non-Performance - The assignment is either nonexistent or lacks the components described in the instructions.