Criminal Justice Project
Our justice system is an imperfect one. For various reasons, guilty individuals sometimes do not pay for their crimes, while the innocent are sometimes wrongly accused and convicted. Students will read about one example of this in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird (1.1, 1.3.A-C, 1.3.F, 1.6.B, 1.7.B).

For this project, students will read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer or another local newspaper about a person wrongfully convicted of a crime (1.2.A, 1.2.B, 1.3.F). (Teachers can use the article provided, “N.O. Man Cleared in ‘84 Murder,” or an article of their own choosing.) Students will also listen to the story, “Perfect Evidence,” from the This American Life program of National Public Radio (NPR) and/or watch the award winning documentary Murder on A Sunday Morning (1.2.B). Then, students will research the issue of wrongful convictions and interview experts in the field (1.1.A, 1.2.A, 1.6.A, 1.6.C, 1.6.E, 1.8 A-C).  These experts will train young people in their rights and responsibilities with regard to the justice system (1.6.A, 1.6.C). Students will also survey the local community to determine needs and ideas for change (1.6.A, 1.6.C). They will then lobby decision makers for more just procedures, such as the videotaping of interrogations. This advocacy will occur in several ways. First, students will write persuasive letters and essays to law enforcement officials, legislators, and local newspapers (1.4.B, 1.4.C, 1.5.A-G). Then, they will host a Justice Forum, inviting officials, experts, and young people to meet and discuss issues of concern in their community.  At the Forum, students and community members can publicly make their recommendations to the Police Commissioner and others, while officials have an opportunity to respond and share their needs (1.5.G, 1.6.A, 1.6.C-E). Students will be responsible for planning this event, from preparing presentations, to inviting guests, handling promotions, securing space, and seeking media attention (1.4.C-D, 1.5A-F, 1.6.C, 1.6.E).