Writing papers doesn’t always come easy, ordering essays from us does.
Order Now
criminal justice topics

179 Criminal Justice Topics For High Quality Essays

Criminal justice topics cover crimes and justice. A research topic in this field can focus on revealing essential methods, tendencies, and reasons for understanding the current circumstances in society. Researchers gather information when researching this field can help lower the crime level while improving the justice system.

Essentially, topics in this field aim to study, analyze, explore, and prevent people from breaking the law. Regardless of what people talk about regarding real case studies or theoretical rules, the research findings should be valuable for society. This article lists 170-plus interesting topics in criminal justice that you may consider for your paper. It’s a useful piece because many learners don’t know what to write about whenever educators give them this assignment.

What Is Criminal Justice?

Criminal justice is the system that dispenses justice to criminals. It’s the system via which society identifies, apprehends, judges, and punishes criminals and crime. This system comprises law enforcement, courts, and corrections.

Essentially, the criminal justice system includes the crime that the defendant allegedly committed, law enforcers who apprehended the defendant, the court system that defends and prosecutes the defendant, and the punishment for the convict.

Criminal justice research topics help professionals and students gain an in-depth comprehension of the field. Also, they enable government officials working in the discipline, crime prevention, and law enforcement to work better. In-depth research or study in criminal justice can also help bridge the gap between the current practices in this profession by advancing the existing knowledge.

By researching and writing about criminal justice, students can become critical thinkers. That’s because it enables them to evaluate policies according to facts and evidence. Also, research on these topics can inspire scholars to analyze and challenge the existing intrinsic prejudice and assumptions.

How To Write A Criminal Justice Essay

Criminal justice has some of the best topics to explore in research papers and essays. However, writing a winning piece entails following specific steps. Here’s how to write a good criminal justice essay.

  • Topic selection: Selecting a good topic can lead to the project’s success if you do the other steps right. An ideal issue is narrow, in line with the instructor’s guidelines, engaging, and possible to defend. Also, a good topic has adequate sources of appropriate and relevant information.
  • Outline: Once you have a topic, plan and organize your research and writing process. Outlining helps you figure out how to research the issue, collect information, and write the paper before starting. And this makes the project easier to complete.
  • Research: Gather as much relevant and valuable information as possible. Focus on addressing your criminal justice topic and answering all pertinent questions. Take notes while researching, including your information sources’ details, such as the author, publisher, title, and URLs. Your notes will help you cite your sources when writing the essay.
  • Write the first draft: Write the first draft using information sources and notes. Organize the information to back your hypothesis. If you find missing information, go back to your sources to find it. Always remember that relevance is essential.
  • Write the final draft: Develop your paper’s thesis, critically arguing and analyzing your points concerning the existing studies. Cite each information source property in the bibliography and in-text. Also, comply with your instructor’s citation or formatting guidelines.
  • Edit and proofread: Read the final draft keenly, ensuring that the ideas flow and you have researched and addressed your topic well. Collect punctuation, grammar, and typo mistakes. Alternatively, use our writing assistance to fix all errors in your paper.

Selecting the right topic can make a difference in your paper’s quality and the writing process. We provide this list of basic criminal justice topics to consider for your essays.

Basic Criminal Justice Essay Topics

Maybe you want your paper to address a fundamental topic in this study field. In that case, consider the following fundamental issues in this academic field.

  1. Exploring the main weaknesses in the current justice system
  2. Ways to prevent crimes
  3. What motivates criminals to kidnap innocent people?
  4. How mass media and social media influence crimes
  5. Methods of solving violence in prisons
  6. Do corrupt criminals deserve more severe justice punishment?
  7. Does aggression depict a person that may commit a crime in the future?
  8. Understanding what strain theory means
  9. Forensic science- What are the aims and meanings?
  10. Is capital punishment more spread among males than among females?
  11. Exploring the history of the criminal ethics
  12. Is criminal justice study a social science?
  13. Public policy and criminal justice- What’s the correlation?
  14. War crimes versus civil crimes
  15. Private prisons- Do they have advantages?
  16. What causes victimization?
  17. Offenses against cultural traits and religion
  18. The impact of criminal justice on mental health
  19. The effect of judge selection on trials
  20. Types of evidence that features in criminal cases
  21. Eyewitness identifications and their challenges
  22. The role of prosecutors, law enforcement, and public defenders
  23. Gender bias instances in legal investigations
  24. The procedure of the criminal justice courts
  25. Investigating domestic violence and criminal justice

This category comprises essential criminal justice topics to write about and impress the educators. Nevertheless, they still require some research to write high-quality and informative papers.

Good Criminal Justice Essay Topics And Questions

Perhaps, you want your paper to address an interesting issue in this field and dazzle your educator. In that case, the following list has good ideas to explore in your essays.

  1. The hidden pitfalls and main problems with the prison system
  2. Why does the criminal justice system give more males capital punishment than females?
  3. What are the motifs, features, and behavior patterns in kidnapping and ransom?
  4. Fundamental principles in crime prevention
  5. Justice and crime in the mass media
  6. Hate crime online- Investigating defamation, trolling, and revenge leaks
  7. Internet vigilantism- Exploring revenge leaks
  8. Cyber crime – What is it from a legal perspective?
  9. Firing a gun- How professionals can understand whether it was an accident or a deliberate crime
  10. The latest innovations in experimental criminology
  11. Jury selection- How it works
  12. Sexual assault in workplaces and schools
  13. The choice rational theory and deterrence theory- What’s their relevance in the contemporary world?
  14. The pros and cons of sex offender registry
  15. Investigating the laws of parental abduction
  16. How drug courts work
  17. Forgery cases in offices, educational institutions, and governmental organizations
  18. Cyberstalking and cyberbullying – How parents can protect their kids
  19. Crime systems’ classification
  20. Prosecution laws- Understanding their application in practice
  21. Scientific field fraud- How to protect copyright for researchers’ discoveries
  22. Comparing the legislative framework between Maryland and Florida
  23. The Texas criminal justice department’s code of ethics
  24. Religious crimes- Exploring their punishment
  25. Exploring the criminal trial process
  26. Campus crime- Investigating the precautions and laws against it
  27. Exploring the prisoners’ and criminals’ rights
  28. Investigating capital punishment abolition and what history teaches about it
  29. Understanding the place of distributive justice in criminal justice
  30. Are male crimes different from female crimes?
  31. What are the rights of rape victims?
  32. Problem-solving: Exploring the underlying problems they address
  33. The three-strike rule and mandatory sentencing
  34. What motivates people to commit hate crimes?
  35. What are the dangers of young gangs?
  36. Fieldwork- How criminal justice experts conduct it
  37. Criminal justice and humanities in Britain during the eighteenth century
  38. Wildlife crime- Understanding its prevalence and prevention
  39. Felony disenfranchisement laws- Exploring their applications
  40. Corruption and organized crime- What’s the relationship?
  41. Victim services- Can they help the crime victim?
  42. Violence and prison rape- Understanding the psychological aspect and prevention
  43. Juvenile recidivism- Investigating the risk groups
  44. Forensic science: Functions and role in the contemporary criminal justice
  45. Shoplifting- Investigating ways to prevent theft
  46. Witness protection- How the programs work and who is eligible
  47. Crime and substance abuse- Causation and correlation
  48. Identity theft- Consequences and dangers in the modern world
  49. Online predators- Laws that can protect kids with real-life examples
  50. Criminal and civil cases- Understanding their differences

These are relevant ideas and issues to address in criminal justice research. However, prepare to spend time and effort working on your preferred topic in this category.

Criminal Justice Argumentative Essay Topics

Maybe you want to draft a paper on a topic that provokes debates. If so, here’s a list of relevant and exciting titles to consider for your essays.

  1. Where do you draw the line between premeditated crime and self-defense?
  2. Prostitution- Is it a crime, and should prostitutes have a minimum wage?
  3. Stalking- Does it violate human rights, and should the law punish it?
  4. Child abuse- What’s the difference between child abuse and discipline
  5. Sexual abuse- is BDSM a form of sexual abuse?
  6. Is homicide the same as murder?
  7. Body camera- Do the police body cams intrude on privacy?
  8. Should the law charge intoxicated drivers with first-degree murder if they cause a tragic accident?
  9. To what extent should domestic violence appear in the media?
  10. How prison affects the incarcerated individuals’ children
  11. Is the death penalty a maximum punishment?
  12. The importance of extradition laws in some countries and not the others
  13. Is cooperating with prisoners in detecting crimes acceptable?
  14. Does social shaming facilitate criminal punishment while improving personality?
  15. Is sending criminals to establishments like supermax prisons too cruel?
  16. Can marijuana legalization increase crime?
  17. Is deviating from the punishment fair for young offenders?
  18. Should the law give drunk drivers a more substantial responsibility for every crime they commit?
  19. Can zero-tolerance reduce crimes?
  20. Can prostitution legalization increase crime?

Explore such topic ideas if you’re interested in a contentious issue that can provoke a debate.

Controversial Criminal Justice Topics

Maybe you desire to explore a controversial issue in your paper or essay. In that case, here are some of the controversial topics to explore in this study field.

  1. The use criminal justice system and marijuana legalization
  2. The pros and cons of marijuana decriminalization
  3. Zero tolerance- Is the policy best for crime reduction?
  4. Are supermax prisons effective or cruel?
  5. Devious interrogations- Should the law make deceit acceptable during the investigations?
  6. Extradition law- How fair is it?
  7. Death penalty- Does it deter crime?
  8. Crime and social class- Do they relate?
  9. Selective incapacitation- How effective is the policy in reducing crime?
  10. Predictive policing- How effective is it?
  11. Boot camps and youthful offenders- Is the strategy effective?
  12. Eye witness testimony- How does it help with investigations?
  13. Prostitution- Its legalization and the controversy around it
  14. Does the war on drugs solve the perennial drug problem?
  15. Is the restorative justice model the best tool in criminal justice?
  16. Punishment vs. reform- Which is more beneficial?
  17. Criminal insanity- Is it a sufficient reason for liability exemption?
  18. Should the law eliminate the juvenile justice system?
  19. School ground drug testing- Is it helpful and practical?
  20. Investigating police brutality in the US
  21. Effective gun control strategies
  22. Why society doesn’t need gun control laws
  23. Pornography- Is it sexual violence?
  24. Is there a proper application of the death penalty?
  25. Is the current justice system racist?
  26. How to protect yourself from a false accusation
  27. Crime and race- What’s the correlation?
  28. Is there a correlation between bad parenting and juvenile delinquency?
  29. Can restrictive housing help decongest prisons?
  30. Homegrown crimes- Can there be an effective program for preventing them?

These are controversial ideas to consider researching and writing about in criminal justice. However, prepare to spend sufficient time working on your idea to write a good paper.

Criminal Justice Reform Topics

Maybe you want your research and writing to address criminal justice reforms or write a social worker essay. If so, consider these ideas for your academic paper.

  1. Can police promotion improve the criminal justice system?
  2. How the criminal justice system can improve security
  3. Ways to end unjust punishments
  4. How to eliminate racial disparities in the justice system
  5. How to remove barriers facing the people affected by the criminal justice system
  6. Ways to improve eyewitness testimony’s reliability
  7. How to prevent international drug trafficking
  8. How to boost the efficacy of drug courts
  9. Ways to avoid prison population buildup
  10. How courts and lawyers can improve efficiency in the criminal justice system

These are relevant criminal justice issue topics to explore, aiming to provide solutions that can reform the system. Nevertheless, these ideas require careful investigation and analysis to write a high-quality essay.

Criminal Justice Persuasive Essay Topics

Do you want to write about a persuasive criminal justice topic? If so, here are excellent ideas to consider.

  1. What the governments should do about cities with high crime rates
  2. Should college campuses allow guns?
  3. Do humans have privacy rights?
  4. What should the criminal justice system do about increasing terrorist convictions?
  5. What should the criminal justice system do about increasing domestic violence cases?
  6. Is the death penalty necessary?
  7. Should the criminal justice system rehabilitate drug crime convicts or imprison them?
  8. Is marijuana a gateway drug that leads to harder drugs?
  9. Can the criminal justice system rehabilitate criminals?
  10. Who is in the wrong when a self-driving car causes an accident?
  11. Should the criminal justice system restrict drones’ use for recreational activity?
  12. How can the criminal justice system solve the high illegal activity recurrence among former prisoners?
  13. Measures the criminal justice system can take to prevent drug abuse as the leading cause of domestic violence
  14. Using marijuana should remain a criminal office because it’s an addictive narcotic
  15. Does the current world need more restrictive gun laws?

Choose one of these criminal justice essay topics and research it extensively to write a winning paper to convince your readers to agree with your perspective.

More Criminal Justice Topics For Essay

Consider these ideas if you still can’t find a relevant topic to research and write about in the above list.

  1. Investigating cybercrime from the legal perspectives
  2. The jury selection process
  3. The criminal trial procedure
  4. The operation of drug courts
  5. How fair is extradition law?
  6. How supermax prisons work
  7. Crime and fear of it
  8. What is victim assistance?
  9. Protective species trafficking
  10. Elderly victimization and the criminal justice system
  11. Victim assistance and the criminal justice system
  12. The importance of crime scene investigations
  13. What the criminal justice system says about wrongful convictions
  14. What is transitional justice?
  15. What is jury nullification?
  16. Investigating planted evidence
  17. Investigating false confessions
  18. Exploring white-color crimes
  19. Investigating interrogation methods
  20. What are civilian review boards?
  21. Crime and community policing
  22. Investigating policing protests
  23. Criminalizing protest and activism
  24. Exploring disaster and criminalization
  25. Investigating crime, probation, and parole
  26. Studying prisoners’ re-entry
  27. Investigating women prisoners
  28. Investigating child abduction cases
  29. Understanding crime control theories

These are relevant topics to explore in this academic field. But if you can’t write about any of these ideas for any reason, seek professional assistance online.

Custom Essay Writing Help

Do you have difficulties choosing and writing about a criminal justice topic? If so, our educated, knowledgeable, and experienced ENL native writers can help you. We offer quick writing assistance to learners at different academic levels, and even online essay editing services. Contact us now for quick, timely, and affordable help with your criminal justice paper.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published