Most students know that one of the fundamentals of writing a great assignment is coming up with a good idea for a topic. We understand that this can be difficult at times, especially when one needs to come up with a research topic for criminal justice. This list of basic criminal justice topics covers a variety of legal areas and helps you get started with writing:
Criminal Justice Reform Topics for College
- How do different first-world countries deal with misdemeanors committed by people under the age of eighteen?
- What are the major differences in capital punishment in different parts of the world?
- How effective are crime prevention tactics at universities and colleges?
- How is capital punishment essential to social cohesion in a country where violent crimes are excessively high?
- What is the biggest difference between civil trials and criminal trials?
Good Criminal Justice Paper Topics for Law School
- Does punishing habitual drug users by putting them in jail further prevent them from breaking away from their addiction?
- What is the difference between legal codes in rural American cities and urban American cities?
- Are white-collar criminals treated differently from blue-collar criminals when it comes to the current legal system in the U.S.?
- To what effect do fingerprint technology and science prevent people from false accusations?
- How do experts utilize forensic science to identify and pursue a suspect that otherwise may have gone unnoticed?
Criminal Justice Topics for High School
- What role does the Supreme Court in the United States have in deciding whether or not reparations to descendants of slaves should be awarded reparations?
- In what ways is the international community preventing cybercrimes from widespread occurrence?
- Do you think the current legal system in your state does enough to protect its citizens from fraudulent organizations or entities?
- Should hate crimes committed against races or ethnic groups be treated differently from similar crimes committed against religious groups?
- How should the legal system handle sexual offense cases when they occur in schools in the workplace?
Controversial Topics in Criminal Justice
- Should the international community make a stronger effort at punishing the United States for war crimes it has committed in the last 50 years?
- Are crime statistics an effective way of determining what laws should be put into place?
- Do you think it is ethical for the state congress to punish doctors who treat transgender youth?
- What role should modern philosophy and ethics play in determining what laws are overturned or put into effect?
- Are there any contradictions between capitalism and civil liberties?
Criminal Justice Paper Topics for Undergraduates
- Does poverty play a role in the severity of crimes and the way society punishes them?
- Should the state legal system treat minors that have committed violent crimes like adults?
- What are the origins of the capital punishment system in the United States and England?
- How does precedent affect the way sentences are handed out in modern times?
- What are the biggest arguments against ending capital punishment at the federal level?
Criminal Justice Research Ideas for Graduate Students
- Does law enforcement in the United States need to be revamped?
- What role do young people play in reducing the levels of violent crimes being committed?
- How successful are programs meant to rehabilitate criminals that have committed violent crimes?
- What laws are in place to protect parents from facing criminal charges when they hit their children?
- How have jails and extended sentences worked to deter criminals from committing violent acts?
Great Criminal Justice Research Paper Ideas
- How much should the media influence how violent criminals are sentenced?
- In what ways is the “eye for an eye” principle a guiding concept for the way punishments are handed out in today’s legal system?
- What laws are in place to deter cybercriminals from committing identity theft?
- Should people that use firearms to protect themselves face steeper or lesser penalties?
- In what ways should forensic science be used and considered in criminal cases?
Easy Criminal Justice Controversial Topics
- How can criminal justice be used to break the cycle of sexual assault?
- In what ways does a person’s age influence the way he or she is prosecuted?
- How is domestic violence linked to the socio-economic area victims call their home?
- Do you think that making criminal laws more punitive is a form of deterring criminals from committing violent acts?
- Which police procedures in existence make it difficult for prosecutors of violent suspects?
Excellent Criminal Justice Thesis Topics
- Can strict gun laws actually prevent violent street crimes?
- Should the President of the United States be immune to crimes?
- What is the most effective way to prosecute people that have been accused of sexual assault?
- Should drunk drivers face criminal charges contingent on the severity of the victims put at risk?
- When someone is on trial for a violent crime, what influence does the person’s family have on his or her punishment?
Criminal Justice Research Proposal Topics
- Should DNA evidence be applied to all cases where a convicted felon has claimed innocence?
- Is date rape being punished too harshly or should there be more done?
- How has the global weapons trade gone up over the last three decades around the world?
- Does the current criminal justice system fairly treat criminals convicted of misdemeanor drug possession?
- How has forensic science changed the way the defense team protects its clients?
- Do victims of crimes have the right to exact equal penalties to those that committed the crimes in the first place?
- How has human trafficking increased in the United States in the last two decades?
- Is jury selection in local government still an adequate and fair method?
- Is the penalty for the 3 strikes rule in California and other states a fair type of punishment?
- Should ex-convicts that have served time for non-violent crimes be allowed to have their felonies expunged?
- How can we tell whether a defensive shooter did not have the intent to harm?
- What laws are in place to protect children from sexual predators on the internet?
- What is meant by the term “hidden criminality”? How does it affect the ways laws are written in modern times?
- Should people who commit sexual assault on minors receive capital punishment?
Criminal Justice Research Topics for Grad Students
- Is it ethical for federal judges to serve life-long terms in the court system?
- Should genetics and heredity be considered in violent criminal cases?
- How much does race play a role in the decisions by courts when it comes to capital punishment?
- What role do alternate jury members play in the current legal system?
- What are the most effective programs for reducing the chances of criminals repeating criminal acts?
- How do criminal justice and the legal system as a whole affect public policy at the local level?
- Should federal judges be evaluated by their peers to ensure ethical decision-making?
- How much does a person’s history of drug use affect his or her punishment in unrelated crimes?
- What types of penalties should be put into place to deter instances of date rape?
- Does the current legal system in the United States promote or prevent ex-convicts that are re-entering society?
- What laws are in place to lower the instances of domestic violence?
Creative Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics
- Why do convicted criminals become habitual or repeat offenders?
- How is the crime rate difference between the upper class and lower class communities?
- Why are males convicted and sentenced to the death penalty at a higher rate than females?
- Does one’s level of education affect his or her risk of committing a serious crime?
- What is the difference between juvenile criminal systems in the United States compared to those in the United Kingdom?
- How much does a person’s socio-economic circumstance affect his/her criminal risk?
- What is the relationship between inmates and social workers trying to get the benefits?
- In what ways does criminology help people from becoming victims of cybercrimes?
- How has the Ponzi scheme evolved over the last century to still elude victims from discovery?
- What laws are in place to offer victims of sexual abuse?
Current Criminal Justice Essay Topics
- Should minors that commit violent crimes face the same penalties as adults that commit similar crimes?
- Should there be a national registry for sex offenders or does this violate privacy?
- How effective are anti-drug programs in the prevention of excessive drug use in the United States?
- What are the different types of cyber and white-collar crimes that are not being prosecuted?
- What laws protect people from having to submit DNA as evidence when they are accused of a crime?
- Should law enforcement officials that are convicted of corruption face more serious penalties?
- Do you think the current U.S. legal system makes it fair for minorities?
- What role does forensic science play in prosecuting criminals in the U.S. legal system?
- What methods do criminals use in order to avoid detection by forensic science?
- How has the underground child labor trade been able to avoid prosecution in places like Cuba?
- How has business remained lawless despite advances in cyber technology and prevention?
- What are the biggest threats to cybersecurity in terms of scams and schemes?
- Should the court system be more lenient for victimless crimes?
- What are the most effective methods to end cyberbullying beyond the schoolyard?
- How do the various opinions of cyberbullying vary from one another?
- Do the methods of deterring crime effectively reduce the number of criminal acts?
- How effective are educational courses and training for non-violent inmates in jail?
- Is there a reason why marijuana is still classified as a class 1 drug at the federal level?
- What are the negative effects on children that are exposed to violence in the household?
- Should the courts review classical cases and adjust laws for modern society?
The criminal justice research topics listed above are completely free to use and share. If they do not fit your assignment you can always modify them to topics that are far more manageable. You can also have one of our qualified thesis writers come up with a list of fresh criminal justice debate topics. Just contact our support staff and let us know what you need.