This essay plan and was marked under the AQA exam board. It was part of a project that received an A* (49/50). This is useful for the planning stages of the EPQ, which has one of the largest weightings when it comes to marking and so is extremely useful for showcasing how you should show your ideas...
EPQ ESSAY PLAN
Essay title: To what extent is the U.S. Criminal Justice System discriminatory towards the poor?
What the essay will include (Overall):
To explore whether the criminal justice system in America is discriminatory against the poor. If YES: how is it so
and why, providing evidence (e.g., testimony). For COUNTER-ARGUMENT: the criminal justice system is not
discriminating as the poor choose to commit these crimes (with evidence provided) and the system is simply
doing its job. Or is it the individuals’ experience with the legal system the REASON why they are poor and thus
starts this cycle of thought, not being poor originally. BUT: what causes the poor to commit crimes and how
many crimes have the poor committed that were minor legal infractions and due to limited means AND does
the criminal justice system take these reduced means into account. EVEN IF the system if found to be innocent,
are the laws fair, what are the treatments of the poor prisoners undergoing police custody and the post-
consequences for the already economically challenged? IS THE SYSTEM using the poor as scapegoat in order
for the wealthy to get richer and to fund their system AND what policies are used by the system that seem
discriminatory OR are they justified legal laws? OVERALL: perhaps the system is discriminatory in the laws it
keeps, which seems to attack the poor for their lack of resources; there has to be a change in the way the US
criminal justice system conducts itself and adjusts itself for the individual needs of those who are under the
system, and further care in the larger term for the US to curb poverty to reduce the crime rates and these
problems.
Subheadings:
1. (Abstract) (500 words)
2. Introduction (500 words)
3. Poverty and Crime (500 words)
4. Wealthy vs Poor (500 words)
5. Monetary Sanctions, Bail, and Debt (500 words)
6. Mistreatment of the Poor – A Case of being poor (500 words)
7. Consequences (of involvement in the justice system) (500 words)
8. Laws (500 words)
9. Ability to Change (500 words)
10. Conclusion (500 words)
Subheading 2.0:
1. Introduction (500 words)
2. Poverty and Crime [+Mistreatment of the Poor – A case of being poor] (950 words)
3. Monetary Sanction, Bail and Debt [+Wealthy vs Poor debate] (950 words)
4. Laws (950 words)
5. Consequences [+Mistreatment of the Poor – A case of being poor] (950 words)
6. Conclusion (700 words)
These word counts are flexible within a 100 word-region.
Objective List:
An account of someone who is poor and has struggled to gain a fair case due to problems he/she has
encountered as a result of the Justice System OR look into account of someone who has witnessed
such mistreatments.
Collect a variety of information about the laws that govern the Justice System in relation to how badly
they affect the poor in the US population.
Investigate the analytical data concerning how many lower working classes US citizens have been
unfairly disadvantaged due to the Justice System failing to meet their reduced needs.
Synthesise and analyse professional opinions of people who work in the System to gain insight to why
the System is failing to meet needs.
, Investigate ways the US Criminal Justice System need to revise their policies in order to help the
majority of the lower working classes and poor people who are incarcerated.
Collect analytical information on poverty and its relation to crime and why this is.
Abstract (500 words):
N/A
Identify the problem of those from poor backgrounds who have to go through the system their
trial or stay in prison when bail is not bought.
Provide a case study or testimony to someone who was poor and mistreated in real-life and the
consequence thereof.
Investigate the likelihood of this happening to those of wealthier backgrounds and briefly compare.
EVALUATION: the poor are directly discriminated in their treatment within the system as it is believed
there are less repercussions from mistreating the economically poor.
Introduction (428 words):
Define the U.S. Criminal Justice System and its role.
State the basis of how it works (i.e., widespread fact)
Identify the source of issue in modern times concerning this system, in particular to social classes.
Overall trends in criminalisation of the poor
Briefly outline the factors that will be discussed in the essay in relation to the criminalisation to the
poor, specifically about the wealthy vs. poor aspect which seems to be a prevalent opinion and topic
that affects other factors (such as bail and debt)
Poverty and Crime (868 words):
Identify the meaning of poverty.
Identify the problem of being poor and how this potentially leads to crimes.
Show the links in poverty and crimes EVALUATION: the poor are more likely to commit crimes than
their wealthier counterparts.
Investigate the reasons for this proportional rise the poor stand to gain more from committing
criminal acts.
EVALUATION: the system is punishing the poor for the crimes they commit to meet their needs; a
crossroad is reached here because although it is understandable why the poor choose to commit
some crimes, like theft, other crimes, such as homicides, are less excusable, and there has to be
consequences for disobeying the law to dissuade them from doing it again
Follow on from here about crimes for need into next paragraph the poor have reduced means as it
is, and though it does push them towards crime, not all who are incarcerated are actually guilty, and
even for those who are, it doesn’t justify the high monetary sanctions or bail prices that are the result
of the court system.
Monetary Sanctions, Bail, and Debt (Wealthy VS. Poor) (850 words):
Define monetary sanctions.
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