You are the victim of a crime. After picking up your two small children from school, you notice that some things are out of place within your home.

You are the victim of a crime. After picking up your two small children from school, you notice that some things are out of place within your home. All in all, your laptop, digital camera, and family heirlooms are missing. The living room and office have been completely ransacked. (In your panic, you do not hear the backdoor to your home open and close. The thief has just left your home). You immediately call the police and file a report. Over the next two weeks, you worry about the safety of your family. Your children have nightmares. You worry that you may never see your stolen possessions again, including the digital camera that had hundreds and hundreds of pictures still on it.
After two weeks, the police call to inform you that they have the woman who broke into your house. Her identity was confirmed with surveillance footage from your neighbor’s security system. The woman is Susan Jones, a 25 year old, White woman, who was found by police after she attempted to buy cigarettes from a carry-out down the street using stolen antique coins. When confronted by police, Susan tried to run, but was caught a short time later by police. One officer was wounded in the pursuit. It appears that Susan is addicted to cocaine, and is supporting her habit by breaking into homes in the neighborhood. She has one prior conviction for drug possession, in which she served 12 months of probation. She is not well educated nor does she have a job.
Susan quickly pleads guilty to breaking and entering into your house. There are additional charges for the altercation with police and for possession of drug paraphernalia. Before Susan is sentenced, the probation department contacts you to give a statement for Susan’s presentence report. Upon meeting with the probation officer, you are informed that Susan was still in the house at the time you returned home with your family. She was in close proximity to your children and you. This makes the victimization all that more traumatizing and real. The probation officer asks what you would like to happen to Susan. While you hold a degree in criminal justice, and understand the benefits of intermediate sanctions and treatment for offenders like Susan, you cannot help but want Susan to be punished to the fullest.
With this scenario in mind, write 3 full pages (double spaced) making a case for what should happen to Susan. Should she be sent to prison? Should she be sentenced to probation (discussed in chapter 4) or another intermediate sanction (discussed in chapter 5)? What sentencing goal do you think applies to Joe’s case? Why should the judge take your statement into consideration? These are just some of the items you should think about. While there is no right or wrong answer, ground your discussion with what you have read in the textbook so far. If you think prison is the best option, spend time discussing why some of the intermediate sanctions presented in chapter 5 should not apply to Susan. Ultimately, I want you to make a recommendation on the sentencing of Susan and ground your decision with the textbook or other sources. You must use citations when using material from the textbook or any other sources you find useful. While outside sources are not required, you may find it necessary to incorporate one to two additional sources in order to strengthen your argument. Please do not simply quote your sources, really attempt to paraphrase or put them into your own words. This assignment is worth 25 points. Grades will be based on the following criteria: a) grammar and mechanics; b) strength of argument; and c) use of applicable materials (see rubric for further details). Use 12 point Times font, and 1 inch margins. Please review the rubric before submitting your paper. If you are using a Mac, please covert your document to pdf format before submitting it.