Introduction:
A prospectus paper is, in essence, a short proposal from you to me to write an upcoming longer, detailed essay. In this case, it is an offer to write an essay on the general subject of prison and jail punishment, and rehabilitation in the U.S. Go ahead and read this module’s essay assignment page for the essay’s requirements and writing prompt. The purpose of writing a prospectus is to help students form the structure of an essay that follows. As a guild, the following points are considered essential for successfully completing the prospectus assignment in this module:

After reading Bill Keller’s What’s Prison For?, students should have a general familiarity with the book’s thesis of why the current incarceration system is problematic in the U.S. along with his supporting premises.

Students also now should have some familiarity with online research within LPC’s Library databases.
At this point, students can gather together these two sources of information to formulate early ideas about the effects of the current prison and jail system, and Keller’s possible remedies. A stronger essay will focus on one particular issue related to Keller’s book.
Additionally, students should be familiar with Keller’s book in terms of argumentative structure: his use of thesis, premises, conclusions, counterarguments, refutations, concessions, and Rogerian strategy. 
After deciding on what your possible essay could look like, write the prospectus paper as a proposal to the instructor. It’s fine to use the language of proposals: “I propose to write an essay on….” If needing help with visualizing a possible structure of a prospectus paper, see the Prospectus Sample in this module.

The prospectus should show how Keller’s book (the primary source) will be used to support your working thesis, identifying the portions of the author’s book, which will be used to support your thesis. Keller’s book should be the focus of the essay, with the secondary sources acting as backup support to a thesis.

Additionally, the prospectus should have a short mentioning of 1-3 research articles (secondary sources) only from the LPC Library databases, how the research articles will help support the paper’s thesis, and what is the importance of your paper—what will the instructor learn from your essay. This upcoming essay can teach others about punishment and rehabilitation.

One last thing: This prospectus does not necessarily need to be used for the longer essay. You are welcome to change the subject or thesis if you decide later on a different direction for the longer essay.
Assignment objectives:
After completing this assignment, you will become familiar with writing a prospectus paper, a paper that outlines in paragraph form a following essay’s direction.
Students will be able to demonstrate in writing a valid thesis, supporting evidence, and researched evidence to include in a following essay.
Students also will demonstrate the use of MLA citation practices.
Connection to module objectives:

Demonstrate composition skills related to a line of inquiry with a unifying thesis and supporting evidence.

Steps:

Using a Word or Google doc, write a 400-500-word prospectus paper, in sentence/paragraph form, that offers your working thesis, relevant supporting research, and the significance of your upcoming essay on the subject of punishment and rehabilitation in the U.S. Please see the introduction above for detailed instructions.