Sample Proposal Memo

TO: Curtis Allen, ENG 112 Instructor
FROM: Mary Q. Student
DATE: October 2, 1998
SUBJECT: Research Paper Proposal

I have narrowed my research topic down to prison privatization. This is a subject that I am very interested in because I work for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and this could possibly affect my job. In this paper I plan to do the following:

1. General Topic. I plan to argue that private prisons are not the answer to our rising prison population. I want to explain why privatizing prisons is not going to save any money for taxpayers; it will only cost them more in the long run.
2. Intended Audience. The intended audience for this research paper will be the citizens of the State of Ohio. This is a specialized audience. They are the taxpayers, and they need to be told the facts.
3. Voice. My position as a writer will be that of an informer. I plan to inform people why this is not the way to solving our problems with prisons. It is also to be an advocate against prison privatization.
4. Tentative Thesis. The statistics show that privatizing prisons does not save taxpayers money.