Introduction to Criminal Justice Instructor: Thaddeus D. Hicks Intro to Criminal Justice is an exploration of the historical development, current operation, and future trends of criminal justice. Emphasis will be placed on contemporary problems in the definition of law, the enforcement of law, strategies of policing, judicial systems, sentencing strategies, correctional practices, and emerging forms of justice. While the focus of the content will be practices in the United States, we will also look at other cultures and their systems of justice. Course Description: This course will provide students with an introduction and overview of the system of criminal justice operated in the United States today. Beginning with a survey of the sources, philosophies, and role of law in society, this course will provide a brief examination of those factors that distinguish civil, criminal and social justice from one another. Students will be introduced to the notion that our definitions of what constitutes a "crime", how society responds to it, and how we explain crime and criminals have changed over time. Similarly, those methods used to measure and compare crime have also changed and students will be introduced to the major sources of our understanding of what we know about the extent of crime in society. A broad survey of the origins, historical development of policing, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing and corrections in the United States will provide students with a basic understanding of the administration of criminal justice and challenge them to decide whether the criminal justice system is a "system" or a "process". Course Objectives: To examine the basic organization of each of the major elements of the Criminal Justice System. To create an awareness of the challenges of the law enforcement, judiciary and corrections elements in today's world. To examine the operations of the various systems. To examine the pathway which an individual follows from first arrest to incarceration. Course Textbooks:
Hahn, Paul (1998) Emerging Criminal Justice, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications Schmalleger, Frank. Criminal Justice Today, Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0 13 184493 8 Zehr, Howard (1995) Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice. Scottdale PA., Herald Press. Zehr, Howard (2002) The Little Book of Restorative Justice, Intercourse, PA, Good Books. Course Requirements: 1. Successfully complete one (1) short essay describing your view of Criminal Justice. 2. Complete 2 Papers. The topics will be given in class, and the length will be 6 8 pages each. The student will use the MLA style. 3. Successfully complete one (1) group presentation. The topic will be decided by class conversations. 4. One (1) examination will be given. The date will be announced in class. All examinations will be based on material from the lectures, textbook and other materials. 5. There will also be a potion of the grade decided by student attendance and class participation. Part of this grade will include the assigned readings. Failure to do so will be evident to the instructor and will affect this grade. Course Evaluation: Initial Essay Paper 1 Paper 2 Group Presentation Prison Design Paper Attendance / Participation Late Assignment Penalty:
Please take note of the dates when assignments are due. These dates are "carved in stone" and are not negotiable. There will be no extensions of those dates unless a valid note from your medical doctor, employer or the clerk of a court is provided to the instructor. A late penalty of ten percent (10 %) of the total grade for the assignment will be assessed for each day that your assignment is late. This means that your assignment will be graded and then 10 points will be taken from your original grade for the assignment...ouch! Grading: No curve will be used to adjust grades. Your course grade will be based upon the total number of points earned in the essay assignment, examinations, and class participation. 90 100 A 80 89 B 70 79 C 60 69 D 0 60 F "A" grades mean outstanding performance. Represents work of an exceptional quality. Content, organization and style all at a high comprehension of the subject and uses existing research and literature where appropriate. Also uses sound critical thinking, has innovative ideas on the subject, and shows personal engagement with the topic. "B" grades mean good performance. Represents work of good quality with no major weaknesses. Writing is clear and explicit and topic coverage and comprehension is more that adequate. Shows some degree of critical thinking and personal involvement in the work. Good use of existing knowledge on the subject. "C" grades mean satisfactory performance. Adequate work. Shows fair comprehension of the subject, but has some weaknesses in the content, style and/or organization of the paper. Minimal critical awareness or personal involvement in the work. Adequate use of the literature. "D" grades mean a marginal performance. Minimally adequate work, barely at a passing level. Serious flaws in content, organization and/or style, Poor comprehension of the subject and minimal involvement in the paper. Poor use of research and existing literature. "F" grades mean an inadequate understanding and application of the course and its materials. Failing work. Plagiarism: College and University regulations regarding academic misconduct, as set forth in the Hicks University Student Handbook and other University documents and publications will be strictly enforced. Any student caught in the act of cheating will be assigned a grade of F (0 points) for that examination and cannot retake the examination. If your
written work does not appear to be your own, you will be questioned informally about the issue. The general rule to follow is this: if a thought is not your original thought or a product of your analysis, then the original author should be cited. Assignments: Week Of Topical Area and Assignment January 8 Introduction to Class January 10 Presentation of Initial Essays January 15 What Is Justice Chapter 1 January 17 The Crime Picture Chapter 2 January 22 The Search For Causes Chapter 3 January 24 Criminal Law Chapter 4 January 29 Paper on Police Identity January 31 Police: History & Structure Chapter 5 February 5 Police: Organization and Management Chapter 6 February 7 Policing: Legal Aspects Chapter 7 February 12 Police: Issues & Challenges Chapter 8 February 14 Guest Speaker: February 19 Courts: Structure and Participants Chapter 9 February 21 Pretrial Activities and the Criminal Trial Chapter 10 February 26 Sentencing Chapter 11 February 28 Guest Speaker: r March 11 Probation, Parole & Community Corrections Chapter 12
March 13 ACJS No Class March 18 ACJS No Class March 20 Prisons and Jails Chapters 13 March 25 Prison Life Chapter 14 March 27 Prison Design Individual Presentations April 1 Prison Design Individual Presentation April 3 Juvenile Justice Chapter 15 April 8 Drugs and Crime Chapter 16 April 10 Terrorism and International Criminal Justice Chapter 17 April 15 The Future of Criminal Justice Chapter 18 April 17 In Class Preparation for Group Presentations on some aspect of Justice. April 22 Presentations April 24 Presentations April 29 Presentations May 1 Class wrap up, completion of Group presentations if necessary. Future of Justice Paper Due Criminal Justice Resources on the World Wide Web: There are a number of sites on the World Wide Web (WWW) which may provide you with information concerning the criminal justice system. Please avoid sites such as Time, Newsweek and The Democrat Gazette, in favor of those sites which are more "academic" in nature, such as those sites maintained by a government agency, college or university. Examples of those sites which are more "scholarly" include: National Criminal Justice Reference Service at http://www.ncjrs.org/
Federal Bureau of Prisons at http://www.bop.gov/ National Criminal Justice Reference Services at http://www.ncjrs.gov/