Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 MSCJ 501 DEA Current Issues and Future Directions in Criminal Justice March 2015 Session 14-M54 Monday, March 23 - Saturday, May 16, 2015 Course Description Textbooks This course is designed to provide the student with an examination of the salient, current critical issues in the justice system affecting law enforcement, criminal justice personnel, public policy and recent social developments. Must be taken as a foundational course for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice. Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: -- None Muraskin, Roslyn and Roberts, Albert R. Visions for Change: Crime and Justice in the Twenty-First Century. 5 th Edition (2009) ISBN: 978-0-13-613939-3 Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at 800-325-3252 For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com. Course Overview The purpose of this course is to provide the graduate student with a view of the changing factors and conditions impacting the criminal justice system as well as a an overview of trends that will likely impact components of the system. The course will review contemporary issues as well as advanced uses of technology. Issues which are serious problems within the system will be examined with up to date research. The course will look at the future of juvenile justice, the impact of the threat of terrorism, new policing and law enforcement strategies, the death penalty, civil liberties, institutional and community corrections and diversity issues in the future of criminal justice. The course textbook provides the graduate student with a blend of information including research as well as creative ideas for the future of the criminal justice system, law and public policy. The student should demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the objectives by scoring an average of 80% or better on written examinations and classroom assignments, and demonstrating the ability to discuss and apply theoretical concepts in a practical manner.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word or another word processor such as Open Office. Microsoft PowerPoint or a PowerPoint viewer (may be down loaded free from www.microsoft.com/downloads You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Additionally, this course will use videos and pod casts as part of the course content. You should have speakers connected to your computer for these links and your web browser should have audio and video players. Course Objectives To understand current issues in the American system of justice. To understand the legal, practical, political nature of issues and trends in criminal justice. To understand the law and public policy and how they interface with crime and public safety. To critically analyze trends and issues in the criminal justice system. Measurable Learning Outcomes Identify specific problems, trends and issues in the criminal justice system. Distinguish between problems, trends and issues of the past, present and the future. Master at least one trend or issue and become sufficiently knowledgeable so information can be imparted to the class in a formalized manner. Demonstrate a practical and working knowledge of how the issue or trend developed. Predict, explain, and support likely future developments regarding the trend or issue and justify what interventions would be appropriate.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A 900-1,000 90-100 B 800-899 80-89 C 700-799 70-79 F 000-699 0-69 Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussion (8) 240 24 Dropbox Assignments (8) 320 32 Tests (7) 140 14 Paper 300 30 Total 1,000 100 Schedule of Due Dates (All assignments are due at 11:59 p.m. CT.) WEEK ASSIGNMENT POINTS DUE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dropbox Assignment 1 & 2 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 1 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 3 & 4 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 2 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 5 & 6 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 3 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 7 & 8 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 4 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 9 & 10 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 5 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 11 & 12 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 6 30 Saturday Dropbox Assignment 13 & 14 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 7 30 Term Paper 300 8 Dropbox Assignment 15 & 16 (20 pts. each) 40 Discussion 8 30 Saturday Saturday
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 Assignment Overview You are expected to be involved in the course a minimum of 5 hours per week participating in discussions and other appropriate online activities, such as sending and receiving e-mail. You should also plan to spend an additional 5 hours per week reading, writing and studying. All work is due on Saturdays at 11:59pm. Reading Assignments: Complete weekly reading assignments before participating in Discussions or Dropbox assignments so you can apply what you have learned from the text readings. Multimedia Content: You must view any PowerPoints, videos and/or pod casts posted in the course content. The may be quiz questions related to any of the materials as well as points of discussion during our weekly discussion posts. Discussions: Your discussion postings must be original and intelligible; you must communicate effectively. Your initial posting for each question must be a minimum of 100 words, and you must address each additional question posed by the instructor during the discussion. In addition to posting your original answer, you must respond to at least three (3) of your classmates postings. You are expected to read all discussion postings each week. All discussions must take place in the Discussions area. E-mailed discussion postings will not receive credit. Dropbox Assignments: Dropbox Assignments should be written as if you are communicating with a client. The formal rules of proper English and grammar apply, and points will be deducted for misspellings, incomplete sentences, poor sentence structure, etc. Each of the two assignments each week must be 2-3 pages in length, double spaced and written in APA or MLA format. You must include an additional page with references with each assignment. Please prepare your assignment using MS Word or Word Perfect and submit it to the Dropbox. E-mailed assignments will not receive credit. Tests: Beginning in Week 2, you will complete tests that will assess your understanding of the week s material. Each quiz consists of 20 multiple-choice questions, and you will have 1 hour to complete it. You will not need a proctor for any of the tests. Term Paper: By the beginning of Week Four (4) start researching a component of the criminal justice system. Write 15 20 page, double spaced APA or MLA format paper highlighting your research into the system component; highlight current challenges to the component, expected future challenges, and your creative ideas on how the component can be effective in the future. References are required; you must cite at least five. Wikipedia is not an acceptable resource and should not be used as a citation. There are several Websites and library resources available on criminal justice to assist you in your research for this assignment; please ensure that the Internet is not your only source of information. The paper must be prepared formatted for MSWord 97 or newer and submitted via the appropriate Dropbox folder. Make sure your full name appears on all pages. The paper will be due week 7.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 Course Schedule Week 1 Getting Acquainted, Getting Started Browse the course environment. Review the introductions and other information in the Content area. Browse the textbook, including the index. Begin reading Chapters 1-4 (Parts I and II of the book) Discussion 1: Introduce yourself in the Discussions area. Engage your fellow students in a discussion about your interest in criminal justice as well as what you see as the most pressing issues confronting the criminal justice system today. Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 1 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 1: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. What Criminal Justice issues should we study from the past in order to develop a vision and plan for the future and why? (Provide specific support through text, online research, such as sites you discover, and your own studies in criminal justice.) 2. Describe the role of the criminal justice system today and, based on current challenges, predict what the role of the system should be in the future. Week 2 Technology Complete Chapters 2-4 (Part II) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 2 in the Content area. Discussion 2: Should the use of video surveillance technologies be expanded in public places and on road ways for law enforcement purposes? Why or why not? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 2 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 2: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page. 1. Based on the readings, explain how technology can be used to effectively manage the nation s correctional systems and describe potential positive outcomes from increased use of such technologies. 2. Summarize how improvements in forensic science have impacted the criminal justice system. Tests: Please complete the Week 2 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Week 3 Crime Challenges in the 21 st Century Chapters 5-16 (Part III) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 3 in the Content area.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Discussion 3: Is the war on drugs working? Why or why not? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 3 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 3: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. Predict how juvenile violence and delinquent behaviors associated with gang activity could be effectively prevented or deterred. 2. Describe how trends toward more alternatives to incarceration will increase involvement of the victims of crimes. Tests: Please complete the Week 3 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Week 4 The Police Chapters 17-20 (Part IV) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 4 in the Content area. Discussion 4: How can community policing and problem oriented policing impact communities in which they are employed? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 4 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 4: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. Explain how police response to domestic violence has changed over the past three decades. 2. Describe how technology has revolutionized police work and predict what technology can do to improve policing in the future. Tests: Please complete the Week 4 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Term Paper: Begin working on your 15-20 page term paper, which will be due Week 7. See the Assignment Overview section and the course Content area for more detailed instruction. Week 5 Law Chapters 21-25 (Part V) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 5 in the Content area. Discussion 5: Is the death penalty effective? Why or why not? What is the future of the death penalty? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 5 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 5: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. Examine the Bill of Rights in the context of cases discussed in the text (as well as other technology related cases you may find during your research) and provide a brief analysis on how the increasing use of technology by law enforcement is being / will be regulated? 2. Describe your understanding of the purpose of the USAPATRIOT Act, and compare and
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 contrast how the law may or may not impact civil liberties? Tests: Please complete the Week 5 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Week 6 Corrections Chapters 26-30 (Part VI) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 6 in the Content area. Discussion 6: What are the challenges in managing HIV/AIDS populations in American prisons? What can be done to mitigate those challenges? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 6 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 6: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. List and describe the most recent trends in sentencing. 2. Describe recent trends in privatized corrections, predict future directions with this trend and evaluate the success of this trend in terms of cost effectiveness, population management and liability. Tests: Please complete the Week 6 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Course Evaluations: Please evaluate the course. You will be able to submit your course evaluation between Sunday of Week 5 and Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Week 7 Terrorism Chapters 31-33 (Part VII) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 7 in the Content area. Discussion 7: How should international terrorism be fought-- through law enforcement and criminal justice tactics or through military tactics? Why? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 7 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 7: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. Based on your study of trends, predict the challenges associated with domestic terrorism in coming years 2. Discuss the forms of profiling that have been used to combat international terrorism. Tests: Please complete the Week 7 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Term Paper: Submit your completed Term Paper to the correct Dropbox folder. Week 8 Gender, Diversity and the Law
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 Chapters 34-37 (Part VIII) Read any articles or review any Websites listed under Week 8 in the Content area. Discussion 8: What are the biggest challenges for women in the criminal justice workforce? Please post your original answer and respond to at least three of your classmates postings by midnight Saturday. Also, listen to the webcast and view PowerPoint Slides in the Week 8 Content link and be prepared to respond to follow up questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignment 8: Respond to the each of the following questions in two separate 2-3 page 1. Define the term workforce diversity and describe benefits and management challenges associated with this. 2. Define sentencing disparity, provide examples of sentencing disparity and summarize the impact of sentencing disparity. Tests: Please complete the Week 8 Test by midnight Saturday. You will have one hour to complete Course Policies Student Conduct Plagiarism All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at 573-875-7400. The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar E-mail All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail providers. Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Late assignments receive Zero (0) credit. Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open on Sunday of Week 5 and will remain open until Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu 800-231-2391 ex. 4357 helpdesk@desire2learn.com 877-325-7778 Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. The Writing Center can be used for writing assistance in any course. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources. Library Resources It may be helpful for you to become acquainted with Columbia College s numerous library resources for any necessary research. Accessing the databases from your home computer is straightforward, but may require some practice if you are new to the process. Columbia College's library databases are available at: http://www.ccis.edu/offices/library/resources.asp (You may access them using your CougarTrack login and password when prompted.) Grading Criteria Discussion Assignments 30 points per week 30 points 10 points Meaningful and accurate content that provides a comprehensive response to the initial question. 10 points Meaningful and accurate content that provides a comprehensive response to at least three of your classmates posts.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 11 10 Points Meaningful and accurate content that provides a comprehensive response to all follow up or additional questions posted by the instructor. Dropbox Assignments 40 points per week 20 points for each of the two questions 4 points Appropriate sentence structure, grammar, spelling. No errors 8 points Meaningful and accurate content that provides a comprehensive response to the question. 4 points Provides enough detail for at least a two-three page response to the question. 4 Points Provides at least two quoted references to support content and detail Term Paper 300 points total 300 points 25 points Appropriate sentence structure, grammar, spelling. No errors 200 points Meaningful and accurate content that provides a comprehensive response to the question. Content must exhibit your knowledge and understanding of the topic. 35 points Provides enough detail for at least fifteen to twenty page (of text content) paper. 25 points Provides at least ten quoted references to support content and detail 15 points Appropriately formatted in either APA or MLA format and bibliography