CJ 200: Introduction to Criminal Justice

Section 202 CRN 1789 Spring 2011

MWF 11:00-11:50 Smith Hall 418


REQUIRED TEXT
Mutchnick, Robert (2010). Criminal Justice Interactive (Text + Access Code). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. ISBN# 978-0-13-505722-3
Note: This is a one-time use book. In other words, you cannot return or sell back this text as it contains an online access code that can be used only once. However, its cost is only half of what a normal textbook in this course would cost. When purchasing this book, make sure you are getting a “new” copy. To be safe, you should only purchase it from the MU Bookstore, Stadium Bookstore, or directly from the publisher. DO NOT purchase it from anyone else online, because there is no guarantee that the access code has not already been activated. In that case, you would have to purchase an access code directly from the publisher at a separate cost.
As soon as you purchase your book, go to the last page of the syllabus to get instructions on registering for the class. If you lose your book or it is stolen, you will not be able to replace the code without buying another code from the publisher.

INSTRUCTOR: Sam Dameron
Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology

MarshallUniversity

Office: Smith Hall 732

Phone: (304) 696-2568

FAX:(304) 696-3085

Email:

Office Hours:Monday, Wednesday, 1330-1530. Tuesday 10:00-12:00 and 13:30-15:30.I may be in my office at other times and if I am not busy, I will meet with you.

Contacting Me: Use Email. I don’t have a phone that texts or goes Online. So if you Email me, I will get it when I can. In the subject line, put the reason for the contact and include the course and section number so I do not have to look it up. If you leave me a phone message I will get it when I am in the office, which means it may be a day or two before I respond to phone messages.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This survey course examines the various components of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Students will be introduced to various criminal justice agencies and career possibilities.

CREDIT HOURS & PREREQUISITES

3 credits; none

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

A student must have a computer or access to one to complete online assignments for the course, as well as access to the Internet to send and receive email messages. If you are using an email account other than your Marshall email account, you must set your Marshall email account to forward to your other account. Furthermore, this course contains an interactive web component so access to the Internet is absolutely necessary.

READING/ONLINE ASSIGNMENTS

Reading/online assignments can be found on the tentative course schedule at the end of this syllabus. They are meant to reinforce the class lectures and discussions, and it is expected that they will be completed prior to class. Quizzes on the material will be given in class, so you are responsible for everything that is assigned- no excuses! Furthermore, there will be corresponding online activities (episodes, learning modules, simulation activities, & review questions) for each chapter of the companion text that must be completed. Although these activities will not be graded, their completion is part of a student’s grade. The Review Questions must be completed with a grade of 70% or higher to count for grade purposes (you can redo the test several times if you need to raise your grade).Online activities for the chapters must be completed by Monday of each week they are assigned. Failure to complete the activities on time will result in deduction online points. Regardless, it is always a good idea to complete all online activities as they too will contribute to the quizzes and exams. As stated above, they will also enhance the lectures and your overall learning of the material.

DESIRED LEARNER OUTCOMES

Program Goal: The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology will increase student knowledge of adult and juvenile law enforcement, adjudication, corrections, administration, and criminological theory, and of ethics, human diversity, and research methods.

Objectives: Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Increase their knowledge of the role of law enforcement in the adult and juvenile justice systems, the agencies, policies, practices, administration, and procedures of law enforcement in the adult and juvenile systems and the interaction of law enforcement in the adult and juvenile systems with other justice components and with society.
  2. Increase their knowledge of the adjudication of law in the adult and juvenile systems, including the creation, development, and application of law, the role of the courts and attorneys in the justice process for both adults and juveniles, protections for accused persons, court administration, and the interaction of the courts in the adult and juvenile systems with other justice components and with society.
  3. Increase their knowledge of the role of corrections in the adult and juvenile justice systems, the philosophies of punishment, the agencies, policies, practices, administration, and procedures of corrections, and the interaction of corrections with other justice components and with society.
  4. Increase their knowledge of criminological theory and its role in the analysis of adult and juvenile delinquent and criminal behavior and in the practice of justice, including the role of theory in the practice of law enforcement, the practice of law, adjudication, and sentencing, and in the practice of corrections.
  5. Increase their knowledge of ethics and ethical issues in law enforcement, law, the court systems, and corrections.
  6. Increase their knowledge of human diversity as it impacts, and is impacted by, the philosophy and practice of law enforcement, law, and corrections in both the adult and juvenile systems.
  7. Increase their knowledge of research methods and the relationship of research to the practice of law enforcement, law, and corrections in both the adult and juvenile systems.

Course Objectives: Our main goal is to understand how the criminal justice system is actually many subsystems working toward a common goal. Each of these subsystems (law enforcement, courts, and corrections) must work in cooperation with each other in order to make sure justice is obtained and society is safe. At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the major issues that confront the study of crime and criminal justice. These issues include concepts such as justice, process, procedures, and roles. In addition, students will be able to differentiate various criminological theories and their importance to the study of crime.
  • Critically evaluate the sub-system of law enforcement through a review of its history, organization, role, function, and police procedure and its relationship to the rule of law.
  • Assess the criminal court system and its key players (i.e., the prosecution, defense, and judiciary) as well as understand the dual court system and trace the steps of the accused through the trial process to the point of implementing punishment.
  • Comprehend the value of the final, yet least understood, component of the criminal justice process known as corrections.

These course objectives meet Program Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, & 7.

EVALUATION OF LEARNER OUTCOMES

  • There will be three regular examinations and a final exam. All exams will consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, essay or any combination of the above.
  • There may be pop quizzes and assignments throughout the semester. Pop quizzes will consist of true/false, multiple choice, and/or completion questions.
  • Online participation is required and will be determined by completion of online assignments.
  • There also may be brief in-class or out-of-class writing assignments that will relate in-class material to online resources, generally those from the Criminal Justice Interactive assignments. Guidelines for these assignments will be handed out in class.

PAPER GUIDELINES

There are no major papers for this course

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance will be recorded daily. Missing classes will adversely affect your grade. Material will be covered in class that is not in the book or on CJI.

Unexcused absences are those that do not fall into the list of excused categories identified in the university catalog: (1) university sponsored activities; (2) absences as a result of personal illness or a death in the family; and (3) absences resulting from major religious holidays. For a more detailed explanation of these categories, please see the undergraduate catalog under the heading of “Class Attendance.” All excused absences must be presented to the professor with proper documentation as soon as the student returns from the excused absence.

If you miss an exam with no legitimate documented excuse, a zero will be given for that test with no make-up test. For those students who have a legitimate documented excuse (as defined in the preceding paragraph), an alternative time to take the exam will be determined. The format of the make-up exams will be left to my discretion.

If the Dean of Academic Affairs for missing class excuses you, you must make up the work due, if there was any, in reasonable time. If a paper or assignment was due during your excused absence, you must turn in the assignment within one week of the excuse’s end. If a test or quiz was missed, you must make arrangements to make up the test or quiz within one week of the end of the excused absence. Failure to make up the examination or quiz at the agreed time will result in a zero for the examination, quiz, or assignment. The format of the make-up exams will be left to my discretion.

Class Tenets

  1. Students should attend and participate in class. A student should recognize that one of the most important aspects of a college education is classroom attendance and participation. The value of this part of the academic experience cannot be fully measured by testing procedures. You should attend all classes.
  2. When students attend classes, they are in a position to make significant contributions to their learning experiences and the learning experiences of other students by asking relevant questions, making pertinent observations, and sharing information. When a student misses class, the student and the class both suffer from a missed opportunity to exchange information and promote the learning process.
  3. Students will be held accountable for all requirements and information covered in all classes, whether or not they attend. If it becomes necessary to give additional quizzes to spur attendance or learning, quizzes may be given and their results applied to any test scores.
  4. If a student comes late to take an examination their paper will be taken when the assigned test conclusion time is reached, the student will not receive an extension to complete the examination. During testing sessions, once any student has completed the test and left the classroom no student will be allowed to take the test and any student who comes to take the test after a student has left the classroom will receive a zero for the examination/quiz.
  5. The Criminal Justice Department is not a print shop. If you are having trouble with your printer, you may email the assignment to me as proof that you have completed the assignment. At that point, no changes can be made to the assignment; to make changes would be academic dishonesty. You must print out the paper and bring it to me at the next class period. When emailing, be careful what you title your attachments because the spam blocker could block your message. If you do not get a reply from me about your paper/assignment, I probably didn’t get it. It is your responsibility to make sure I receive it.
  6. Phone Behavior. (Cell Phones, Pagers, etc.) Turn them off, or on vibrate, when you get to class. If it goes off, you can be penalized twenty points per occurrence. If you have an emergency situation, let me know and set by the door. When your phone vibrates go into the hall to answer it. No texting, answering or checking texts will be permitted in class. If you do so, you can be penalized twenty points per occurrence. Also, you should not check to see who is calling or texting you. Such behavior is disruptive to the class and will be treated as if you answered the phone, twenty) points per occurrence. Phones/Texts, Email, phones, etc. checked during tests will result in a zero for the examination. You also cannot listen to music or have earphones on while taking a test, or in class.
  7. Computers in class are OK if you are taking notes. If you use your computer to take notes, email them to me at the end of class at If you do not email them to me, do not use the computer again. If you are emailing, or using the computer for non-class related surfing, your behavior will be counted as phone behavior, see number 6.
  8. Classroom demeanor. Civility in class is expected. You must respect the opinions and rights of other students and allow them to participate in class. Be active in discussions, but do not hog them or blurt out answers all the time. Everyone should have a chance to participate in class.
  9. Stupid questions are questions that are not asked. Questions that are asked are not stupid questions and will not be treated as such. If you have a question on class material, ask it.
    Ignorance means you are unaware of an answer, stupidity means you are incapable of understanding or knowing. If you don’t understand something, ask. I doubt that you are incapable of learning the material. Don’t let ignorance become stupidity, ask in class, by email, or come to my office.
  10. Answer questions during discussions. If you are wrong, I’ll let you know as gently as possible. I won’t make fun of your answer or you. However, make a true effort to answer the question. If you are just trying to be the center of attention and hog the discussions, I’ll let you know before the next class that you are over the top.
  11. University Computing Services’ Acceptable Use Policy: All students are responsible for knowing this policy, which can be found on the web at
  12. Academic Dishonesty Policy:All students should be familiar with the university’s policy concerning academic dishonesty. This policy can be found in the 2010-1011 undergraduate catalog.
  13. Policy for Students with Disabilities: Marshall University is committed to equal opportunity in education for all students, including those with physical, learning and psychological disabilities. University policy states that it is the responsibility of students with disabilities to contact the Office of Disability Services (DSS) in Prichard Hall 117, phone 304 696-2271 to provide documentation of their disability. Following this, the DSS Coordinator will send a letter to each of the student’s instructors outlining the academic accommodation he/she will need to ensure equality in classroom experiences, outside assignment, testing and grading. The instructor and student will meet to discuss how the accommodation(s) requested will be provided. For more information, please visit or contact Disabled Student Services Office at Prichard Hall 11, phone 304-696-2271.
  14. Affirmative Action Policy: This course will follow Marshall University’s policy on Affirmative Action, which can be found online in the 2010-2011undergraduate catalog. Specifically, all students will be afforded equal opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.
  15. Inclement Weather Policy: Students can find information concerning Marshall’s policy regarding inclement weather in the 2010-2011 undergraduate online catalog,

GRADES

Criteria
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Final Exam
CJI Online Participation
Including Assignments and Quizzes
Warrant App. 10, Police Report 20
PSI 20, Pretest 5
TOTAL / Weight
100 Pts (17%)
100 Pts (17%)
100 Pts (17%)
100 Pts (17%)
120 Pts(20%)
80 Pts (13%)
600 Pts 100%) / Scale
540-600 = A
480-539 = B
420-479 = C
360-419 = D
Below 360 = F

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE*

Week 1 / Jan 10, 12, 14
Introduction; Crime & Criminal Justice Process, Discretion Critical Thinking
(Chapter 1)
CJI Topic 1 Due Jan 14th
Aug 10-14 Late Registration and Add/Drop (Schedule Adjustment)
Week 2 / Jan 17, 19, 21
Measurement Issues and Perspectives on Crime Control (Chapters 1 & 2)
CJI Topic 2 Due Jan 19
Jan 17th Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, University Closed
Jan 18- “W” Withdrawal Period
Week 3 / Jan 24, 26, 28
Explanations for Criminal Behavior Symbolic Interactionism, Structural, Process, Critical Labeling(Chapter 3)
CJI Topic 3 Due Jan 24
Week 4 / Jan 31, Feb 2, 4
The Legal Aspects of Crime(Chapter 4)
CJI Topic 4 Due Jan 31
Feb 4 Application for May Graduation Due in Academic Dean’s Office
Week 5 / Feb 7, 9, 11
Exam 1 (Feb 7)
Law Enforcement Evolution & Organization(Chapter 5)
CJI Topic 5 Due Feb 9
Feb 11 Last Day to Drop 1st 8 Weeks Course
Week 6 / Feb 14, 16, 18
The Police & the Constitution(Chapter 6)
CJI Topic 6 Due Feb 14
Week 7 / Feb 21, 23, 25
The Police & Policing(Chapter 7)
CJI Topic 7 Due Feb 21
Week 8 / Feb 28, Mar 2, 4
Exam 2 (Mar 11)
The Police & Policing; Critical Issues in Policing
Mar 2 1st 8 Weeks Courses End
Mar 3 2nd 2nd Weeks Courses Begin
Week 9 / Mar 7, 9, 11
Bill of Rights; The Right to Counsel & the American Courts(Chapter 8)
CJi Topic 8
March 7th Deadline for Submitting Freshman Midterm Grades
Week 10 / Mar 14, 16, 18
Rights Continued
Oct 29 Last Day to Drop a Full Semester Individual Course
March 18th Last Day to Drop a Full Semester Individual Course
Week 11 / Mar 21, 23, 25
Spring Break Classes Dismissed
ACJALAE National Conference Mar 20-25 Memphis TN
Mar 21st- April 29th Complete Withdrawals Only
Week 12 / Mar 28, 30, Apr 1
The Right to Counsel & the American Courts; Criminal Prosecution & Adjudication(Chapter 9)
CJI Topic 9 Due Mar 28
Mar 28th – April 1 Advance Registration for Summer Session for currently enrolled students.
Week 13 / Apr 4, 6, 8
Exam 3 (April 4) The Criminal Trial; Sentencing & Punishment(Read Chapter 10)
CJI Topic 10 Due Apr 4
Apr 4 Advanced Registration for Summer Sessions open to all admitted and re-admitted students
Apr 6, Wednesday, Classes canceled for University-Wide Assessment Activities. Students obtain list of activities from department chair. Undecided students should go to their college office for a list. (Evening Classes 4:00 PM or later will meet.)
Week 14 / Apr 11, 13, 15
The Evolution of American Prisons(Chapter 11)
CJI Topic 11 Due Apr 11
Apr 11-Apr 22 Advance Registration for Fall Semester for Currently Enrolled Students
Week 15 / Apr 18, 20, 22
Institutional Corrections; Community Corrections & Intermediate Sanctions
(Chapter 12) CJI Topic 12 Due Apr 18
Week 16 / Apr 25, 27, 29
Prison Life(Chapters 13)
CJI Topic 13 Due Apr 25
Dead Week
Apr 29 Last Class Day and Last Day to Completely Withdraw for Fall
Week 17 / May 2-6
May 2, 3 Exam Days, May 4 Study Day, May 5, 6 Exam Days
Final Exam (Tuesday, May 3, 10:15-12:15)
* Presentation schedule may vary due to student interest or comprehension of material.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERACTIVE WEBSITE