Course Description: Corrections is one of the most controversial public policy issues in the United States today. In the last thirty years, the number of individuals incarcerated in correctional institutions and under community supervision has increased exponentially. During this same period, state and federal budget cuts have stressed the limited resources of programs serving offenders and reentering offenders. In CJC 4010, we will discuss the corrections system, including a history of the system in the United States; correctional institutions; and probation/parole. We will discuss these complex organizations from the viewpoints of offenders, the loved ones of offenders, and individuals who work within the system. Special topics such as incarcerated women, incarcerated juveniles, and the death penalty will also be covered.
Course Objectives: At the end of this course, I hope you will,
- Have a better understanding of the structure and history of the corrections system in the United States,
- Understand the characteristics of populations who are in contact with the corrections systems, and
- Be able to critically analyze policy choices surrounding the corrections systems.
Required Readings
There are three (3) books required for this course. The books are available at local bookstores, as well as online.
Seiter, Richard P. 2013. Corrections: An Introduction. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
ISBN: 0133009785
Solotaroff, Ivan. 2001. The Last Face You’ll Ever See: The Culture of Death Row. New York: Perennial Books.
ISBN: 006017448X
Kerman, Piper. 2011. Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman'sPrison. New York: Spiegel & Grau.
ISBN: 0385523394
The first text is used as the basis for class lectures and in-class activities. Texts number 2 and 3 will be used to write your short paper assignments. The material covered in all texts may appear on class exams and will be used to complete in-class activities.
Contacting Me
I encourage you to contact me with any questions about class assignments, lectures and readings. I prefer to be contacted via email (see my contact information above.) When you email me, please include CCJ 4010 in the subject line so I know it concerns this class. Please DO NOTsend messages through the Sakai system, as I only spend time on this website to post class material.
Assignments and Grading
Exams (2 tests, 50 points, 50% of grade)
I will give an in-class midterm and a final exam, each worth 25% of your final grade. The final exam is not cumulative. The Class Schedule will have exam dates. Exams will have questions from both lecture and reading materials. Review sessions will be conducted during the class session before the exam itself. I will not use thesereview sessions to tell you what topics or questions will be on the exam. The review sessions will be opportunities for you to ask about things you don’t understand from the readings and/or lecture. Make-up exams will be given at my discretion for reasons such as medical or family emergency (written proof is required in the event of an excused absence). Please give as much notice as possible. Makeups will vary depending on the test, but will most likely be short answer or essay rather than multiple choice.
Papers (2 assignments, 32 points, 32% of grade)
There will be two paper assignments during the course of the semester, each worth 16% of your final grade. The first paper will involve Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison by Kerman; the second will involve The Last Face You'll Ever See: The Culture of Death Row by Solotaroff. Papers are expected to be at least four pages (double-spaced) and will be due by 8:00am on the date listed in the syllabus. References in the paper must be in APA format ( Late assignments will be penalized unless the student has proof of medical emergency. I will deduct 3 points for each day after the due date (i.e. if a paper is one day late, the student can only receive a maximum of 13 points). Descriptions of the assignment will be posted on Sakai at least one month before the paper’s due date. You are to submit your paper online through Sakai’s version of Turn it In (to check for plagiarism). Students are expected to use critical thinking and creativity to answer paper prompts, and will also be provided with a rubric to get a better idea of what to include in the assignment.
Class Activities (18 points, 18% of grade)
We will also do periodic class activities, worth 3 points each. Class activities will involve either an in-class writing assignment asking you to reflect on an issue brought up in class, or a 3-question quiz. Partial credit will be given if the writing assignment was incomplete, or if some of the quiz questions are incorrect. Class activities will cover the reading assignment for the day and/or the lecture from the previous class. Make-up quizzes will not be given unless the student has written proof of a medical emergency. There will be approximately nine classroom activities, and I will keep your top six scores.
Extra Credit (2 extra points possible)
Extra credit opportunities will be posted on the Sakai site. Each student can earn a maximum of 2 extra credit.
Final Grading Scale**(Total Points in Class)
93 – 100 / A
90 – 91 / A-
87 – 89 / B+
83 – 86 / B
80 – 82 / B-
77 – 79 / C+
70 – 76 / C
65 – 69 / C-
63- 64 / D+
61-62 / D
60 / D-
0-59 / E
** If you get a total number of points ending in .5 (e.g., 89.5), I will round up your score to the next whole digit if it affects your final letter grade. There will be no other arrangements to “boost” your grade. In addition to it being against UF’s rules, it is unfair to other students. There will be absolutely no curve.
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Discussing Grades
If you feel you did not do as well as expected on a test, or if you would like the opportunity to discuss exam answers, please come to office hours. It will help you understand your score, and help you understand how to study better for the next test. In addition to having the grading rubric for paper assignments on E-Learning, you can also ask questions about your two paper assignments.
I grade every paper assignment and exam carefully. However, I also recognize that everyone makes mistakes, so if you feel that one of your test answers was graded incorrectly, be aware that any questioning of a grade on an exam, paper, or classroom activity must be done TWO WEEKS after the grade is posted on Sakai. After that time period, the grade stands, with no exceptions. It is the student’s responsibility to check Sakai regularly for new grades.
Attendance and Participation
Class activities are used to ensure attendance. I will take attendance periodically, but it does not count toward your final grade. I keep a record of who attends in case a dispute arises related to this issue.
If a student misses class for any reason, it will be that student’s responsibility to get notes from a classmate. Exam questions will be partially based on material covered during class, so I highly recommend doing so. Class slides will be posted ahead of time to the Sakai site. However, note that information addressed in class as part of the lecture (not necessarily on the slides) will appear on exams.
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating is not acceptable in any form. I take any form of academic dishonesty (including plagiarism, improper citation of sources, copying someone else’s work, letting someone copy your work, or cheating on an exam/quiz) very seriously. Anyone who is caught cheating will receive “0” for that test/paper/activity. I also reserve the right to pursue formal channels of dealing with cheating, which could result in receiving an “E” for the class. Please understand that cheating is not worth it. If you have any questions about what constitutes cheating, you can read UF’s academic honesty policy here:
Class Conduct
I ask students to adhere to some basic standards of conduct to create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. I expect students to show respect and courtesy to their classmates and to me. Students should refrain from carrying on private conversations during class lectures, reading newspapers, using their cellphones, or using their laptops for anything other than class-related activity. If you need to use your cell phone in the case of an emergency, please exit the classroom so as not to distract others. Also, you are expected to refrain from using racist, sexist, homophobic language, or any other offensive language. If a student is disruptive in any of the ways mentioned above, I will ask the disruptive student to leave the class. If this becomes a regular problem, it will affect your participation score.
Student Services
Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to me when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.
Incomplete Grades
Incomplete grades will only be given in extreme circumstances. Incompletes can only be used if the student already has a passing grade (“D” or better) in the class at the time of the arrangement. Information on the policy can be found at
Class Schedule
Week 1 / Day / Date / Lecture Topic (Tentative) / Reading (due that day)1 / M / 8/25 / Syllabus – Class overview and grading requirements
Corrections and public policy
Paper 1 Assignment available on E-Learning / None
W / 8/27 / Purposes of punishment; history of corrections / Seiter-chapter 1; Kerman chapters 1 & 2
F / 8/29 / Sentencing & mandatory minimums / Seiter-chapter 2; Kerman chapter 3
2 / M / 9/1 / NO CLASS-LABOR DAY
W / 9/3 / Sentencing & mandatory minimums / Kerman chapters 4 & 5
F / 9/5 / Incarcerated population: national and Florida picture / Kerman chapters 6 & 7
3 / M / 9/8 / Probation/community corrections / Seiter-pp 98-115; Kerman chapter 8
W / 9/10 / Intermediate sanctions / Seiter-pp 115-128; Kerman chapter 9
F / 9/12 / Correctional populations / Seiter-pp 202-215; Kerman chapter 10
4 / M / 9/15 / Correctional populations / Kerman chapters 11 & 12
W / 9/17 / Movie: Healing Neen
Paper 2 Assignment available on E-Learning / Kerman chapters 13 &14
F / 9/19 / OPTIONAL VISIT TO ALACHUA COUNTY JAIL / Kerman chapter 15
5 / M / 9/22 / Women in jails/prisons / Seiter-pp 216-231; Kerman chapter 16
W / 9/24 / Prisons / Seiter-chapter 5
F / 9/26 / Prisons
Paper 1 Due-must be posted on E-Learning by 8am / Solataroff-Intro & chapter 1
6 / M / 9/29 / Prison life / Seiter-chapter 11
W / 10/1 / Jails / Sieter-chapter 3
F / 10/3 / Juveniles in jail/prison / Seiter-chapter 8
7 / M / 10/6 / Movie: When Kids Get Life / Solataroff-chapter 2
W / 10/8 / Movie: When Kids Get Life / None
F / 10/10 / Local juvenile numbers / None
8 / M / 10/13 / Exam review / None
W / 10/15 / Midterm Exam (in class) / None
F / 10/17 / NO CLASS: HOMECOMING
9 / M / 10/20 / Others affected by incarceration (correctional staff) / None
W / 10/22 / Special populations / Seiter-chapter 9
F / 10/24 / Others affected by incarceration (families) / Solataroff-chapter 3
10 / M / 10/27 / Movie: The Farm / Solataroff-chapter 4
W / 10/29 / Movie: The Farm / Solataroff-chapter 5
F / 10/31 / TBA / None
11 / M / 11/3 / Correctional programs / Seiter-chapter 14
W / 11/5 / Correctional programs / Solataroff-chapter 6
F / 11/7 / Death penalty / Seiter-pp 445-466
12 / M / 11/10 / Death penalty / Solataroff-chapter 7
W / 11/12 / Legal issues / Seiter-pp 429-444
F / 11/14 / Legal issues
Paper 2 Due-must be posted on E-Learning by 8am / Solataroff-chapter 8 & epilogue
13 / M / 11/17 / Parole / Seiter-pp 159-187
W / 11/19 / What works in corrections? / None
F / 11/21 / What works in corrections? / None
14 / M / 11/24 / Guest Speaker / None
W / 11/26 / NO CLASS-THANKSGIVING BREAK
F / 11/28 / NO CLASS-THANKSGIVING BREAK
15 / M / 12/1 / Reentry / Seiter-pp 188-201
W / 12/3 / Reentry / None
F / 12/5 / Wrap up/overview / None
16 / M / 12/8 / Exam review / None
W / 12/10 / Final Exam (in class) / None
*Please note that this syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. If those changes occur, you will be informed and a revised syllabus will be provided to you.
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