CRJU 1000 Criminal Justice: An Overview
Instructor:
Sheila M. Huss, Ph.D.
School of Public Affairs; Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
1380 Lawrence Street, 5th Floor (525P)
Office Hours: Wednesdays11:00-12:30; by appointment
Phone: (719)660-8511 (cell); (303)315-0526 (office)
E-mail: (preferred method of communication)
Welcome to CRJU 1000! I am looking forward to a great semester with everyone! The syllabus is organized by headings, and the material in it lays out what you can expect in terms of course material, objectives and assessments that will evaluate how well you are accomplishing the course objectives. It also touches on policies and provides you with resources. Please take the time to read it (and also look at it throughout the semester if you have questions about something).
Course Description:
CRJU 1000 is a Core Curriculum course and applies to the Social Sciences requirement for any major other than criminal justice. This class is an introductory course that examines the three components of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections, independently and interdependently. The context of this examination will be established early on with discussions of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of criminology and criminal justice. With respect to the substantive components of the field, we specifically will study the history of policing, the structure of law enforcement, and the functions and roles of police officers. We also will look at case law and procedures that define the boundaries of law enforcement, focusing on due process landmark cases. In the second section of the course, we will evaluate the agents of the criminal justice system as they function and interact in the courtroom. This part of the course emphasizes the role of legal geography and includes a critical analysis of the courtroom workgroup that challenges the traditional adversarial perspective. The third section of the class explores the corrections system, first looking at its history and then delving into sentencing philosophies and how they are manifested in specific penalties. Our exploration of these areas are structured around contemporary substantive topics within the context of the criminal justice system, such as special offender populations in jails and prisons, human trafficking, drug laws, and environmental crime and justice. We also will discuss the juvenile justice system, including its history, current purposes and practices, and contemporary issues (e.g., juvenile transfer).
In the School of Public Affairs Criminology and Criminal Justice Program, students will become innovative thinkers and skilled professionals in the fields of Criminology and Criminal Justice by developing five main competencies, including: (1) substantive knowledge, (2) research skills, (3) critical thinking, (4) effective communication, and (5) diversity and cultural literacy. Each of these competencies is developed through coursework and experiential learning.
Student Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Discuss the ways that the discipline of criminal justice defines and approaches the definition and causes of crime and the system’s response to it.
- Discuss the history of the criminal justice system from the early 19th century and relate pivotal events and features to contemporary procedures, practices, and philosophies that characterize the current justice system.
- Discuss the progression of a case through the criminal justice system, from the time an alleged crime is committed through the time the offender exists the system, identifying potential salient issues for the agents involved at each stage.
- Debate relevant issues in the criminal justice system, including but not limited to police emphasis of due process versus crime control, the advantages and disadvantages of the US court system (especially compared to systems in other countries), the benefits and drawbacks of sentencing philosophies, how to define and treat environmental crime and justice, and how to balance competing goals and interests that exist within the criminal justice system.
- Know how to summarize a legal case orally and in writing in case brief form (facts, issue, decision, justification, dissent).
- Discuss the challenges facing the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the 21st century.
- Speak or write fluently about several contemporary crime and justice issues and relate those issues to relevant parts of the criminal justice system.
- Demonstrate improved writing and analytical, as well as other useful skills (e.g., goal setting, time management, professional communication, etc.)
Required Textbook and Readings:
Rennison, Callie Marie and Dodge, Mary. (2015). Introduction to Criminal Justice: Systems, Diversity, and Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Alexander, Michelle. (2011). The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in an Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press.
You are required to watch two documentaries. I provided Youtube links, but youmay be required to rent the documentaries. If you need to rent the documentaries, the cost is approximately $2 to $4 for each one.
Other readings include scholarly articles and legal cases, which can be accessed on the Canvas course page.
You need to have an active UC Denver account (including e-mail); you need to be able to access the Canvas course page, as this page is where you will find readings, assignment descriptions, course announcements, etc. It also is where you will submit assignments. Unless otherwise specified, assignments must be submitted online in Canvas—there is a link in each assignment for online submission.
Disability Accommodations:
UC Denver is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. The syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. If you have a disability that may impact your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please contact Disability Services at (303) 556-3450 (they are located in 2514 North Classroom). Students who receive accommodation letters, please contact me to discuss the provisions of those accommodations as soon as possible. If you do not have a disability, but are dealing with an issue that may affect your performance in this course (e.g., English is your second language), please let me know, so we can work together to manage the issue in a way that will facilitate your success in this course.
Academic Dishonesty:
All students must be honest and forthright in their academic studies. To falsify the results of research, to steal the words or ideas of another, to cheat on an assignment, or to allow/assist another to commit these acts corrupts the educational process. Students are expected to do their own work and neither give, nor receive, unauthorized assistance.
Because academic dishonesty seems to be a systemic problem at UC Denver, you are required to review the Canvas module on plagiarism and take a multiple choice quiz (built into the module) on each section. This exercise is a way for you to learn about academic dishonesty in a proactive, non-threatening manner. You must complete all three of the section quizzes and either copy and paste them (with your results showing a perfect score) or take a screen shot of each one (again, showing a perfect score). I just need to see evidence of all quiz questions answered correctly (screen shots or copy/paste or a certificate of completion, as I said in the previous sentence)—no need to stress about how you submit the documentation! The academic dishonesty quizzesare an ungraded assignment on Canvas, but required. Failure to complete this exercise will result in half of a letter grade deduction in your final grade.
**Click “Academic Integrity Course” to get started
Additionally, here is a link that discusses how to avoid plagiarism. This document gives specific examples of how to summarize and synthesize information and how to appropriately cite the information. You are required to familiarize yourself with this information.
If you have ANY questions about academic dishonesty, please ask.
Finally, I use a program on Canvas called turnitin. Turnitin provides a report of originality of your work, along with a score, which reflects the percent of your work that is not original. You should submit your assignments early, so that you will be able to see your turnitin report. If you submit an assignment and notice a turnitin score of (for example) 10%, I recommend reviewing the report and, if necessary, revising and resubmitting your assignment. There may be reasons other than plagiarism for a high turnitin score, so you should review the report to see what material is identified as unoriginal. For example, in classes where I have given essay exams, students were instructed to copy and paste the essay questions above their answers. Everyone had a turnitin score of about 15% because the essay questions were identical on everyone’s exam. Viewing the turnitin report will show you this type of thing. You have an opportunity to self-correct—please take it. Once an assignment is due, you may not resubmit it, so if you would like to take advantage of the opportunity to check your own work for plagiarism, you need to turn in the document before the due date/time.
Because you have multiple opportunities before you turn in an assignment to learn what academic dishonesty is, to ask questions about it, and to correct your own work, if I catch academic dishonesty, the consequence very likely will be an automatic F in the class and notification of the dean. Your intent is irrelevant (i.e., “I didn’t know that was cheating” is not an excuse). Part of being fair is being consistent, so I will not consider individual circumstances—all instances will be treated the same.
Late Assignments:
For each day (24 hour period) an assignment is late, 5 points will be deducted from your total score.
Email Etiquette:
I frequently check e-mail and will make every effort to get back to you in a timely manner; however, I also maintain an active social and professional life outside of class and may not be able to provide as prompt a response as you desire. Typically, I respond to e-mails within 24 business hours and almost always within 48 business hours. If you wait until the day before an assignment is due to ask a question, you risk not receiving an answer in time—please do NOT send multiple e-mails in a short period of time. I do not ignore e-mails, so when I receive your e-mail and have a chance to respond, I will.
Evaluation of Student Learning:
Students will be evaluated according to the following grading scale and criteria:
93% -100%(463-500)A
90%-92%(447-462)A-
88%-89%(438-446)B+
83%-87%(413-437)B
80%-82%(397-412)B-
78%-79%(388-396)C+
73%-77%(363-387)C
70%-72%(347-362)C-
60%-69%(298-346)D
Below 60%(297 or below)F
You will be graded on weekly quizzes (reading checks), a midterm and final, a case brief, a book review, and an experiential project. Attendance also counts in that you can receive as many as 25 points off your total score or 15 points added to your score (like extra credit) based on how many classes you miss. Missing an excessive number of classes (see below) will result in failing the course, regardless of how many points you earn. The total number of possible points is 500; no extra credit. Detailed assignment descriptions are available on Canvas—you should read them prior to submitting assignments.
Attendance (-25 to +15): These points are not factored into the 500 possible points for the class—they are either added or taken off of the points you earned. It is impossible to meet the course objectives without engaging in the class. The online course is structured differently, particularly with respect to how students engage with one another and the course material. If you think attending class regularly will be a problem, please register for the online course.
Number of Missed ClassesNumber of Points Added/Subtracted
0+15
1+10
2+5
30 (no points added, no points deducted)
4-5
5-10
6-15
7-20
8-25
9 or moreAutomatic F (reasons for absences don’t matter)
Weekly Quizzes (15 weeks x 10 points = 150 points/30%): Each week, you will take a multiple choice quiz to test your knowledge of the reading. If you read what was assigned, you should not have difficulty with the quizzes.
Midterm and Final (50 points each = 100 points/20%): The midterm and the final will contain multiple choice, true/false, and/or short essay questions to assess your understanding of the course material. The final is cumulative in that you may need to draw on material from the entire course to answer questions, but it focuses on the material that is covered after the midterm.
Case Brief (25 points/5%): You will be required to choose a US Supreme Court case and write a brief of it. A case brief is no longer than two pages (double-spaced) and include the relevant facts, the issue on which the court decided, the holding of the Court, the justifications for the Court’s decision, and dissent(s) (if applicable).
Book Review (100 points/20%): You will read a book called The New Jim Crow.The book review will be comprised of a brief summary of the book, along with your impressions of it and an analysis of how it relates to issues we have gone over in class.
Applied Mini Project (125 points/25%): This project is an opportunity for you to acquire an understanding of how part of the criminal justice system works through experiential learning. Specifically, you will choose a part of the system in which you are interested and immerse yourself in this sub-area. The mechanisms through which you do this are flexible. Suggestions include interviewing one or more professionals in the field, going on a ride along, visiting a facility (Prison Museum in Canon City, CELL facility in Denver, etc.), attending a trial... You should document your experience in writing and using any other relevant media (e.g., photographs, photo-journaling, diagrams, etc.) Regardless of which medium you choose (e.g., photo journal, audio file of an interview, video clips, power point presentation, etc.), you should have a written summary of your project. Any research you conduct should be documented with citations and a reference page. Conducting research for the mini project is not required, as the point of this exercise is for you to experience part of the justice system. I understand that many of you work and have other obligations that make your schedules busy. I have built in what I think is a valuable part of life in general that I hope will help you with organization, time management, schedule conflicts, etc. Part of this project (30 points) involves exercises related to goal setting and time management. Details about the course project in its entirety are on a separate assignment description. You cannot use an experience from a prior semester—you must complete the project during this semester. This project is an opportunity for you to experience part of the criminal justice system—embrace and enjoy it!
Class Schedule and Reading Assignments:
Part 1: Measuring and Defining Crime, the Law, and Theories
Week #Case Study TopicReadingsAssignments Due
1: 8/22-8/27Serial and mass murderRennison & Dodge Ch. 1Academic Dishonesty Quiz
Adjorlolo and Chan articleIdea for mini project
Holmes and Holmes articleQuiz 1
2: 8/28-9/3Human (sex) traffickingRennison & Dodge Ch. 21-paragraph response to
“Forging a Soul of Iron”“Forging a Soul of Iron”
Buker articleQuiz 2
Kangaspunta (Ch. 4) in
trafficking e-book
3: 9/4-9/10Homeland SecurityRennison & Dodge Ch. 3Quiz 3
SMART Goal informationGoal statement (SMART)
Berman article
4: 9/11-9/17Drug LawsDale Carnegie – Time Mgmt.Timeline, to-do list, calendar
M. Alexander – Intro. & Ch. 1Quiz 4
Kohler-Hausmann article
Watch “Culture High”
Part 2: Police
Week #Case Study TopicReadingsAssignments Due
5: 9/18-9/24K-9s and police heroesRennison and Dodge Ch. 4Quiz 5
M. Alexander – Ch. 2Case brief
Jezierski article
6: 9/25-10/1Pre-textual stopsRennison and Dodge Ch. 5Quiz 6
M. Alexander – Ch. 3
Birzer and Birzer article
7: 10/2-10/8Latest in 4th A. lawRennison and Dodge Ch. 6Quiz 7
M. Alexander – Ch. 4Timeline with updates
Mapp v. Ohio
Part 3: Courts
Week #Case Study TopicReadingsAssignments Due
8: 10/9-10/15The SC/Gun controlRennison and Dodge Ch. 7Quiz 8
M. Alexander – Ch. 5Midterm
Santaella-Tenorio article
9: 10/16-10/22Make Your Case GameRennison and Dodge Ch. 8Quiz 9
M. Alexander – Ch. 6
10: 10/23-10/29Specialized courtsRennison and Dodge Ch. 9Quiz 10
Aldrich and Kluger articleBook review
Part 4: Corrections (and Juvenile Justice)
Week #Case Study TopicReadingsAssignments Due
11: 10/30-11/5Privatization of CommunityRennison and Dodge Ch. 10Quiz 11
CorrectionsLucken articleTimeline w/ final updates
12: 11/6-11/12Special Populations in PrisonRennison and Dodge Ch. 11Quiz 12
Watch “Serving Life”
Derlega article
13: 11/13-11/19Supermax Prisons/SolitaryRennison and Dodge Ch. 12Quiz 13
Mears article
Watch “Inside America’s
Solitary Confinement for
Kids”
11/20-11/26:Fall Break – Happy Thanksgiving!
14: 11/27-12/3Capital PunishmentLanier and Acker articleQuiz 14
Cunningham et al. articleMini project
15: 12/4-12/10Juvenile JusticeRennison and Dodge Ch. 13Quiz 15
Kurlycheck and Johnson article
Myers et al. article
12/13Final Exam is due by 11:59 PM
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