Seminar in Criminal Justice

Seminar in Criminal Justice:

Crime and Punishment in America

Criminal Justice 401

Spring 2015

Professor Todd C. PeppersClassroom:Fintel 1

Department of Public AffairsE-mail:

RoanokeCollegePhone: (540) 375-2417

Office: West 212Off. Hrs:M/TH (10-11)

“The mood and temper of the public with regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of the civilization of any country.”

-- Winston Churchill

Introduction

This seminar is designed to be the “capstone” of your work and educational experience as a criminal justice major at RoanokeCollege. The course focuses on the policies and debates surrounding the criminalization of specific behavior and the treatment, incarceration, punishment, and rights of criminal defendant.

I have two primary goals for this seminar. The first is to provide you with information about the legal, social, and ethical issues surrounding the criminal justice system and prisoners’ rights in the United States. By giving you this information and by debating specific topics during seminar meetings, I hope that you will evaluate and challenge your own positions on these important topics.At the outset, let me say that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers -- my goal is not to indoctrinate you into echoing my opinions on the criminal justice system, capital punishment or prisoners’ rights. Instead, my hope is that this seminar will help you arrive at your own, well-reasoned opinions on our country’s most severe criminal sanctions.

My second goal is to develop and enhance your critical thinking, oral communication, and writing skills as applied to your criminal justice major. To accomplish these tasks, we will focus on further improving your written and oral presentation skills as you prepare and present a major research paper that analyzes some policy aspect of the criminal justice system. By the end of the semester, a student who successfully completes this course should be able to conduct original research and write a scholarly paper which evaluates an important question of public policy.

Required Readings

Ted Conover. New Jack: Guarding Sing Sing. Vintage Books (2001).

Piper Kerman. Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. Spiegel & Grau (2010).

Todd C. Peppers and Laura Anderson. Anatomy of an Execution: The Life and Death of Douglas Christopher Thomas. Northeastern University Press (2009)(on reserve).

Margaret Edds. An Expendable Man: The Near Execution of Earl Washington. New York University Press (2006).

Nick Reding. Methland:The Death and Life of an American Small Town. Bloomsbury USA (2009).

Gregory M. Scott and Stephen M. Garrison. The Political Science Student Writers’ Manual (5th Edition)Prentice Hall (2006) (on reserve).

Additional class handouts.

Grading

Your seminar grade will be calculated as follows:

Reading quizzes (if necessary): 5%

Class participation and attendance:15%

Annotated bibliography, outline,

and seminar paper draft:35%

Presentation on reading assignments 10%

Oral presentation of seminar paper:10%

Final draft of seminar paper:20%

Serving as a discussant during the oral

presentation of seminar papers: 5%

Because this is a seminar which is dependent upon your active participation, there will be no unexcused absences. Each unexcused absence will result in your final course grade being reduced by a half letter grade. Students who believe that they have a valid reason for missing a seminar session must obtain prior approval from the instructor (unless the absence involves a medical or family emergency, in which case subsequent approval will be necessary). Moreover, because active student participation is important, I reserve the right to give “pop quizzes” on the reading assignments.

Academic Integrity

Cheating of any form or degree will not be tolerated. Please familiarize yourself with RoanokeCollege’s Academic Integrity System which can be found in the Student Handbook. Pay special attention to the discussion of plagiarism. In short, ignorance of the law (or rules) is no excuse.

Cell Phones, Pagers, Laptops, and Other Electronic Devices

Cell phones and pagers must be turned off prior to entering the classroom or lab. The first time a cell phone or pager rings during class (or you are caught using such a device), you will purchase donuts and juice for the entire class; the second time, you will be excused from class and receive an “F” that day for class participation. Of course, the use of any electronic device during a quiz or exam is strictly prohibited. This includes Palm Pilots, Pocket PCs, and Blackberrys. Any use of such devices during a quiz or exam will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Your use of a laptop computer in my class is contingent upon you not abusing the privilege by checking e-mail, playing videogames, surfing the Internet, etc. If you are caught using the laptop for activities other than note taking, then you will not be allowed to use the laptop for the rest of the semester.

Disability Issues

If you are on record with the College’s Special Services as having special academic or physical needs requiring accommodations, please discuss this with me as soon as possible. We need to discuss your accommodations before they can be implemented. Also, please note that arrangements for extended times on exams and testing in a semi-private setting must be made at least one week before the exams. In order to be considered for special services, students must identify themselves to the Office of Special Services. Students are required to provide specific current documentation of their disability. Reasonable accommodations may include but are not limited to the following: extended time for tests and examinations, testing in a semi-private testing area, proctoring of examinations, use of interpreters, assistive technology, audio recording of lectures, and/or student note-takers. For additional information please contact Anne Smith, Special Services Coordinator, at 540-375-2247 or email .

Seminar Paper

The seminar paper must be 35-50pages typed (double-spaced; 12 point font), and it must includea cover page, abstract, table of contents, charts and tables (if necessary), and bibliography.The format of the paper, citations, and bibliography should conform to those guidelines listed in the Political Science Student Writer’s Manual by Gregory M. Scott and Stephen M. Garrison (this is the APSA author-date system of citation) that is on reserve in Fintel Library.

In your seminar paper, you will provide background information on a problem or social issue which drew the attention of law makers (juvenile delinquency, drug use, overcrowding in prisons, etc.), discuss how the specific policy was formulated to combat said problem, generate a thesis statement or hypothesis about the success or failure of the policy issue, present the evidence that supports your thesis statement, and conclude with recommendation as to how the policy can be improved. In short, your paper is an evaluation of the success of a specific policy or program, and the purpose of your presentation is to inform the other seminar participants of your findings and conclusions. Presentations are not designed to have you simply stand up and read your paper. Instead, you will be expected to orally, logically and concisely present your analysis and conclusions and address comments and questions raised by the discussant, the professor, and your classmates. Presentations must be done with Power Point. No exceptions.

Please note that, at a minimum, your bibliography must have 15 sources. The 15 sources must be from books or referred scholarly journals. None of the original 15 sources can be from the Internet(they can be found on the Internet, but they must exist elsewhere), although any additional sources can be from newspapers, the Internet, popular magazines, etc.

Group Presentations

During the course of the semester, you will be assigned to a group which will give a 5-10 minute “current events” presentation on a policy proposal current being debated at the federal, state or local level. In your presentation, the group should (1) briefly summary the proposal, and (2) discuss the “pros and cons” of the proposal. In selecting a proposal for discussion, it does not have to be a policy proposal that the group collectively supports. The presentation should be done on PP and will factor into your class participation grade.

Course Outline

Week 1Introduction to seminar and assignment of topics

(Jan. 12-16)

Start reading Anatomy of an Execution

Week 2Research session with Roanoke College Reference

(Jan. 19-23)Librarian Piper Cumbo (Fintel Library, 3rd Floor

Computer Lab). Session runs from 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.

Week 3Lecture on Seminar Paper and Presentation

(Jan. 26-30)

Presentation by Career Services(introduction of job search skills, GRE information, and on-campus career events).

Continue reading Anatomy of an Execution

Assignment: draft a resume and email to Amy Foster in Career Services by Friday

Week4The Death Penalty

(Feb. 2-6)

Presentation by Career Services on resumes.

Presentation and discussion of Anatomy of an Execution(Maillett and Trout)

Current events presentation: Barrett and Washer

EXTRA CREDIT: Attend gay marriage debate on Monday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the Antrim Chapel.

EXTRA CREDIT: Attend talk by former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson on Wednesday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bast Center. Free tickets available through Olin Box Office.

Week 5No class session: I will schedule individual

(Feb. 9-13)meetings to review progress on papers

Begin reading Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison

Week 6Women, Prison, and the Criminal Justice System

(Feb. 16-20)

Presentation by Career Services (cover letters and person statements for graduate school)

Presentation and discussion of Orange is the New Black(Barrett and Washer)

Current events presentation: Anderson, Burd and Nguyen.

Being reading New Jack: Guarding Sing Sing

You must turn in your annotated bibliography and paper outline on Monday, Feb. 23

Week 7The Corrections System in Modern America

(Feb. 23-27)

Presentation by Career Services (networking and informational interviewing)

Presentation and discussion on New Jack(Anderson Burd, and Nguyen)

Current events presentation: Edmonds, Helms and McManus

Week 8SPRING BREAK

(Mar. 2-6)

Begin readingMethland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town

Week 9America’s War on Drugs

(Mar. 9-13)

Presentation and discussion: Methland: Edmonds, Helms, and McManus

Current events presentation: (Jeremiah, Lambert and Schleicher)

Turn in complete first draft (paper copy) of paper by Monday, March 9 to Peppers by noon.

Week 10No class session: will schedule individual

(Mar. 16-20)meetings to discuss paper drafts

Begin reading An Expendable Man.

Week 11Innocence and the Criminal Justice System

(Mar. 23-27)

Presentation and discussion on An Expendable Man (Jeremiah, Lambert, Schleicher)

Current events presentation: Maillett and Trout

Week 12Paper presentations:

(Mar. 30-Apr. 3)

Washer, Anderson, Barrett

Week 13Paper Presentations:

(Apr. 6-10)

Burd, Edmonds, Helms

Week 14Paper presentations:

(Apr. 13-17)

Jeremiah, Lambert, Maillett

Week 15Paper Presentations:

(Apr. 20-24)

McManus, Nguyen, Schleicher, Trout

Final paper due on Wednesday, April 22, at noon. Paper will be reduced by one letter grade forevery day it is late (and 12:01 p.m. is one day late). Submit electronic copy to Turnitin and paper copy to me.

Possible Policy Topics

Remember – your paper will explain and evaluate a current criminal justice policy. Your ultimate question is whether a policy is “working” (and why or why not). Here are some topics that students have written on in past semesters:

Whether the trend to convict and sentence juvenile offenders as adults has reduced juvenile crime.

Whether sex offender registration, residence restrictions or community notification laws (such as Megan’s law) or electronic monitoring reduce recidivism rates

Whether “Amber Alerts” are effective in finding missing children

Whether the death penalty achieves it stated goals of (1) deterring future wrongdoers; (2) applying the death penalty in a racially neutral fashion, and (3) convicting the guilty (these are three different topics)

Whether the death penalty is less costly than life without parole.

Whether “zero tolerance” policiesreduce levels of school violence

Whether correctional and rehabilitation programs reduce recidivism rates of sex offenders

Whether federal or state gun control laws (such as the Brady Act) have successfully kept guns out of the hands of the mentally ill and felons

Whether lowering the drinking age to 18 has decreased underage drinking and related accidents

Whether boot camps (or other “tough on crime programs) have reduced recidivism rates for juvenile offenders

Whether victim services programs reduce the psychological suffering of crime victims

Whether prison rehabilitation programs (educational, vocational, religious, drug and alcohol) reduce recidivism rates for adult offenders

Whether the jury system functions efficient (namely, reaches the correct result)

Whether drug courts and/or other diversionary programs effective in reducing recidivism

Whether sentencing guidelines create more just and equitable sentences

Whether conceal carry permits or shall-issue laws lower crime rates

Whether private prisons provide a more efficient and cheaper alternative to public prisons

Whether community policing programs reduce crime

Whether “drug free school zones” successfully shield children from drugs

Whether legalizing prostitution will reduce crime against women

Whether legalizing “medical marijuana” leads to greater levels of drug abuse

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