Approved by Faculty Senate October 20, 2003
University Studies Course Approval Proposal
Sociology: Criminal Justice Writing Flag
The Department of Sociology: Criminal Justice proposes the following course for inclusion as a Writing Flag course in the University Studies Program for Sociology: Criminal Justice majors. The Criminal Justice Program faculty approved this action on February 12, 2003. It was also approved by the Sociology Department on March 19, 2003.
Course:SOC 407 - Offender Assessment and Management – 3 s.h.
Catalog Description:This course addresses the knowledge and skills required in assessing offender custody and program needs and the management of offenders in institutions and the community.
This is an existing course previously approved by A2C2.
Contact person for this course is: Helen N. Dachelet
E-mail:
Prepared by Helen Dachelet
SOCIOLOGY:CRIMINAL JUSTICE WRITING FLAG
The purpose of the Sociology: Criminal Justice Writing Flag requirement is to reinforce the outcomes specified for the basic skills area of writing for criminal justice. This course addresses the knowledge and skills required in assessing offenders’ criminal, family, and social background and the management of offenders in the community. This course is intended to reinforce the importance of criminal justice students being able to express, in writing, learned rules and procedures and to apply those rules to writing a pre-sentence investigation report as it is generated in probation practice. This course includes requirements and learning activities that promote students abilities to:
- Practice the processes and procedures for creating and completing successful writing in criminal justice fields.
Students will be given the opportunity to practice using court terminology that will be required in criminal justice practice. Students will become familiar with the statutory requirements of pre-sentence and pre-disposition investigation reports ordered by Courts for use in sentencing offenders. Inherent in this course will be the development of writing skills required in compiling information for these reports. Criminal Justice practitioners generally spend more time writing reports than they do supervising offenders. The reports generated by the practitioner are usually read and scrutinized by judges and attorneys; therefore, these reports must contain accurate legal terminology. It is vitally important for students and practitioners to clearly express offenders’ backgrounds, criminal history and both static and dynamic “individual characteristics, circumstances, needs, potentialities, criminal record and social history” as required by statute. All of the writing activities as set forth in the course outline meet this objective.
- Understand the main features and uses of writing in the criminal justice field.
Students will initially learn to read official court documents such as complaints, informations or indictments and police reports, and then restate the pertinent elements of the case so the Court and involved attorneys can understand all aspects of a particular complaint. Since this course is a “track” course, students must apply knowledge learned in several other criminal justice courses and sort out what is relevant and what isn’t relevant. This also involves understanding legal and police language and making that information understandable to judges, attorneys and others in the Criminal Justice system. It also requires the student to have a complete knowledge of Court and prosecution language in order to be able to interpret that and write reports in a less technical language. All of the writing activities as set forth in the course outline meet this objective.
- Adapt their writing to the general expectations of readers in the criminal justice field.
Students will be expected to use proper grammar and spelling in all writing exercises which is an expectation of readers in all fields. In addition, students will be taught to use correct criminal justice terminology and to understand the meaning of that terminology. Practitioners in the criminal justice field who will review the writings of the students in the future will demand such precision. All of the writing activities as set forth in the course outline meet this object. Professionals in the criminal justice field who are the consumers of these reports include judges, prosecuting and defense attorneys, other probation officers, prison personnel, and treatment staff.
- Make use of the technologies common used for research and writing in the criminal justice field.
Students will be furnished with appropriate web sites which contain information pertinent to writing pre-sentence and/or pre-dispositional reports. Those sites include Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois statutes; Minnesota sentencing guidelines, and Lexis/Nexis case searches. Students are expected to have acquired appropriate computer/word processing skills in order to accomplish this objective and to properly prepare the writings required in this course.
e. Learn the conventions of evidence, format, usage and documentation in the criminal justice field.
Students will be required to learn how to write comprehensive pre-sentence and pre-dispositional reports. This includes special formats as required by the Court being served, which could vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The student will learn the usage and meaning of legal words and terms as understood by the Court and prosecuting and defense attorneys.
SOCIOLOGY 407
OFFENDER ASSESSMENT/MANAGEMENT
SPRING SEMESTER 2003
CORRECTIONS TRACK REQUIRED WRITING FLAG
TIME: Tues and Thurs – 8:00 to 9:20 a.m.
ROOM:Minne 102
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Helen N. Dachelet
Office:131 Minne
Phone:507-457-5699
E-mail:
Office hours:M W F - 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 to 12:00
T & Th – 9:30 to 12:00
Or by appointment
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
This course addresses the knowledge and skills required in assessing offender custody and program needs and the management of offenders in institutions and the community. Prerequisites: Admission to Sociology: Criminal Justice Program and instructor’s permission. Limited to 20 students. Grade only. Offered each semester.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course addresses the knowledge and skills required in assessing program needs, offenders’ criminal, family, and social background, and the management of offenders in the community. The course will cover basic communication and interviewing skills, Minnesota statutes pertaining to offender assessment, victim rights, chemical dependency and gambling assessments, and Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
a. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the statutory requirements of pre-sentence and predisposition investigation reports for the Court. Inherent in this course will be the development of writing skills required in completing these reports. Students will also be exposed to Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and conducting chemical dependency and gambling screens. The reports generated by the probation officer are usually read and scrutinized by judges and attorneys; therefore, these reports must contain accurate legal terminology and indicate an understanding of criminal justice concepts. It is vitally important for students to clearly detail offender’s backgrounds, criminal history and both static and dynamic features of “individual characteristics, circumstances, needs, potentialities, criminal record, and social history” as required by state statute.
b. Under University Studies, this course is designated a flagged, upper-level writing course. As such, this course will provide the context, opportunity and feedback for students writing specifically for criminal justice. Writing assignments will comprise a significant portion of the student’s final course grade. Initially, students will learn to read official court documents such as complaints, informations or indictments and police reports. These official documents must then be interpreted or restated so that the Court and attorneys can understand all aspects of a particular complaint. All writing assignments will be reviewed and suggestions made for making the reports clear and concise. All assignments will be rewritten until the essence of the official information is retained but put into more readable format and all extraneous information deleted.
- Students will be expected to use proper grammar and spelling in all writing exercises. In addition, students will learn criminal justice terminology and to understand the meaning of the terminology. Practitioners in the criminal justice field who will review the writings of the students in the future will demand such precision.
The specific writing objectives in this course will be (1) to practice the processes and procedures for creating and completing typical writing assignments as they relate to the criminal justice field; (2) to understand the main features and uses of writing in criminal justice; (3) to adapt writing to the general expectations of judges and attorneys who require high standards of professional writing; and, (4) to learn the conventions of presenting evidence using specific formats, usage and documentation used in the criminal justice profession. It has been this instructor’s experience that most writing errors consist of errors in punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure; therefore, the student who possesses these skills will have a professional advantage.
d. Students will be furnished with appropriate web sites which contain information pertinent to writing pre-sentence and/or pre-dispositional reports. Those sites include Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois statutes; Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines, and Lexis/Nexis case searches. Students are expected to have acquired appropriate computer/word processing skills in order to accomplish this objective and to properly prepare the writings required in this course. Students will also be informed of additional professional computer programs utilized in the criminal justice field.
d. The student will be exposed to the various components of a pre-sentence and pre-dispositional report. Each student will complete a pre-sentence investigation report as a course paper which will be the essence of the entire report. Many writing exercises will help the student produce a professional product. This report will include the following sections: Official Version; Offender’s Version; Victim’s Version; Victim Impact; Prior Criminal Record; Correctional Experience; Pending Charges; Family Background;; Residence History; Family stability, values and attitudes; Marital Relationships; Academic/Vocational Skills; Employment; Employment; Financial Management; Companions; Emotional Health; Physical Health; Mental Ability; Chemical Usage; Sexual Behavior; Military Experience; Religious Affiliation; Leisure Time Activities; Other Agency Involvement; Public Safety; Reparation to the Victim and the Community; and Competency Development/Offender Programming. The students will write sections of the report throughout the semester. A first draft of the final report will be due on Thursday, April 10, 2003. This draft will be reviewed by the instructor and returned to the student with specific suggestions for improvement. The final draft of the completed pre-sentence report will be due on Thursday, April 24.
TEXTBOOKS
The primary textbook for the class is Motivational Interviewing – Preparing People For Change, by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, Second Edition, published by The Guilford Press.
Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and Commentary, latest edition, will also be used throughout the course. This can be down-loaded from the internet at This is a 90-page booklet and students will need to obtain a one-inch, three-ring binder to hold this information. It can also be purchased from the Minnesota Book Store. Details will be given in class if you want this option.
Students will also use the internet to retrieve Minnesota statutes 609.115 pertaining to pre-sentence investigation reports and M.S. 611A which pertains to victims. Other hand-out will be made available on other aspects of sentencing and information to be included in the final project. It is recommended that each student acquire a three-inch, three-ring binder in which to hold these hand-outs.
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY!!!!!!
Since there is no comprehensive textbook for this course, it is imperative that students attend all classes. Students who elect to miss class will find themselves with a considerable handicap and it will be nearly impossible for students to complete the main project if in-class instruction is missed. If a student chooses to miss in excess of five classes, a penalty of 10% of the total possible points will apply. This will, of course, result in lowering the student’s grade by one letter.
EXAMS/ASSIGNMENTS
A minimum of three exams will be given during the course of the semester. Each exam will be worth 100 points. These exams will focus on the various skills, concepts, principles and laws that have been presented in class. The completed pre-sentence investigation report will be worth 200 points. In addition to the pre-sentence investigation report, students can expect a weekly writing assignment. These assignments will carry 50 points each. NO LATE PAPERS will be accepted and papers can only be turned in during the class period in which they are due.
An additional class assignment includes attending criminal court sessions during the course of the semester. It is unlikely that these court sessions will occur during class time due to the court’s sporadic schedule. Guidelines and explanation of the purpose and outcome will be explained, in writing, during the class.
GRADING will be completed based on the following:
90% of possible points = A
80% “ “ “ = B
70% “ “ “ = C
60% “ “ “ = D
Below 60% = F
GENERAL OUTLINE:
- Explanation of course requirements; introduction to basic communications skills, interviewing, skills; self-discovery exercises.
- Practice interviewing skills. Introduction and application of sentencing guidelines.
3. Overview of offender’s criminal history including sources and reading computer print-outs. Introduction to statutory requirements regarding pre-sentence investigation reports.
- Discussion of statutory requirements regarding chemical dependency and gambling assessments. Practice in conducting assessments.
5. Practice using risk/needs assessments used in conjunction with pre-sentence investigation reports.
THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO AMEND ANY PORTION OF THIS SYLLABUS. NOTICE OF CHANGES WILL BE GIVEN IN WRITING IN CLASS.
ADDENDUM
WRITING SEQUENCE FOR FINAL PROJECT – PRE-SENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT:
Official Version: a description of offense stated in non-legal terms that is a description of what happened (who, what, when, where). Utilize criminal complaint, police reports, court minutes and personal interviews with involved persons. Include apparent motivation; extenuating circumstances, extent of damage, use of threats or violence, and profit from the offense.
Offender’s Version: Include defendant’s statement. This can be reproduced in the defendant’s own language if he/she provides a written statement. This can indicate to the Court the defendant's level of functioning in academic subjects. Include probation agent’s assessment of reasons for defendant’s involvement, which can include drugs, alcohol, companions, economic necessity, emotional factors remorse, attitude toward victim and offense, any rationalization of behavior, or placing of blame on others.
Plea Bargain – This information can be taken from the Rule 15 petition.
Victim’s Version: Include victim’s statement of the offense. Give the victim the option of making a written statement for the pre-sentence investigation report and/or a verbal statement to be made in Court. The victim also has the option of having the statement remain confidential but including it in Part II of the pre-sentence investigation report. Including it in Part II means that the defendant will not have access to a copy of the victim’s report. Only one copy will be made of the victim’s statement which will be forwarded to the sentencing judge. In that case, both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney must read the statement in the judge’s chambers.
Victim Impact: This section should include the agent’s assessment of how the victim felt about the offender’s attitude and behavior at the time of the offense; any physical or psychological injury or harm to the victim; the economic losses incurred; relationship to the offender; and any provocation towards the offender. If there are items to be included for restitution purposes, these must be detailed indicating financial costs, lost time from works, any medical bills, including those for psychological counseling, etc.
Prior Record: List all past criminal convictions. Include conviction date, name of the offense, where it occurred and the disposition. Include the offender’s juvenile and traffic offenses as well as all felony, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor offenses.
Correctional Experience: Include and prior parole/probation supervision information including dates and places. Detail revocations, absconding, institutional experience, informal probation periods and diversion programs.
Pending Charges: Include information about pending criminal charges, existing detainers and/or warrants, and any probation/parole revocations that are pending.
Family Background: Include the following information about the defendant’s father, mother, siblings, half- and step-siblings: Name, date of birth, address, occupation, employment history, marital status (date and place of marriage), divorces (date and place), re-marriages (date and place and names), dates and causes of death of significant others, and any criminal history in family members.
Residence History: Describe type of residence and/or previous residences; rent or own; physical condition of home; other household members; describe neighborhood; frequency of moves; reasons for moving; relationship with landlord and neighbors.
Family stability, values and attitudes: Include the following as they relate to the defendant’s family history: areas of conflict with siblings and parents; sibling rivalry and the reason and nature of any arguments; destructive patterns such as alcohol/substance abuse, family violence; family cohesiveness; criminal patterns and arrests; involvement with social service agencies; methods of family discipline; economic problems; mental or physical health problems; emotional stability; significant other who cared for the children; family runaways; and family strengths.
Also include family’s attitude toward client, this offense and any past criminal activity; an explanation of why the defendant is involved in the offense; why and when trouble began; how the defendant can avoid further criminal activity; defendant’s attitude/feeling toward family members; defendant’s perception of family problems.