CRJU 410: Juvenile Justice

CRJU 410: Juvenile Justice Course Syllabus Spring 2006 Semester

Instructor: John Massey Email: [email protected] CRJU410: Juvenile Justice Office: 307 Adams Street Semester: Spring 2006 Criminal Justice Building Class Time: MW 5:00-6:15 Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Website: http://www.radford.edu/~jbmassey/crju410

This course will cover the study and function of the juvenile justice system, the process within the system, and the youth who become involved in these processes.

Course Text:

Juvenile Justice: The System, Process, and Law, Thomson & Wadsworth, 2006 (del Carmen & Trulson) (available in the RU bookstore, The Book Exchange on Tyler Avenue and on the web) ISBN: 0534521584

Content of Course

This course will be taught in a lecture discussion format. Lectures, readings, and discussion will be geared toward understanding the evolution of the juvenile justice system, differences between it and the adult criminal justice system, and the major components and processes which characterize the manner in which it functions today.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

After successful completion of the course, the student will:

1. have an understanding of the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system.

2. be able to compare and contrast the function and processes of the juvenile justice system to the adult criminal justice system.

3. be able to define and apply terminology which is unique to the juvenile justice system process.

4. be able to demonstrate knowledge of juvenile rights and how they affect modern day juvenile case processing.

5. be acquainted with a range of approaches and methods utilized to divert juveniles from the legal system.

1 Conduct of Course

An informal approach which emphasizes knowledge acquisition, class interaction, and illustration with current issues will be used.

Assessment & Grading Measures

There will be a variety of methods used to evaluate your performance in this course:

Three Exams – 100 points each (300 points total) -Each exam will test the student’s knowledge on a particular section of the course. The exam format will consist of a combination of short answer, fill in the blank and essay. Occasionally, I may include some multiple choice questions. Most exam material will come from class lecture and examples that are given in class.

Exam #1 – 100 points (Week 5/6) (Focused on the first five weeks of the course, material will include the history and development of juvenile justice, theories and explanations of juvenile crime, juveniles and law enforcement, and the process of intake and diversion - chapters 1-4)

Exam #2 – 100 points (Week 10/11) (Focused on the second five weeks of the course, material will include status offenders and other youth delinquency, detention and adult court transfer process, the juvenile court system, adjudication, disposition and appeals – chapters 5-9)

Final Exam – 100 points (Week 17 – Exam Week) (Focused on the final six weeks of the course, material will include juvenile sanctions, probation and parole, juvenile correctional facilities, the juvenile death penalty, schools and other issues, current issues and trends – chapters 10-14)

Group Presentation – 50 points -During the first week of the semester, students will be placed into groups for this project. The groups will research a juvenile justice agency and present findings to fellow classmates and the instructor in the later half of the semester. More details will be provided regarding this assignment during the first week of classes.

“Create A Sanction” Juvenile Sanction Assignment – 50 points -Each student will be required to create a juvenile sanction to combat a specific juvenile crime or juvenile crime in general. The student will be given the opportunity to be creative with this assignment but use information and knowledge acquired throughout the semester to create a sanction or policy that can be successful in the American juvenile justice system. More details will be provided regarding this assignment during the first week of classes.

Two Thought Papers – 50 points each (100 points total) -Throughout the semester, students will have two thought papers due. Each thought paper will be worth 50 points for a total of 100 points. Thought papers will be graded on content, style, grammar, thoughtfulness and research. Any student who receives a mark of 35 or lower out of 50 points on a thought paper must rewrite the paper and re- submit it.

2 Thought Paper #1 – The efficiency of the juvenile justice system Thought Paper #2 – Successful and unsuccessful juvenile justice sanctions

In-Class/Group Assignments/Quizzes – 50-100 points -There will be a variety of take home or in-class assignments throughout the semester. There may also be group assignments during a class period. Students may also be expect an occasionally quiz.

Total Points: 550-600 (some extra credit opportunities may arise throughout the course of the semester)

This is a junior/senior level course. You will be expected to have a general understanding and knowledge of the American criminal justice system. The assignments aforementioned are designed to help each student develop a full understanding of the juvenile justice system in the United States. In addition, I expect a high level of quality in each student’s work. Any paper or assignment should include thoughtfulness and clarity.

Participation

I encourage all students to participate in class discussion. Furthermore, I would like to hear everyone speak at some point during the semester and it is my belief that our class can engage in some great discussions and debates during the next few months. Participation will not be graded formally but it is highly encouraged. Please remember to be thoughtful to your fellow classmates and open to diverse opinions when making comments in class and please make comments and ask questions that are pertinent to the current material in our discussion. And three tips:

*If you have a comment, make it. *If you have a question, ask it. *If you have a story, share it.

Attendance Policy

There is an attendance policy in this course. My expectation is that students are in class and on time every day. Each class period, I will pass around an attendance booklet and each student will have an attendance sheet that must be signed each day. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet each day.

Students will be allowed three absences. Any student who misses more than three absences will have two points deducted from his or her final grade (for each additional absence). For instance, if a student misses six classes and has a final average of 93 percent, that grade will drop 6 points to an 87 percent. Furthermore, if any student misses more than eight classes, he or she cannot receive a grade higher than a C, regardless of how well the student may due on the exams and assignments. If a student has perfect attendance or only one or two absences, that student will receive extra credit at the end of the semester.

I understand that there will be some days where students miss for a variety of reasons. This is why I allow three absences for each student during the semester. You will not be able to use your three absences by simply skipping and then if something comes up, have

3 your absence excused. You know from the start that you have three absences so I strongly encourage you to come to class EVERYDAY and not skip. If a student has a problem or an issue with attendance, he or she can talk to me individually about the situation. Remember you are allowed three absences.

Make-Up Work

If you miss an exam or an assignment, you will NOT be allowed to make it up under any circumstances unless you have a valid excuse with proper documentation that I will request. Furthermore, I do NOT accept late work. When work is due, it should be completed and ready to be turned in at the very beginning of class. You cannot turn in assignments after the due date for partial credit. There is a reason for having a “due date” and you should adhere to it.

Final Remarks

Generally speaking, I only have two pet peeves when I teach. The first is cell phones. If you have a cell phone, I ask that you either A) do not bring it to class or B) turn it off. You should live by this rule for all of your classes and any university events, lectures or speeches that you attend. Cell phones going off in the middle of class are a distraction to the entire class. So if you do choose to bring cell phones, pagers, 2- ways, or any other loud noisy devices to class, please keep them turned off.

My second pet peeve is when students are talking while other students are presenting, making a comment or asking a question. Respect your fellow students. I can understand if you ask the person next to you what I just said in lecture in case you missed it or you are asking someone nearby about something you just missed, but when another student is speaking, please respect that student and listen to what they have to say.

I also understand that many classrooms have wireless capabilities now. If you plan to bring a laptop computer to class each day, I ask that you use it ONLY for the class itself. Please do not bring it to class to use IM, the internet, games or any other programs not related to class. If you would like to use it to type your notes on during class or for other classroom-related activities, that is fine. However, if you are using the technology for something that is not classroom-related, I will politely ask you to stop using it in class.

The Radford University Honor Code

I hereby resolve to uphold the Honor Code of Radford University by refraining from lying, from the stealing or unauthorized possession of property and from violating the Standards of Student Academic Integrity.