CRJU 1000 Criminology & 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: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30-10:45; by appointment

Phone: (719) 660-8511 (cell); (303) 315-0526 (office) E-mail: [email protected] (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 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 a specific case study, Amanda Knox. We also will discuss special topics, including the role of the media in the criminal justice system, victims, issues of race and the justice system, the juvenile justice system, and capital punishment.

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: 1. 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.

2. 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.

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3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Know how to summarize a legal case orally and in writing in case brief form (facts, issue, decision, justification, dissent).

6. Discuss the challenges facing the criminal and juvenile justice systems in the 21st century.

7. Speak or write fluently about several contemporary crime and justice issues and relate those issues to relevant parts of the criminal justice system.

8. 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. (2017). Introduction to Criminal Justice: Systems, Diversity, and Change, 2nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Correia-Davis, Martina, Marlowe, Jen, and Davis, Troy. (2013). I am Troy Davis. Chicago: Haymarket Books.

You are required to watch some videos and documentaries, for which the links have been provided. There may be a small fee to rent some of the online material to watch.

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.

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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 quizzes are 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. http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/CUOnline/FacultyResources/AcademicHonesty/Documents/student/intr oduction/index.htm

**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. http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SPA/CurrentStudents/academicresources/Documents/Plagiaris m%20Workshop.pdf

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 a 0 on the assignment 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.

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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% (740-800) A 90%-92% (716-739) A- 88%-89% (700-715) B+ 83%-87% (660-699) B 80%-82% (636-659) B- 78%-79% (620-635) C+ 73%-77% (580-619) C 70%-72% (556-579) C- 60%-69% (476-555) D Below 60% (475 or below) F

You will be graded on weekly quizlets (reading checks), a midterm and final, two case briefs, a book review, an experiential project, and some fun assignments (formative assessments) related to the Amanda Knox case, applying concepts we learn in class to her case). 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 800 (not including attendance); no extra credit. 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 800 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 Classes Number of Points Added/Subtracted 1 +15 2 +10 3 +5 4 0 (no points added, no points deducted) 5 -5 6 -10 7 -15 8 -20 9 -25 9 or more Automatic F (reasons for absences don’t matter)

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Weekly Quizlets (15 weeks x 10 points = 150 points): Each week, you will create a quizlet to demonstrate your understanding of the required reading. More details are discussed in a separate assignment sheet. If you read what was assigned, you should not have difficulty with the quizlets.

Midterm and Final (50 points each = 100 points): 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 Briefs (25 points each – 50 points): You will be required to brief two landmark Supreme Court cases, Mapp v. Ohio and Gideon v. Wainwright. 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): 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 (130 points): 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! 

Formative Assessments (270 points): These assignments are designed to be fun applications of the course material to an actual case, Amanda Knox. In each section of the course, you will complete a ‘real-life’ type of assignment that analyzes how the course material plays out in an actual case. One of these assessments is a mini mock trial! Detailed assignment descriptions are on Canvas.

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Class Schedule and Reading Assignments:

Part 1: Measuring and Defining Crime, the Law, and Theories

Week # Readings Assignments

1: 1/17-1/21 Syllabus Academic Dishonesty Quiz Quizlet #1 (due 1/22)

2: 1/22-1/28 Text Chapter 1 Formative Assessment #1 Quizlet #2 (due 1/29)

3: 1/29-2/4 Text Chapter 2 Formative Assessment #2 O’Donnell article Quizlet #3 (due 2/5)

4: 2/5-2/11 Text Chapter 3 Goal and Preliminary Timeline SMART goal document Quizlet #4 (due 2/12) Carnegie page on time mgmt.

Part 2: Police

5: 2/12-2/18 Text Chapter 4 Formative Assessment #3 Websites on Italian justice Quizlet #5 (due 2/19)

6: 2/19-2/25 Text Chapter 5 Formative Assessment #4 Gill article Quizlet #6 (due 2/26) Peterson et al. (14-20; 74-90)

7: 2/26-3/4 Text Chapter 6 Mapp v. Ohio brief Mapp v. Ohio case Formative Assessment #5 Quizlet #7 (due 3/5)

Part 3: Courts

8: 3/5-3/11 Text Chapter 7 Midterm *mock trial prep* Kassin article Quizlet #8 (due 3/12) Gideon v. Wainwright case

9: 3/12-3/18 Text Chapter 8 Updated Timeline and Goal *mock trial prep* Bordenkircher v. Hayes case Quizlet #9 (due 3/26) Dervan and Edkins article

3/19-3/25 – Spring break – enjoy! 

10: 3/26-4/1 Text Chapter 9 Gideon v. Wainwright brief *mock trial prep* I am Troy Davis – Prelude; Intro. Quizlet #10 (due 4/2)

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Part 4: Corrections and Special Topics

11: 4/2-4/8 I am Troy Davis – Part 1 Formative Assessment #6 *This week is the mock trial.* Quizlet #11 (due 4/9)

12: 4/9-4/15 Text Chapter 10 Formative Assessment #7 I am Troy Davis – Part 2 Quizlet #12 (due 4/16)

13: 4/16-4/22 Text Chapter 11 Mini Project I am Troy Davis – Part 3 Quizlet #13 (due 4/23)

14: 4/23-4/29 Text Chapter 12 Quizlet #14 (due 4/30) I am Troy Davis – Part 4; Afterword

15: 4/30-5/6 Netflix Documentary: Book Review Amanda Knox Formative Assessment #8 Quizlet #15 (due 5/7)

16: 5/7-5/12 Text Chapter 13 Final (Finals Week) Zoom lecture on juvenile justice

5/11: Final Exam is due by 11:59 PM

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