CRIJ 1301: Introduction to Criminal Justice Course Syllabus CRIJ 1301: Introduction to Criminal Justice!!!!! (3-3-0) A study of the history and philosophy of criminal justice. This course includes ethical considerations; the definition, nature, and impact of crime; an overview of criminal justice system; law enforcement; court systems; prosecutions and defense; trial process; and corrections. Prerequisite: Concurrently enrolled in READ 0308 or TSI complete in READ. F, Sp (4301045124). INSTRUCTOR Michael Ferguson, M.S. Instructor email:!! mferguson@kilgore.edu Personal webpage:!! www.fergspage.com Office telephone:!! 903.983.8670 Office hours:!! by appointment Office location:!! B. E. Woodruff Adult Education Center, Office #103 TEXTBOOK! The American System of Criminal Justice (12 th ed.) by Cole and Smith ISBN-10: 0495599654 ISBN-13: 978-0495599654 GRADING POLICY! Examinations will be periodically administered in an effort to determine student mastery of the course material. All students are required to take the final examination as a prerequisite to successful completion of the course. GRADES An accurate point system will be utilized to determine the final grade the student will receive for the course. The final grade will be the average (arithmetic mean) of each student's exam grades. Grades will be awarded according to the following scale: 90-100:! A 80-89:!! B 70-79:!! C 60-69:!! D 00-59:!! F 1
CLASSROOM POLICIES I.! Attendance Policy for online classes: Students are required to log into the Moodle system at least four separate days per weekly unit and are required to actively participate in class discussions and class activities. All assignments and exams must be completed and submitted in an approved format by the due date listed in the syllabus or in the online platform itself. For purposes of this course, "actively participate" means that you must engage with your classmates and must contribute to the discussion. Simply stating, "I agree!" or "Yeah, what he said!" will not meet this requirement. Grading for this portion of the class is based on the instructor's subjective assessment of student participation. II.! Assignment Policy: All required work must be submitted on time. Assigned work is due on the assigned date unless a change is pre-approved by the instructor. Regardless of the circumstances, late work may be assessed a penalty. III.! Method of Instruction: This is a procedures course that relies heavily on the textbook, on assigned readings from other sources, and lecture materials presented by the instructor. Writing assignments are also a valuable learning technique and must be completed. Spelling, grammar, and writing skills do count toward the grade on any written assignment. It is the instructor's firm belief that all teachers are English teachers; as such, your proficiency in that area is tremendously important. Any formal written assignments should be formatted in APA (6 th Edition) style and sources should be cited as needed. For those students who are not familiar with the APA style, an excellent tutorial can be found at www.apastyle.org. IV.! Exams: Weekly exams will be available to students beginning at 12:01 AM Sunday morning and will close at 11:59 PM Monday night. V.! Student Withdrawal from Class: Students are responsible for contacting the Kilgore College Registrar's Office (903.983.8606) to drop a class. Failure to do can result in a course final grade of "F" being placed on the student's transcript. VI.! Academic Integrity: The Kilgore College Criminal Justice Department seeks to foster a spirit of complete honesty and a high standard of integrity. Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be tolerated. Possible sanctions for plagiarism or cheating include, but are not limited to, the following: automatic failure of the assignment, test, or course. For further information refer to the Kilgore College Student Handbook. VII. Statement of Non-Discrimination: The Kilgore College Criminal Justice Department seeks to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap, marital status, or veteran status. 2
VIII.! Americans With Disabilities Act Statement: Any student whose disability may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. Students should also contact the special populations counselor for documentation of the required accommodation. IX.! Basic use of computers: Computers are an important part of the criminal justice system and, obviously, an integral part of this online course. Students will research material via the Internet, as well as employ electronic mail to communicate with the instructor concerning class assignments. X.! Contacting the Instructor: Students who wish to contact the instructor should do so by stopping by his office (AEC 103), by telephone (903.983.8670), by email (mferguson@kilgore.edu), or by the messaging function built into the Moodle system. XI.! Writing Skills: Online students' grammar, spelling, and writing skills in classroom discussion should be appropriate for a college-level course. Slang, misspelled words, poor grammar, etc., are not acceptable. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR CRIJ 1306! I.! Students will be able to describe the American system of criminal justice II.! Students will be able to describe the interaction between the public, the police,! the courts, the judiciary, and the corrections aspects of the American criminal! justice system. III.! Students will be able to identify and explain the basic protections and processes! in the American system of laws.! COURSE OUTLINE Week One: August 27 - September 2 Introduction & orientation to class Reading assignment: Chapters One and Two Crime and Justice as Public Policy Issues Defining Crime Types of Crime The Crime Problem Today Crime Victimization Causes of Crime Exam One 3
Week Two: September 3 - September 9 Reading assignment: Chapter Three The Goals of Criminal Justice Criminal Justice in a Federal System Criminal Justice as a System Operations of Criminal Justice Agencies The Flow of Decision Making in the Criminal Justice System Crime and Justice in a Multicultural Society Discussion forum question: Crime in a heterogenous society Exam Two Week Three:! September 10-16 Reading assignment: Chapter Four Foundations of Criminal Law Substantive Criminal Law Procedural Criminal Law The Supreme Court Today Internet research assignment: Controversy and the Supreme Court Exam Three Week Four: September 17 - September 23 Reading assignment: Chapter Five The Development of Police in the United States Law Enforcement Agencies Police Functions Organization of the Police Police Policy Police Actions Police and the Community Exam Four Week Five: September 24 - September 30 Reading assignment: Chapter Six Who Are the Police? The Police Subculture Police Response and Action Delivery of Police Services Issues in Patrolling Discussion forum question: Police subculture Exam Five 4
Week Six: October 1 - October 7 Reading assignment: Chapter Seven Police Abuse of Power Civic Accountability Policing and New Technology Homeland Security Security Management and Private Policing Exam Six Week Seven: October 8 - October 14 Reading assignment: Chapter Eight Legal Limitations on Police Investigations Plain View Doctrine Warrantless Searches Questioning Suspects The Exclusionary Rule Discussion forum question: Miranda in the modern age Week Eight: October 15 - October 21 Reading assignment: Chapter Nine The Structure of American Courts Effective Management of the State Courts To Be a Judge From Arrest to Trial or Plea Bail: Pretrial Release Pretrial Detention Exam Eight Week Nine: October 22 - October 28 Reading assignment: Chapter 10 The Prosecutorial System The Defense Attorney: Image and Reality Exam Nine Week Ten: October 29 - November 4 Reading Assignment: Chapter 11 The Courtroom: How It Functions Plea Bargaining Trial: The Exceptional Case Appeals Discussion forum question: Plea bargains - a necessary evil? Exam 10 5
Week 11: November 5 - November 11 Reading assignment: Chapter 12 The Goals of Punishment Forms of the Criminal Sanction The Sentencing Process Exam 11 Week 12: November 12-18 Reading assignment: Chapter 13 Development of Corrections Organization of Corrections in the United States Jails: Detention and Short-Term Incarceration The Law of Corrections Correctional Policy Trends Discussion forum question: Punishment or Rehabilitation? Exam 12 Week 13: November 19-25 NOTE: Students are not required to log into the Moodle system during the three days the college is closed for Thanksgiving (November 21, 22, and 23) Reading assignment: Chapter 14 Community Corrections: Assumptions Probation: Correction Without Incarceration Intermediate Sanctions in the Community Exam 13 Week 14: November 26 - December 2 Reading assignment: Chapter 15 The Modern Prison: Legacy of the Past Goals of Incarceration Prison Organization Governing a Society of Captives Correctional Officers: The Linchpin of Management Who Is in Prison? The Convict World Women in Prison Prison Programs Violence in Prison Exam 14 6
Week 15: December 3 - December 9 Reading assignment: Chapters 16 and 17 Prisoner Reentry Release and Supervision Release Mechanisms Parole Supervision in the Community The Future of Prisoner Reentry Civil Disabilities of Ex-Felons Pardon Youth Crime in the United States The Development of Juvenile Justice The Juvenile Justice System The Juvenile Justice Process Problems and Perspectives Exam 15 Week 16: December 10-13 Final Exam DISCLAIMER: Your instructor reserves the right to make modifications in content and schedule as necessary to promote the best education possible within prevailing conditions affecting this course. 7