Course Syllabus CRMJ 1010 Intro to Criminal Justice Instructor: Leah Gray E-mail: lgray@jscc.edu Office: Academic Year: Office Hours: Monday Friday 9:00 11:00Phone: 731-425-2627 Last day to drop: Textbook: Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21 st Century 13 th Edition Course Description: An overview of the U.S. criminal justice system, with an emphasis on the work of law enforcement, the courts, and the corrections system. Attention is given to the development of criminal law from its roots in English common law, as well as to the career options and opportunities available to those currently working or planning to work in law enforcement or another aspect of criminal justice, such as forensics, corrections or the courts. Learning Outcomes: Recognize, describe, and explain institutions, structures, and processes that make up the American criminal justice system. Explore the relationship between the legal system, the enforcement system, and the corrections system. Communicate orally and in written form with a vocabulary conducive to the discipline of criminal justice as related to specific course objectives. Demonstrate an understanding of the judicial system and the basics of the U.S. Constitution; including familiarity with major court decisions that impact law enforcement and corrections. Develop an understanding of the need to balance the rights of individuals with the interests of society. Be capable of gathering, analyzing, organizing, and interpreting relevant criminal justice data in written, mathematical, and/or verbal form. Course Requirements: Complete unit exams, consisting of multiple choice and short-answer questions. Read all assigned readings. Participate actively in class discussions and on projects as assigned.
Grading: 70% of your grade will come from exams, quizzes and papers 30% of your grade will come from daily participation, case problems, discussion questions and projects. Grading Scale: A = 92-100 B = 83-91 C = 75-82 D = 70-74 F = Below 69 Missed Exam If an exam is missed and the student does not contact the professor immediately, no make-up date will be allowed. Missed exams will be essay style questions and the grade will be reduced by 5 points. Penalties may be waived by (1) prior coordination with the instructor, (2) presenting a valid doctor s permit, or (3) in the case of extenuating circumstances (This will only apply to one exam). Academic integrity policy At Jackson State, academic integrity is expected of all students. As a currently enrolled student, you have agreed to abide by the institution s honor code, which includes the understanding that you will personally and autonomously complete all graded work. Cheating will not be tolerated in any form, including plagiarism of written work. The penalty for academic dishonesty in this class ranges from failure of the assignment to failure of the course. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to Jackson State administration. If you ever have any questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty cheating or plagiarism see me for answers before you turn in the assignment. Resources Jackson State offers many free resources to enhance students success at college. Make use of as many as possible while you are here. Disabled Student Services offers support to students with documented disabilities of any kind. If you have any questions about disabled student services at Jackson State, visit the Counseling Office in the Student Union. Counseling is available to students who experience physical or mental stress or impairment during their time at Jackson State.
The Library provides excellent support for all of your research needs. Ask the librarians for help with your research projects, and you will find far more useful information than you would otherwise. The Academic Assistance Center offers free tutoring in most courses at Jackson State. If you have trouble with the material in your courses, contact the AAC, located on the Library Building s second floor, at 731.425.2614 to be paired with a tutor. Communication Communicating through online learning is much different than face-to-face learning. Because of this, there are some simple rules that need to be followed to ensure a successful and peaceful class environment. Email Always include a subject line. Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emotions might be helpful in some cases. Use standard fonts. Do not send large attachments without permission. Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication. Respect the privacy of other class members. Remember, the use of CAPITAL letters insinuates that you are yelling. Discussion Groups Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic. Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks. Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks. Be positive and constructive in group discussions. Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner. Stay on topic. Chat Introduce yourself to the other learners in the chat session. Be polite. Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory statements. Be concise in responding to others in the chat session. Be prepared to open the chat session at the scheduled time. Be constructive in your comments and suggestions. Class Schedule and Assignments
Week 1 Crime in America Read Chapters 1 and 2 Complete What about you quiz Reach 50 events that changed criminal justice Answer Discussion question Week 2 Crime in America Paper Due: What Does Justice Mean to You? 1000 word minimum Read Chapter 3 Watch Psychology of Serial Killers Week 3 Criminal Law Read Chapter 4 and 5 Complete #1, 4, 6 and 7 from Chapter 4 questions for review Complete #1 and #2 from Chapter 5 questions for reflection Watch posted videos under Week 3 Take Chapter 4 Quiz Week 4 Policing Read chapter 6 Test over chapters 1 5. Watch posted videos Week 5 Policing Read Chapters 7 and 8 Submit paper on Styles of Policing 1000 word minimum Week 6- Policing Test on policing Submit Defend/Prosecute paper in designated drop boxes Week 7 Adjudication Read Chapter 9 Paper Due: Pros and Cons of Working in the field of Criminal Justice 1200 minimum word count Watch videos
Week 8 Adjudication Read Chapter 10 Answer Chapter 10 Questions for review 3 and 4 Watch Videos Week 9 Adjudication Read chapter 11 Answer 1 and 5/Chapter 11 on Questions for reflection pg. 378 Watch video Answer discussion question Week 10 Corrections Read Chapter 12 Test on Adjudication Debrief paper due on Courtroom Project Project: Watch a court session held in an area county courthouse Write a minimum word paper of 1000 words consisting of overview of the case, outcome, what you saw you agreed with/disagreed with and what you would have changed. Answer questions 2 and 4 chapter 12, page 410 under questions for review. Review the parole decision link Week 11 Corrections Read Chapters 13 and 14 Answer questions 2 and 5 chapter 13, page 451 under questions for review. Answer questions 1, 2 and 4 chapter 14, page 491 under questions for review. Answer discussion questions Week 12 Special Issues Read Chapter 15 Test on Corrections Paper Due: The American Court System 1500 words minimum At least 3 references should be included Answer discussion question Week 13 Special Issues Read Chapter 16 Complete drug worksheet Week 14 Future Read chapters 17 and 18 Test on Special Issues and Future of Criminal Justice Answer discussion question
Week 15 Review of previous material Complete Final Exam