Course Syllabus Date Approved: May 8, 2013 Prepared By: Course Title: Patrick L. Beatty, Ed.S. Introduction to the Criminal Justice System Course Number: CRJ 101 Total Lecture Hours: 45 Total Laboratory Hours: 0 Total Course Contact Hours: 45 Credit Hours: 3 Pre-requisite: EGL 093 Co-requisite: None Course Description: Introduction to the Criminal Justice System is an introduction to the social and historical background of law enforcement and corrections. This course includes an orientation to the United States criminal justice system while examining the roles of the modern federal, state, and local law enforcement and correctional agencies.
At Cecil College, for all credit courses, students are expected to spend a minimum of 45 hours of 50 minutes each of combined instructional time and related coursework time per credit hour. For this course, the following applies: 3-Credit Course Number of Hours Total hours of direct instruction and/or outof-class 135 student work required Direct Faculty Instruction 45 Out-of-Class Student Work 90 CRJ 101 Introduction to The Criminal Justice System is a three-credit hour lecture course. You should expect to spend 45 hours in class and an additional 90 hours outside of class. The estimated hourly breakdown of assignments is given below: Assignment Reading Writing Assignments Other Additional Study Time for s Semester Total Description - Average reading time 3.2 minutes per page - Average of 42 pages per chapter x 18 Chapters = 2,420 minutes - 3 small assignments @ 3 hours per assignment = 9 hours - 1 final research paper 16 hours - 1 final presentation @ 5 hours - 5 quizzes @ 2 hours per quiz = 10 hours total - 2 exams @ 5 hours = 10 hours Total Out-of- Class Hours 40 25 5 20 90 Total In-Class Hours 45 2
Topical Outline I. Criminal justice A. Historical information B. Stages of criminal case processing C. Due process of law II. III. IV. The crime picture A. Uniform Crime Report (UCR) B. National Crime Victim s Survey (NCVS) C. Differences between the UCR and NCVS Theories behind the causation of crime A. Criminological theory B. Classical theory C. Biological theory D. Sociological theory E. Conflict theory Criminal law A. Purpose of law B. Five categories of crime C. The elements of a crime D. Criminal defenses V. History and structure of policing A. Historical development B. Three levels of law enforcement C. Law enforcement agencies VI. VII. VIII. Purpose and organization of policing A. Police mission B. Operational strategies of police departments C. Styles of policing D. Police discretion E. Professionalism and ethics Legal aspects of policing A. Bill of Rights B. Search and seizure C. Arrest process D. Role of Miranda Challenges in policing A. Police corruption B. Police use of force 3
C. Racial profiling D. Civil liability IX. Structure and participants of the courts A. Development of the American court system B. Differences between levels of court systems C. Roles of professional members of the courtroom D. Non-professional courtroom participants X. Pretrial activities and the criminal trial A. Steps of pretrial activities B. Purpose of the criminal trial C. Stages of a criminal trial XI. XII. XIII. Sentencing A. Five goals of contemporary sentencing B. Structured sentencing C. Victims rights D. Four traditional sentencing options Probation, parole, and community corrections A. History and purpose of probation B. History and purpose of parole C. Intermediate sanctions Prisons and jails A. History of punishment B. Characteristics of prisons C. Privatization of prisons XIV. Prison life A. Prison subculture B. Differences between male and female prisons C. Prisoners rights XV. Juvenile justice A. History of juvenile justice B. Court decisions relating to juvenile justice C. Differences between juvenile and adult justice systems XVI. Drugs and crime A. Illegal drugs B. Legal classifications of drugs C. Response to the drug problem 4
XVII. Terrorism and multinational criminal justice A. International criminal justice organizations B. of terrorism XVIII. The future of criminal justice A. History of technology and crime B. Technology and crime control 5
1. Demonstrate an understanding of criminal justice. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of crime statistics. 3. Demonstrate an understanding of the causations of crime. 1.1 Describe a brief history of crime in America. 1.2 Describe the process of the American criminal justice system, including the stages of criminal case processing. 1.3 Explain the meaning of due process and identify where due process guarantees can be found in the American legal system. 2.1 Describe the history and nature of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and what it can tell about crime in the United States. 2.2 Describe the history and nature of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and what it can tell about crime in the United States. 2.3 List and explain the differences between the UCR and the NCVS programs. 3.1 Explain the nature of criminological theory. 3.2 Describe the classical theory and how it continues to influence criminological theory. 3.3 Describe the basic features of biological theories of crime causation. 3.4 Describe the basic features of sociological theories of crime causation. 3.5 Describe conflict theories of criminality, and identify the kinds of crime-control policies that might be based on them. 1.1 What noteworthy criminal incidents occurred during the last century? 1.2 List and describe the stages of case processing that characterize the American system of criminal justice. 1.3 What is meant by due process of law? 2.1 What can crime statistics tell us about the crime picture in America? 2.2 What does data from the NCVS tell us about crime in the United States today? 2.3 What significant differences between the UCR and NCVS programs can be identified? 3.1 What are the steps in criminological theory building, and the role that social research plays in the development of theories about crime? 3.2 List the basic assumptions of classical theories of crime causation. 3.3 What shortcomings can be associated with the biological perspective of crime causation? 3.4 What types of crime-control policies can be based on sociological theories of crime 6
4. Demonstrate an understanding of criminal law. 4.1 Explain the nature and purpose of law. 4.2 List and describe the five categories of crime. 4.3 Describe what is meant by the elements of crime. 4.4 Describe the four broad categories of criminal defenses that the United States legal system recognizes. causation? 3.5 What are the differences between radical criminology and peacemaking criminology? 4.1 What is the purpose of law? 4.2 What are the five categories of criminal law violations? 4.3 What is meant by the corpus delicti of crime? 4.4 List and identify four categories of criminal defenses. 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the history and structure of policing. 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose and organization of policing. 5.1 Describe the historical development of policing in America. 5.2 Describe the three major levels of public law enforcement in the United States. 5.3 Identify the various kinds of law enforcement agencies, and explain the role that these agencies play in enforcing the law. 6.1 Explain the police mission in democratic societies. 6.2 List and describe the five core operational strategies of a police department. 6.3 Identify three styles of policing. 6.4 Describe police discretion and how it affects the practice of contemporary law enforcement. 6.5 Describe why professionalism and ethics are important in policing. 5.1 What impact did the Prohibition era have on the development of American Policing? 5.2 What are the three levels of public law enforcement? 5.3 What are the responsibilities of the county Sheriff? 6.1 What are the basic purposes of policing in democratic societies? 6.2 What are the five core operational strategies that police departments use today? 6.3 What are the three styles of policing? 6.4 How does the practice of discretion by law enforcement reflect on their agencies and on the policing profession as a whole? 6.5 Why are professionalism and ethics 7
important in policing today? 7. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal aspects of policing. 8. Demonstrate an understanding of the issues and challenges in policing. 7.1 Explain how the Bill of Rights and democratically inspired legal restraints help protect personal freedoms in our society. 7.2 Describe the circumstances under which law enforcement may properly conduct searches and seize property. 7.3 Describe how popular depictions of the arrest process may not be consistent with legal understandings of the definition of the term. 7.4 Explain the role of Miranda warnings. 8.1 List and identify the different types of police corruption, and the methods for building police integrity. 8.2 Describe the situations in which law enforcement officers use force, and provide some guidelines for determining when too much force has been used. 8.3 Describe racial profiling and biased policing, and explain why this issue has become significant in policing today. 8.4 Describe the civil liability issues associated with policing, and identify common sources of civil suits against the police. 7.1 How does the Bill of Rights and democratically inspired legal restraints on the police help ensure personal freedoms in our society? 7.2 What is the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine? 7.3 What is an arrest, and when does it occur? 7.4 Which recent United States Supreme Court cases have affected the Miranda warning requirements? 8.1 What innovative steps might a law enforcement agency take to reduce or eliminate corruption among their officers? 8.2 In what kinds of situations are police officers most likely to use force? 8.3 What is it about racial profiling that most people find socially unacceptable? 8.4 What are some of the common sources of civil suits against police? 8
9. Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and participants of the courts. 10. Demonstrate an understanding of the pretrial activities and the criminal trial. 9.1 Describe the development of American courts, and explain the concept of the dual-court system. 9.2 Identify the differences between the state and federal court systems. 9.3 Identify and explain the roles of professional members of the courtroom work group. 9.4 Identify and explain the roles of nonprofessional courtroom participants. 10.1 List and explain the steps typically taken during pretrial activities. 10.2 Describe the nature and purpose of the criminal trial. 10.3 Identify the various stages of a criminal trial. 9.1 How did the American court system develop? 9.2 What are some of the differences between the state and federal court systems? 9.3 What is an expert witness? 9.4 How do professional and nonprofessional courtroom participants work together to bring most criminal trials to a successful close? 10.1 What activities are typically undertaken during the pretrial period? 10.2 What is the difference between factual guilt and legal guilt? 10.3 What is the function of plea bargaining? 11. Demonstrate an understanding of sentencing. 11.1 Describe the five goals of contemporary criminal sentencing. 11.2 Describe the nature of structured sentencing and the different types of structured sentencing models in use today. 11.3 Describe the history of victims rights and services, and the growing role of the victim in criminal justice proceedings today. 11.4 List and describe the four traditional sentencing options used in America today. 11.1 What are the five goals of contemporary criminal sentencing? 11.2 Which structured sentencing model holds the best promise for long-term crime reduction? 11.3 What role does the victim play in criminal justice proceedings? 11.4 What is capital punishment? 9
12. Demonstrate an understanding of probation, parole, and community corrections. 12.1 Explain the history and purpose of probation. 12.2 Explain the history and purpose of parole. 12.3 Describe what intermediate sanctions are, and list the advantages of intermediate sanctions over more traditional forms of sentencing. 12.1 What is the purpose of probation? 12.2 List and identify the advantages and disadvantages of probation and parole. 12.3 How do intermediate sanctions differ from more traditional forms of sentencing? 13. Demonstrate an understanding of prisons and jails. 14. Demonstrate an understanding of prison life. 13.1 Describe the nature and history of early punishments, and the impact on the modern philosophy of corrections. 13.2 Describe the major characteristics and purpose of prisons. 13.3 Describe the role of private prisons and assess their future in the American criminal justice system. 14.1 Describe the realities of prison life and prison subculture. 14.2 Identify the significant differences between men s and women s prisons. 14.3 Describe the legal aspects of prisoners rights. 13.1 What types of criminal punishments were used before the advent of imprisonment as a criminal sanction? 13.2 What is the just desserts model of corrections? 13.3 What will be the state of private prisons two or three decades from now? 14.1 What are prison subcultures and how do they influence prison life? 14.2 Why have women s prisons been studied less often than institutions for men? 14.3 What are the commonly accepted rights of prisoners in the United States? 15. Demonstrate an understanding of juvenile justice. 15.1 Describe the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system in the Western world. 15.2 List and identify the United States Supreme Court decisions relating to juvenile justice, and describe their 15.1 List the six categories of children in the juvenile justice system. 15.2 What was the impact of the Gault decision on juvenile justice in America? 15.3 What are the major similarities 10
16. Demonstrate an understanding of drugs and crime. impact on the handling of juveniles by the system. 15.3 Explain the similarities and differences between the juvenile and adult systems of justice. 16.1 Explain the nature of illegal drugs and the role that social convention plays in deciding what constitutes an illegal drug. 16.2 Identify the different types of drugs that are illegally used and the legal classifications of each. 16.3 Describe the various efforts to respond to the drug problem, and assess the effectiveness of each. and differences between the juvenile and adult justice systems? 16.1 What role does social convention play in deciding what constitutes a controlled substance? 16.2 What are the major types of drugs that are illegally used in this country today? 16.3 What is meant by the decriminalization of illicit drugs? 17. Demonstrate an understanding of terrorism and multinational criminal justice. 18. Demonstrate an understanding of the future of criminal justice in America. 17.1 Identify international criminal justice organizations, and describe their role in fighting international crime. 17.2 Identify two major types of terrorism. 18.1 Describe the historical relationship between technological advances and criminal activity. 18.2 Explain the important role that technology has played, and will play in the future fight against crime. 17.1 What efforts are the governments around the world making to prevent and control the spread of domestic terrorism and international terrorism? 17.2 What are the two major types of terrorism? 18.1 How has technology affected the practice of criminal justice in America during the past century? 18.2 What role does technology play in the fight against crime? 11