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Syllabus

UNE Summer Session

CRL 205: The Criminal Justice System

Credits - 3

Description

This course examines the major components of the Criminal Justice System through a critical lens. It will explore its historical foundations, while mapping out the contemporary picture, by examining the various roles and functions of agencies which comprise the Criminal Justice System – including (substantive and procedural) criminal law, police, courts, and corrections. Critically, this course will pay attention to the ways in which the criminal justice system operates in relation to larger societal forces, including structures of race, class, and gender.

Materials

This course does not have a required textbook. In lieu of a textbook, we will read articles from news publications or scholars on various topics in criminal justice. These journal articles, book chapters, news articles, or excerpts assigned during the semester will be made available to you through a link in the syllabus, on Lyceum through our site, or will be available online. Please note that this is a rigorous and demanding course that requires a fair amount of reading. You should complete all readings to perform well in the course.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

By the end of the course students should be able to:

  • Identify the differing agencies associated with the social control of criminal law violations and describe their functions and responsibilities. (Major learning outcome)
  • Evaluate the impact of various forms of inequality and stratification (including race, class, and gender) on the criminal justice process

Assignments

Assignment Description Portion of Course Grade Due Date
Video Introduction Assignment Students will submit a 2-3 minute video assignment where they introduce themselves and answer a few introductory questions 5 points May 22 by 11:59 pm
Week 1 Assignment   10 points May 24 by 11:59 pm
Week 2 Assignment   10 points May 31 by 11:59 pm
Test 1 Covers material from Weeks 1-3 20 points June 7
Week 4 Assignment   10 points June 14 by 11:59 pm
Week 5 Assignment   10 points June 21 by 11:59 pm
Criminal Justice Reform Students will make a proposal for how to improve the criminal justice system. Students will present their proposal in a recorded conversation with a non-politics major/non-criminal justice professional 15 points June 26 by 11:59 pm
Test 2 Covers material from Weeks 4-6 20 points  

Schedule

Course Schedule 

 Note: The readings listed below are subject to change. Depending on the pace of the class and the interests of the students, I might add, remove, or swap readings as the semester progresses. I will make every effort to give reasonable notice if and when such changes occur. All readings will be available on our class Brightspace site under the “Readings” folder or by clicking on the reading’s title on the syllabus.

Week 1: May 18 to May 24- Introduction to Criminal Justice and Big Questions in U.S. Criminal Justice

Week 2: May 25 to May 31- Crime Data and Criminal Law

Week 3: June 1- June 7: Policing

Week 4: June 8- June 14: Courts I (Organization/Structure of U.S. Courts, Prosecutors, and Indigent Defense)

  • Assignments:
    • Week 4 assignment due June 14 by 11:59 pm
  • Readings: 47 pages total plus podcast episode
    • Koon-Magnin, Sarah, and Williams, Ryan. 2024. “Jurisdiction and Organization of US Courts.” In The U.S. Criminal Justice System: A Reference Handbook, ed. Sarah Koon-Magnin and Ryan J. Williams (Bloomsbury). Pages 28-32. (5 pages).
    • Harrison, Judy. 2019. “How Maine’s drug courts work and how well,” article from Bangor Daily News. (3 pages).
    • Walsh, Dylan. 2017. “Why U.S. Criminal Courts Are So Dependent on Plea Bargaining,” article from The Atlantic (4 pages).
    • Buter, Paul. 2021. “The Prosecutor Problem,” article from Brennan Center for Justice (2 pages)
    • Cannon, Dan. 2022. Pleading Out: How Plea Bargaining Creates a Permanent Criminal Class. Read pages 1-11 and 215-235 (32 pages).
    • Gross, John. 2023. “Reframing the indigent defense crisis,” article from The Harvard Law Review (3 pages)

Week 5: June 15 – June 21: Courts II (Criminal Trials and Sentencing)

  • Assignments:
    • Week 5 assignment due June 21 by 11:59 pm
  • Readings: 25 pages total plus two podcast episodes
    • Lockwood, Beatrix and Annaliese Griffin. 2020. “The Ins and Outs of Bail,” article from The Marshall Project (3 pages).
    • Koon-Magnin, Sarah, and Williams, Ryan. 2024. “Grand Jury.” In The U.S. Criminal Justice System: A Reference Handbook, ed. Sarah Koon-Magnin and Ryan J. Williams (Bloomsbury). Pages 84-85. (2 pages)
    • Jahn, Jaquelyn L., Simes, Jessica T., and Jonathan Jay. 2024. “Evaluating Firearm Violence after New Jersey’s Cash Bail Reform.” JAMA Network Open 7(4): 1-11. (8 pages).
    • Listen to More Perfect podcast episode, “Object Anyway” (50 minutes)
    • Koon-Magnin, Sarah, and Williams, Ryan. 2024. “Trial Process.” In The U.S. Criminal Justice System: A Reference Handbook, ed. Sarah Koon-Magnin and Ryan J. Williams (Bloomsbury). Pages 35-43. (9 pages)
    • Listen to Science vs podcast episode, “Forensic Science” (35 minutes).
    • Koon-Magnin, Sarah, and Williams, Ryan. 2024. “Sentencing.” In The U.S. Criminal Justice System: A Reference Handbook, ed. Sarah Koon-Magnin and Ryan J. Williams (Bloomsbury). Pages 43-48. (6 pages)

Week 6: June 22 – June 26: Corrections

Student Resources

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Summer Session Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.

Instructor and Support Contact Information

Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.

UNE Libraries

Further Assistance

Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.

To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.

If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.

Policies

Summer Session & Academic Engagement Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation.

Proctored Examinations

Your course may have proctored exams. For all proctored exams, an external camera is required. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course).

Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements.

Course Length

A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.

Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.

  1. Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar.
  2. Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.

Withdrawal and Refund Policies

Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.

Grade Policy

Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course.

Transcripts

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the College. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Attendance Policy

6- to 8-week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

10+ -week courses: Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Professional Studies will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Friday at 11:59 pm ET of the second week of the term. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean's Office.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.