The Criminal Justice System
CCJ 3024
Syllabus
Course Procedures and Grading Policy
Spring 2001
Robert E. Ford, Ph.D.
Office: UCF Campus Daytona,
Building 34 – rm. 200B
1200 International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Fl. 32118
904-756-8245 (home); 904-254-4412 (Office); 904-254-3000, ext.4017 (direct)
E-Mail refmcf@bellsouth.net reford@mail.ucf.edu
Office Hours:
Monday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. At Orlando
I will be available at other times. If you need to contact me please call me either at home or the office. If you can’t get me, leave a message. I will call you back. Students are encouraged to use email. Email is checked daily. If you need to meet with me on the Orlando Campus, since I do not have an office there, call ahead and arrangements will be made.
Course Description: The Criminal Justice System will overview and analyze the American justice system. Initial discussion focuses on legal underpinnings of the justice system. Each system element will be defined in terms of structure and function. A brief history of the development of elements of the system will foster an understanding of factors shaping justice in America. A brief overview of crime, its extent, its patterns and definitions will be pursued to provide context for system operations.
Each element of the system, police, courts, juvenile justice and, corrections will be addressed. Special topics such as the death penalty, the incarceration boom and sentencing structures will also be analyzed.
The Justice System serves as a matrix for a series of opposing ideologies and functions. This mixture of oppositional goals and multiplicity of functions has led to the development of extensive informal processes within the justice system. Informal practices within the system in a number of cases conflict with the directions specified in the enabling statutes. Particular attention will be paid to the dynamic tension that often flourishes between the informal and formal justice system. Factors triggering the informal processes will be identified.
Course Text: Robert M. Bohm and Keith N. Haley Introduction to Criminal Justice (2nd edition) New York, N.Y., Glencoe McGraw Hill, 1999.
Course Objectives:
Overview the history of criminal justice system to better understands its present status.
Provide the student with an understanding of the current structure of criminal justice.
Develop an understanding of the varied roles in the criminal justice system.
To provide an initial understanding of the interaction between policy decisions, practitioner discretion and system behaviors.
To develop students writing and analytic skills.
To provide to students an initial academic base to proceed to more advanced classes.
Develop student understanding of the functions currently performed by the criminal justice system.
Familiarize students with the legal basis of the system.
Method of Teaching:
Lecture and Class Discussion, Video and PowerPoint Presentations.
Topics To Be Covered:
January 8 The social control functions of the justice system; Distinction developed between informal and formal controls; The concept of system developed; Elements of the system broadly introduced.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 1. Crime and Justice in the United States. Pp. 1-21.
January 15 Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday (Holiday off)
January 22 Legal definitions and criminal law, the distinctly American approach. This lecture will feature a brief review of the nature of the American crime problem. Victim and offender profiles will be presented. Trend data will be surveyed.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 2. Crime and Its Consequences pp.23-61.
January 29 Criminological theories will be reviewed in terms of their impacts on the justice system. Specific attention will be paid to specific elements of the system as drug court, juvenile court, domestic violence court, and their theoretical underpinnings. Insanity defense will be discussed.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 3. Explaining Crime Pp. 63-103.
February 5 The legal underpinnings of the Justice System will be analyzed. Particular attention will be paid to constitutional issues.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 4. The Rule of Law pp. 105-143.
Choice of Topic for Research Paper due.February 12 Police the system intake mechanism. The legal base for the police. The structure and distribution of police.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 5. History and Structure of American Law Enforcement pp. 145 –177 and Chapter 6. Policing America Pp. 179-221.
February 19 District and State’s Attorneys: The Prosecutors.
February 26 The American Court Structure, the Defense Attorney
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 7, The Administration of Justice pp. 223-267.
March 5 Mid Term Exam
March 12 Spring Breaks No Class
March 19 Sentencing, Appeals and the Death Penalty. Types of sentencing, philosophical conflicts and organizational considerations.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 8, Sentencing, Appeals and the Death Penalty pp 269-300
March 26 The American Jury...Bail and Jail
Reading: Marilyn Chandler Ford "The American Jury" available on the web site.
Reading: Volusia County Department of Corrections Annual Report. Bail Report on Web site.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 9 Institutional Corrections Pp. 307-347 and Chapter 10 Prison Life, Inmate Rights , Release and Recidivism. Pp. 349-373.
Draft of Literature Review and Bibliography due. Will be returned following class
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 11 Community Corrections Pp. 375-404.
April 16 Juvenile Justice: A System in Change and Confusion.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 12 Juvenile Justice
April 23 Future of Criminal Justice and Class Review for Final.
Reading: Bohm et al. Chapter 13 The Future of Criminal Justice. Pp. 436-488.
Final Copy of Paper Due during last class on April 23.
April 30 Final Exam (Finals’ Week)
Note class schedules and topics may be changed as needed. If there are any changes students will be notified.
Course Requirements:
Course Requirements: One multiple choice – short answer Midterm and a Final (each counts 25% of grade); one research exercise (25% of grade); Attendance/participation (25%).
Grading Traditional 90 to 100 A 80 to 89 B 70 to 79 C 60 to 69 D, etc. Exams will be curved up if appropriate.
Make-ups will only be granted for important reasons. Permission must be sought in advance.
Course Attendance is expected. Student will be marked down for unapproved absences. Attendance and class participation will account for one-quarter of grade.
Students will be responsible for the readings. They will be discussed in class and questions will be drawn for the examinations.
Research Exercise: An element or process of the justice system will be chosen. The student will review and summarize available research, hypotheses and descriptive overviews for this topic. A bibliography will be developed describing the works utilized. This exercise will follow the following format:
Topic
Introduction: Why is this topic important? Why did you choose it? What are the policy issues related to this topic?
Literature Review: Review each significant research, overview previous discussions on this topic, discuss current thinking and hypotheses relevant to the chosen topic.
Discussion: Analyze findings, review strengths and weaknesses of current research. Discuss current thinking and hypotheses relative to this topic. What are the policy implications of current findings?
Summary and Conclusions: What additional research is needed? What is the nature of the needed research? How should it be structured and conducted?
Bibliography: All items used or reviewed are to be cited. Materials reviewed but not cited should also appear in the bibliography. Tables and descriptive statistics are to be used when appropriate. All materials used must be cited. Reports are to be typed. Neatness, proper citation and grammar counts.
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