Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Course Overview
For most of us, the only contact we have with the issues of crime and punishment is through the media. Bombarded with images of violence, police misconduct and overcrowded prisons, we often grow numb to the realities of criminal justice in the United States. This course will get you to think about these important issues through an in-depth examination of the root causes of crime, the legal system’s response to offenders, and the resulting increase in prison population.
There are many questions for us to explore. How does crime affect our community? How do we balance the rights of accused persons with those of the victims? How effective is our current system of sentencing, incarceration and capital punishment in deterring crime? What roles do race and socio-economic class play in our criminal justice system? What rights do teenagers have and how fair is their treatment by the legal system? How “just” is this system?
Students will read from a variety of sources and be able to explore their particular interest through a research project that will culminate in a community presentation (more on this later!). In addition to the reading list, we will also take several field trips and hear from a variety of communities, including victims of crime, prisoners’ families, advocates for prisoners and victims of crime, as well as professionals involved in crime enforcement, criminal law, and correctional facilities. We will view several movies that help deepen our understanding of different aspects of our criminal justice system.
Topics:
Crime and Violence
Juvenile Justice
Policing Powers
Criminal procedure
Rights of the accused
Sentencing
Prisons
Prisoners’ rights
Capital Punishment
Solutions
Possible field trips/speakers:
Probation Officer
San Francisco Police Department
Therapist to sex offenders
San Quentin volunteer
Alameda County Public Defender
Former convicts
Therapist to death row inmates
Texts:
Reader (to be passed out in class)
Barry Scheck, et al. Actual Innocence
There are many questions for us to explore. How does crime affect our community? How do we balance the rights of accused persons with those of the victims? How effective is our current system of sentencing, incarceration and capital punishment in deterring crime? What roles do race and socio-economic class play in our criminal justice system? What rights do teenagers have and how fair is their treatment by the legal system? How “just” is this system?
Students will read from a variety of sources and be able to explore their particular interest through a research project that will culminate in a community presentation (more on this later!). In addition to the reading list, we will also take several field trips and hear from a variety of communities, including victims of crime, prisoners’ families, advocates for prisoners and victims of crime, as well as professionals involved in crime enforcement, criminal law, and correctional facilities. We will view several movies that help deepen our understanding of different aspects of our criminal justice system.
Topics:
Crime and Violence
Juvenile Justice
Policing Powers
Criminal procedure
Rights of the accused
Sentencing
Prisons
Prisoners’ rights
Capital Punishment
Solutions
Possible field trips/speakers:
Probation Officer
San Francisco Police Department
Therapist to sex offenders
San Quentin volunteer
Alameda County Public Defender
Former convicts
Therapist to death row inmates
Texts:
Reader (to be passed out in class)
Barry Scheck, et al. Actual Innocence
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