TEXT, REFERENCES, AND SUPPLIES:

TEXT - REQUIRED: Senna, J. J. & Siegel, L. J. (2005). Introduction to Criminal Justice (10th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth   (ISBN: 0-534-62946-6)

RECOMMENDED: A legal dictionary. There are several available at local book stores or on the Internet. Blacks Law Dictionary is not necessary; there are a number of excellent ones for criminal justice students that are paperback and inexpensive. This investment will serve you throughout your criminal justice courses.

REFERENCE MATERIALS USED BY INSTRUCTOR:
Texas, State of. Texas Penal Code. Current ed.
Assorted texts, journals, publications, films, and instructional material appropriate to course material.

NOTE: Do not delay getting the required materials from the College Bookstore. There is no guarantee that there will be any available after the third week of class.

SUPPLIES: Students will bring notebooks, pens, pencils, and Scantron® sheets for examinations to class. It is suggested that students purchase several Scantron sheets, both objective-type and essay-type, at the beginning of the semester, and have them available during class, in the event an unannounced quiz is given.

COURSE GOALS/ OBJECTIVES:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will:

Identify components of the criminal justice system and relate them to one another

(Employees must understand the criminal justice system to work effectively in it)

Identify career opportunities in public and private sectors of criminal justice system

(To make  informed decisions, students must understand there are career choices)

Discuss the history of American law enforcement

(Knowing history helps one understand how   and why the system operates as it does, and aids in preventing mistakes from being repeated)

Explain the purposes of criminal law, its sources and the differences between criminal and civil law

(Employees of the system must have in-depth knowledge of law and procedure to avoid making mistakes)

Apply different justice perspectives to selected issues 

( Studying various perspectives gives students greater understanding of the objectives of the system)

Describe the organization of the typical law enforcement agency 

(Understanding organizations facilitates coping with change in the organization)

Describe the goals of the police

(Understanding goals improves understanding of the nature of the job and the officers’ role)

Describe characteristics unique to the police culture

(Knowledge of police culture improves understanding of changes in behavior among police officers during their career)

ACTIVITY: Students will write a paper discussing police personality
Explain the use of discretion by the police 

(Studying discretion improves decision-making skills and critical thinking)

Explain the effect of education on police work 

(Studying the pros and cons of educated officers promotes an appreciation of higher education and contributes to a feeling of professionalism among officers)

Describe the typical state court system, and the federal court system and explain the procedures of trial, including roles of participants and pretrial mechanisms  

(Understanding court systems, roles of participants, and trial procedures reduces stress among officers and improves officers performance during case preparation and during testimony; procedural knowledge can have a positive effect on the relationship between officers and suspects)

Explain plea bargaining and pretrial diversion 

(Knowledge of various methods of resolving cases reduces stress among officers and improves relationships between officers, prosecutors and the courts)

Explain the basic consequences of standing trial and various sentencing procedures commonly used today 

(Understanding consequences of behavior and sentencing improves officers’ attitudes toward court procedures and trial outcomes)

Demonstrate improvement in verbal and written communication skills during the course 

(Effective communication skills are essential in the criminal justice system. Improving these skills better prepares students for employment)

ACTIVITY: Students will complete writing assignments as directed by the instructor.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
Writing assignments will be assigned during the semester as deemed necessary by the instructor. The purpose of these assignments is to provide you the opportunity to learn to write effectively and practice that skill. Specific instructions will be given when the assignments are made.

STUDENT CONTRIBUTIONS AND CLASS POLICIES:

Students must dedicate themselves to learning while in college. You should follow the syllabus, read each chapter before it is discussed in class, and use the study questions at the end of the syllabus to your advantage, completing the answers as the are addressed in class. Additional time is required for preparing for examinations. Attendance is important in this class.

Portable cellular phones, beepers, and similar paging devices are disruptive to the class, and you are encouraged NOT to bring them into the classroom. If you do bring them to class, please make sure they are turned off. Should they become a nuisance, you will be asked to remove them from the classroom.

Students missing a major examination must make up the examination before the next class period, unless other arrangements are made with the instructor. Make-up examinations may be the same as, or different from, the examination given in class. Make-up examinations will cover the same material as the scheduled examination. Failure to make up an examination within the next week will result in a grade of zero for the missed exam. Any assigned make-up work must be completed and turned in by Wednesday of the fifteenth week of the semester. No make-up work will be allowed during finals week.

Final exams are not given early or late.
The instructor reserves the right to give quizzes, announced or unannounced, at any time. There is no opportunity to make up quizzes that are missed.

NOTICE: The instructor reserves the right to drop students who stop attending or have an excessive number of absences. As a rule, however, the instructor does not drop students, and it is your responsibility to drop a class if you no longer plan to attend and complete the semester. Check the Midland College catalog for last day to drop. If you are in a TASP developmental course, and have excessive absences, you may be dropped from that course. That will automatically result in your being dropped from all courses at Midland College. Your instructor has no control over this.


EVALUATION OF STUDENTS: (This is subject to change)

  
* Quizzes provide instructors excellent opportunities to check students’ progress, evaluate vocabulary building, and validate teaching styles.

COURSE SCHEDULE:

The class meets for three lecture hours per week.
An outline of the course is attached to this syllabus. This is a guide and is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.

SCANS INFORMATION:

The following SCANS* skills are taught and/or reinforced in this course:
Systems: Understanding complex interrelationships. Students will: explain parts of the criminal justice system and their relationship with one another.
Reading: Locates, understands, and interprets written information. Students will: demonstrate ability to find and relate published material to discussion topics; learn and incorporate jargon into language; associate text material with discussion topics.
Writing: Communicates thoughts, ideas, information and messages in writing. Students will: submit short written assignments during course and complete essay questions on exams.
Listening/Speaking: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages in ways appropriate to the purpose; organizes ideas and communicates appropriate messages. Students will: participate in class discussion, answer questions directed at them, participate in reviews and ask questions as necessary to clarify material.
Personal Qualities: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity and honesty. Students will: identify traits associated with the police personality.
*SCANS are workplace competencies established by the federal government; documentation of them is required in each program.


INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Office Hours: Subject to change each semester, office hours are posted and announced in class.

PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION

Two principles should guide you through your education. First, from your education you should learn "how to think, not what to think." The second is from Dr. Gennaro Vito (1999), and has 10 parts:

1. Work is good. Hard work is even better.
2. Preparation is the key to success.
3. Quality and presentation count.
4. Revision improves all things.
5. Learn to use all the tools available to you.
6. Work must be completed on time.
7. Time is more valuable than money.
8. Do not become an educated fool.
9. Nothing stays the same. Either you get better or your get worse.
10. The classroom is no place for democracy.

COURSE OUTLINE CRIJ 1301 Fall 2007: (This is subject to change)

This course is offered M, W, F from 10:00 - 10:50 am in the Fall 2007 semester. This is subject to change at the instructor's discretion.

                       
This course outline is for Senna & Siegel’s Introduction to Criminal Justice (10th ed.).

Review for Examination 1, Chapters 1 & 4

1. Because vocabulary is essential to understanding any academic discipline, you should learn all key terms in each chapter.
2. Explain why the study of criminal justice is an interdisciplinary field.
3. Discuss to what extent the criminal justice system is a “system.”
4. List the steps normally associated with the formal criminal justice system.
5. Trace the historical development of criminal law.
6. Discuss the principle of stare decisis.
7. List and explain the sources of criminal law.
8. Discuss the classifications and legal definitions of crime.
9. Discuss the insanity plea.
10. List, explain, and discuss the procedural due processes of law.
11. List and explain the six (6) perspectives on justice.
12. List the goals of the criminal justice system as given in class.
13. Discuss the concepts of criminal responsibility and defense.
14. Discuss constitutional criminal procedure.
15. Explain how public opinion of the criminal justice system is formed.
16. Explain strict liability and give examples.
17. Explain the role the branches of government play in criminal justice.
18. Explain the differences between torts and crimes.

Review for Examination 2, Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8

1. Because vocabulary is essential to understanding any academic discipline, you should learn all key terms in each chapter.
2. Trace the historical development of law enforcement.
3. List the Peelian Principles as given in class, and discuss their importance to police work.
4. Discuss the role of the police in controlling crime.
5. Discuss the use of discretion by the police.
6. Discuss whether arresting offenders, especially in domestic violence cases, is effective in preventing crime.
7. Discuss the effect of reporting time on solving crime.
8. Explain what the police do.
9. Explain the concept of “police personality.”
10. List and explain the four styles of policing as stated in the text.
11. Discuss the effects of education on police performance, citing both advantages and disadvantages.
12. Discuss corruption in police work.
13. Explain the Exclusionary Rule and its purpose.
14. Discuss searches incidental to a lawful arrest.
15. Discuss automobile searches and field interrogations.
16. Explain the plain view doctrine.
17. Explain the Miranda rule and required warning.
18. Discuss the development and organization of federal law enforcement.
19. Discuss the development of private security in this country.
20. Discuss the issues surrounding minorities and females in police work today.

Review for Examination 3, Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12

1. Because vocabulary is essential to understanding any academic discipline, you should learn all key terms in each chapter.
2. Explain the Texas court system as depicted in the text and discussed in class.
3. Explain the federal court system as depicted in the text and discussed in class.
4. Explain how a case gets to the Supreme Court.
5. Discuss the role of the prosecutor.
6. Discuss the role of the defense attorney.
7. Discuss prosecutorial discretion.
8. Trace the case history of the right to counsel.
9. Discuss the process of and right to bail.
10. Discuss the legal issues in plea bargaining.
11. Discuss plea bargaining, focusing on the roles of those participating in the process.
12. Explain pretrial diversion.
13. Discuss the right to counsel at trial.
14. List the steps of a criminal trial as given in the text and as given in class.
15. Discuss the process of voir dire.
16. Discuss procedures immediately following arrest.
17. Explain the pleas available to a defendant, and the effects of each one.

Review for Examination 4

Chapters 13, 14, and selected material* from the entire course.

1. Because vocabulary is essential to understanding any academic discipline, you should learn all key terms in each chapter.
2. Discuss the history of punishment in the world.
3. List and explain the goals of criminal punishment.
4. Explain the differences between indeterminate and determinate sentencing.
5. Discuss the arguments for and against the death penalty.
6. Discuss the history of probation.
7. Discuss the purpose of presentence investigations.
8. Discuss the legal rights of probationers.
9. Explain shock probation and split sentencing.
10. Discuss the concept of electronic monitoring of offenders.
11. Explain the concept of transportation of prisoners.

NOTE: These are subject to change, depending on the progress made during the semester and the content of the final examination. Plan on the final examination being comprehensive.

* You will be told during the final review what material from earlier course segments will be included on the final. Typically, material is chosen because of its importance to course goals and students’ failure to demonstrate this knowledge on prior exams.