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Introduction to the Criminal Justice Systems
CJC 1010

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Note: Sample Syllabus from last time course offered.

Course Description:

Examines the United States criminal justice system; its problems and reaction to prevailing social forces. Surveys the continuum of criminal justice from police, through the courts to corrections to provide a background for more in depth study in later courses.

Textbook Requirements:

George Cole and Christopher Smith, The American System of Criminal Justice, 2001

Note: You will need to bring this book to the class for use during discussions and case studies.

General: It is expected that students will read the assigned material. Class discussions and lectures will build on the readings. It is expected that work submitted for the course will be the work of the students and that the work is intended for the specific course. You are expected to attend class.

Grade Scale:

270 + = A

240 - 269 = B

210 - 239 = C

180 - 209 = D

179 (and below) = F

Student Evaluation:

1) Chapter Quizzes (15)...... 150 Points (Maximum of)

2) Court Room Visit ...........20 Points (Maximum of)

3) Two analytic papers .......40 Points (Maximum of)

4) Class participation........... 10 Points (Maximum of)

5) Final Exam......................80 Points (Maximum of)

 

Extra Credit:

Writing Center: Students who visit the Writing Center prior to submitting the first analytic paper and have them review the paper, make changes, as recommended, and attach the Writing Center slip will get five additional points for the first paper only. = 5 points

Ride-along with police and two page paper = 20 points

Additional Analytic paper (to receive extra credit the paper must be a minimum of five (5) pages, not including the bibliography). The topic for this extra credit analytic paper is: What changes could be made in the justice system that would improve the system? Explain and justify your response = 10 points

Late Papers: Papers are considered late if they are not turned in by the end of the class that they are due. Late papers will have two (2) points taken off the total earned. No papers will be accepted after the last day of class.

Attendance: Attendance will be taken in class. If you miss more than three (3) classes your total points will be reduced by five points. If you miss additional classes your total points will be lowered by two (2) points per class missed. All missed classes are counted as missed. While I do care about your reason, if you wish to inform me of the reason, still all classes missed are counted as missed. Make certain that you initial the attendance log during each class.

Participation: 10 points of the grade for the class will be based on class participation. The scale on the next page will be used to evaluate the number of points that you will received for class participation.

Low:

1) Did not make any comments about subject matter during class.

2) Was not able to answer questions when called on by the instructor.

3) Did not participate in groups when used in class.

Medium:

1) Volunteered to respond to questions a few times (two or three).

2) Provided a qualified (correct) answer when called on by instructor.

3) Participated in group discussions.

High:

1) Volunteered to respond to questions by instructor at least 80% of the time.

2) Provided complete and well-thought out answers to questions.

3) Participated fully in groups, acted as a leader, keeping the group on track, and presented the information developed to the class. Students will also complete a peer evaluation and submit the form.

Requirements:

1) Exams: The quizzes will cover the topics discussed during the time period from the start of the class or the last quiz. Quizzes will be based on readings and classroom presentations/discussions. The quizzes will be on last day of the class during the week that they are noted. Individuals who miss a quiz have one week to make up the missed quiz, and will have their total points lowered by one point for that quiz. The final exam will cover the chapters and also will include short answer questions about the criminal justice system that will cover all of the course. Quizzes will have ten questions, and will be true/false, multiple choice, or fill in the blank. The final exam will have questions, plus short answer questions.

2) Analytic Papers: The analytic papers must be a minimum of three pages but no more than five pages and contain a minimum of five (5) cites from the text. Late papers will be lowered by two points. An analytic paper is a presentation of a position following an analysis of a topic, the outline should be:

A) Description topic.

B) Position taken

C) Supporting information

D) Conclusions

Papers that do not follow the above outline will have one point deducted from the total of ten.

The topics for the two papers are:

1) Who is in charge of the justice system? Write and justify what you believe to be the case based on the class.

2) What can we do to reduce the over-representation of members of minority groups in the criminal justice system? Explain and justify your answer.

A cite would be for the purposes of this paper would be (Cole/Smith, xxx). "XXX" is the page number of the cite. Cites from other papers, or books are fine, but do not count as one of the five required cites from The American System of Criminal Justice.

All papers must be typed.

3) Courtroom: Spend a minimum of two hours in an in session court room. Preference is for a county court room, but as an alternative you may sit in a municipal court room, or a district court. Following the experience you are to write a two to three page (maximum) paper that provides the name of the court, the sitting judge, the time and describe the nature of the events and any conclusions that you drew from the time. As long as you do the assignment, turn in the paper and present the paper in a reasonable and appropriate way you will get 10 points.

4) Police Ride-Along (Extra Credit): Many law enforcement agencies allow individuals to ride along with officers for part of a shift. You will need to ride along and then complete a minimum of a two page description of the experience. You must include the name of the officer and the department.

Other: Students desiring a reasonable accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act must contact me immediately to discuss their needs. Failure to notify the instructor in a timely manner of the need for a reasonable accommodation may hinder the college's ability to assist students in successfully completing the course.

NC (No Credit) indicates that student has withdrawn or is not able to complete the course work. You must notify the instructor in writing if you are withdrawing from a class. The grade of NC may be given until the final date established by the college. You are responsible for completing the required forms and turning them into the registrar.

For further information about The Metropolitan State College of Denver policies around attendance and classroom policy please see the Student Handbook, the Catalogue and the Bulletin.

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Last Updated: 2/10/02

Criminal Justice and Criminology Department