CRIM 402—Punishment & Corrections (Fall 2014)
Instructor: Danielle S. Rudes
Office:
4087 University Dr., Ste. 4100, Fairfax, VA 22030 (Commerce Bldg.)
E-mail:
drudes@gmu.edu (best method of communicating with me)
Phone:
703.993.9897
Class Time: Monday, 1:30 to 4:10 p.m. Innovation Hall, Room 204
Office Hrs: By appointment
Course Blackboard: https://mymason.gmu.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
This course is designed as an in-depth examination of the historical and contemporary use of
punishment, social control and incarceration in the U.S. and beyond. The course focuses on the
philosophies, practices and procedures of correctional institutions and the people housed and
working within them. An important premise of the course is that social conditions both effect and
are effected by societal choices regarding what is right and wrong, moral and immoral, good and
bad and worthy of punishment or not. We will cover many topic areas related to punishment and
corrections using a variety of media. These include (but, are not limited to) scholarly articles and
book chapters, films and documentaries, guest speaker(s), images and perhaps audio files. Critical
thinking and open discussion is a necessary and required component of the course.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in
an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
.—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
COURSE READINGS
The readings were selected to complement and supplement the lecture material and to serve as the
basis for discussions. Therefore, you should complete the readings before the class session for
which they are assigned in order to gain maximum benefit from the lectures.
Books (available at GMU bookstore and elsewhere)
Lerman, A. E. (2013). The Modern Prison Paradox: Politics, Punishment and Social
Community. Cambridge University Press.
Rathbone, C. (2006). A World Apart: Women, Prison & Life Behind Bars. Random House.
1/8
Additional Readings
In addition to the two assigned books, a few required readings are assembled on the course
blackboard page. To access these reading, go to our blackboard page into the assigned readings
folder. All readings are in PDF format which requires you to have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your
computer. You can read the readings on the screen or print them out.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Class One: Introduction to the course (8/25)
 Western & Wildeman (2009) “Punishment, Inequality and the Future of Mass
Incarceration”
 National Academy Report (2014) “The Growth of Incarceration in the United States” &
infographic (in a separate file)
No class on 9/1 for Labor Day
Class Two: Virginia Correcions and the National Academy Report (9/8)
Class Guest Speaker: Secretary Harold Clarke, Virginia Department of Corrections
 Lerman, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
Class Three: Punishment (9/15)
 Miethe & Lu (2005) “The Punishment Response” and “Punishment Philosophies and Types
of Sanctions”
 Lerman, Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8
Film: Doing Time: Life Inside the Big House or TBA
Class Four: Incarceration: Who goes in and why? (9/22)
 Pew Report: 1 in 100 Behind Bars in America (2008)
 Pettit & Western (2004) “Mass Incarceration and the Life Course: Race & Class Inequality
in U.S. Incarceration”
 Lerman, Chapter 9
Class Five: Major Correctional Theories (9/29)
QUIZ #1
 Moon et al. (2000) “Is Child Saving Dead: Public Support for Juvenile Rehabilitation”
 Rathbone, Prologue and Part 1
2/8
Class Six: Incarceration: Prison Life and Mixed issues (mentally ill, gender, age, health) (10/6)




Hagan & Foster (2012) “Children in the American Prison Generation: Students and School
Spillover Effects of Incarcerating Mothers”
Rich et al. (2014) “How Health Care Reform Can Transform the Health of Criminal JusticeInvolved Individuals”
Liebling (2011) “Moral Performance, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Prison Pain”
Rathbone, Part 2
Film: New Asylums
EventTheory Paper Due on Monday, October 13th at 5 p.m. (via blackboard)
Class Seven: Jails & Juveniles (10/14) TUESDAY
QUIZ #2
 Collins et al. (2012) “A Comparison of Jail Inmate and Staff Correctional Goal Orientations:
Results From Across the Line”
 Fagan & Kupchik (2011) “Juvenile Incarceration and the Pains of Imprisonment”
Class Eight: Correctional Administration & Management (10/20)



Conover (2000) “School for Jailers”
Pollock (2004) “Doing Time 8 to 5”
Riveland (1999) “Prison Management Trends, 1975-2025”
Class Nine: TOUR OF FAIRFAX COUNTY ADULT DETENTION CENTER (ADC) (10/27)
Tour instructions to follow…


Cullen et al. (2011) “Prisons Do Not Reduce Recidivism: The High Cost of Ignoring
Science”
Rathbone, Part 3 and Epilogue
Class Ten: Courts, Constitution, Laws & Policies (11/3)
QUIZ #3
 Rembert & Henderson (2014) “Correctional Officers Excessive Use of Force: Civil Liability
Under Section 1983”
 Sutton (2013) “Symbol and Substance: Effects of California’s Three Strikes Law on Felony
Sentencing”
Film: Ghosts of Abu Ghraib OR The Legacy
3/8
Class Eleven: Probation/Parole & Reentry (11/10)
 Morenoff & Harding (2014) “Incarceration, Prisoner Reentry and Communities”
 Pew: Risk Assessment 101: Science Reveals New Tools to Manage Offenders (Brief) (2011)
 Steiner et al. (2004) “Legally Prescribed Functions of Adult and Juvenile Probation
Officers”
(11/17) NO CLASS on Monday, November 17th,
Dr. Rudes at American Society of Criminology Meetings in San Francisco, CA
Class Twelve: Death Penalty & Supermax (11/24)
QUIZ #4
 Marquart et al. (1989) “Gazing into the Crystal Ball: Can Jurors Accurately Predict
Dangerousness in Capital Cases”
 Vogel (2003) “Support for Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole Among Death
Penalty Proponents”
 Pizarro & Stenius (2004) “Supermax Prisons: The Rise, Current Practices and Effects on
Inmates”
Readings for Bonus Points on Quiz 5
 Haney (2003) Mental Health Issues in Long Term Solitary and “Supermax” Confinement”
 “5 Myths of Incarceration” (by Taxman & Rudes) (2012)
 Petersilia & Cullen (2014) “Liberal but not Stupid: Meeting the Promise of Downsizing
Prison”
U.S. Supreme Court Paper Due on Monday, October 13th at 5 p.m. (via blackboard)
Class Thirteen: Course Wrap Up (12/1)
(Optional) QUIZ #5 (This quiz covers readings and lecture from class 12 and is also cumulative).
We will not meet during final exams week. You’re paroled!
Every member of the society spies on the rest, and it is his duty to inform against them.
All are slaves and equal in their slavery... The great thing about it is equality...
Slaves are bound to be equal.
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky
LECTURES
You are strongly encouraged to attend all lectures. The material covered will be different from
assigned readings and will not be distributed outside class. In order to get the most from this course,
it is imperative that you attend class, listen carefully, and take detailed notes.
4/8
GRADING
Your final grade will be calculated as follows (total 100%): 1000 Total Points Possible
4 in-class quizzes
(100 pts each)
1 Current Event/Theory Paper
1 Supreme Court Case Paper
Grading Scale
970-1000 = A+
930-959 = A
900-929 A-
865-899 = B+
835-864 = B
800-834 = B-
400
250
350
765-799 = C+
735-764 = C
700-734 = C-
699-600
<599--
D
F
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
I believe in and am required to uphold and enforce the rules against cheating, dishonest conduct,
plagiarism, and collusion. Information regarding GMU’s policy on academic honesty can be found
within GMU’s Honor Code. It is available online at
http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/plagiarism.htm. Please note that plagiarism includes directly
quoting or taking someone else’s idea and using it as if it were your own…EVEN IF YOU DID
NOT MEAN TO.
There is no midterm exam and no final exam for this course!
ASSIGNMENTS/ASSESSMENTS
QUIZZES
There will be 5 fifteen-minute quizzes during the course (lowest one dropped). The purpose of the
quizzes is three-fold: 1) to assess your understanding of the class material; 2) to make sure that you
stay on top of the readings and lecture, and 3) to encourage you to attend class. Quizzes are
5/8
scheduled in advance and the only excuse for missing a quiz is documented illness, family
emergency, or a university-sanctioned excuse. The quizzes will start promptly at the beginning of
class and will be collected exactly 15 minutes later. If you come to class late, you will only have
partial time to complete the quiz. If you miss a quiz and have the proper excuse documentation you
will be given a different version of a quiz that you will take for 15 minutes after class on the day you
return or during your instructor’s office, if you prearrange this. Note also that quizzes cover all
lecture and class material up to the day that the quiz is given. They do not cover the readings that
were assigned on the same day the quiz is given. Those readings are used to create quiz questions
for the next quiz. If you take all five quizzes, I’ll drop your lowest score. If you are absent
(undocumented) for one quiz, your lowest score will be a zero, so I’ll drop that one. Note that since
only four quizzes are required, the 5th quiz is optional.
CURRENT EVENT/THEORY PAPER
You will write a short 4 page paper that uses two of the correctional theories we discussed in class
to explain or help you understand a current event related to prison. To do this, you will find a
written article(s) in a common and reputable news outlet (You must choose your article by no
later than October 1st). The article must have been published between January 1, 2012 and
September 30, 2014. The article must provide enough details for you to have a clear understanding
of the issue and be able to use the facts in your paper. Thus, try to choose an article that is several
paragraphs long or find a “hot” event/topic and use several articles on the same issue. Remember
that theory helps us explain “why” something occurs. So, use two of the theories you learn about in
lecture during class five to help you explain why the event/occurrence in the article happened. Note
that while class five will cover these theories deeply, readings and conversations throughout the
semester will provide additional theoretical insight. While several students may end up with the
same event/article, each paper must be written independently. The goal of this paper is to use
criminological theory to explain current events.
Your analysis and argument should be analytically sound, supported, thoughtful and well-written
(see rubric at end of syllabus). You may choose to compare/contrast between the two theoretical
perspectives or offer them up as similar or distinctly separate explanations. Please be sure that you
provide enough information about the theories you chose (define, explain, apply) and the event
(define, explain, analyze). Please cite the event article(s) you used, but you do not need to include a
copy of the actual article(s) when you submit this assignment. This paper is worth 250 points and is
due to blackboard by Monday, October 13th at 5 p.m.
Paper Logistics: Please use white paper, black ink with 12-point font and 1 inch margins on all four
sides. Please double space. Also, include a reference list of works you actually cited in the text.
You can use any style of citation you like, but you must use it correctly. All papers must be turned
in via blackboard. Do not email me your paper or turn it in in-person. Late papers may be accepted
on a case-by-case basis, but will suffer significant grade reduction penalties.
SUPREME COURT CASE PAPER
Each student will find a U.S. Supreme Court case that involves a prison-related issue. The decision
had to have occurred within the last 20 years. Then, the student must find at least one academic
6/8
journal article that discusses some aspect of the case/ruling. This cannot be a Law Review article; it
must be from an academic journal (e.g. Criminology, Journal of Criminal Justice, Journal of
Research in Crime and Delinquency, Criminal Justice & Behavior) not the popular press (e.g. Time,
U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek or Atlantic Monthly). The assignment asks you use the
source materials (USSC case and journal article) to write a 5-6 page paper where you:
 Introduce the case/ruling
 Discuss the details (briefly) of the case/ruling
 Analyze the case ruling using course materials (from readings/lecture/films) using
key concepts, theoretical frameworks (not either of the two theories you used in the
event paper).
 Discuss how/why this case matters in light of where corrections has been, is
presently and/or is headed in the future.
 Conclude with your thoughts on the salience of this case for future correctional
policy/practice and if you foresee any unexpected outcomes as a result of this
case/ruling.
The assignment must be written in your own words to the fullest extent possible though you can
paraphrase from the sources as needed with proper citation. If you must quote from the case or
article(s), make sure you provide the appropriate citation. You must choose a court case by
Monday, October 27th. This paper is due on Wednesday, November 26th at 5 p.m. It is worth
350 points. Points will be deducted for grammatical, spelling or general editing mistakes. (See
rubric at end of syllabus.)
Paper Logistics: Please use white paper, black ink with 12-point font and 1 inch margins on all four
sides. Please double space. Also, include a reference list of works you actually cited in the text.
You can use any style of citation you like, but you must use it correctly. All papers must be turned
in via blackboard. Do not email me your paper or turn it in in-person. Late papers may be accepted
on a case-by-case basis, but will suffer significant grade reduction penalties.
DISABILITY, DIVERSITY & PRIVACY
Disability: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please
see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 993-2474, http://ods.gmu.edu. All
academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
Diversity: Please remember that diversity is one of the university’s core values. We must all
keep this concept in mind throughout the semester. See Mason’s diversity statement which is
available at: http://ctfe.gmu.edu/professional-development/mason-diversity-statement/.
Privacy: Student privacy is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) and is an essential aspect of any course. Please use your MasonLive email account to
receive important University information, including messages related to this class. See
http://masonlive.gmu.edu for more information.
Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail.
What you gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own tail.
It won't fatten the dog.
--Mark Twain (1900)
7/8
CRIM 402: Paper Grading Rubric
1. PURPOSE
Addresses the assignment question/issue
Introduction: provides clear sense of content/topic
Introduction engages reader (has a hook)
Clear statement of position
Engages reader’s interest
Appropriate to audience
Presentation (form/genre) is appropriate
Appropriate voice/tone
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Not Competent []
2. STRUCTURE OF ARGUMENT
Logical flow of introduction with purpose explicit somewhere in the introduction
Has a consistent and logical argument
Organization: well-organized flow, repetition of key words, topic sentences, transitions between paragraphs
Conceptual sophistication/style reflects complexity of thought
Accurate use of headings as appropriate
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Not Competent []
3. SUPPORT OF ARGUMENT
Demonstrates knowledge of material
Sources used appropriately to support points
Sources integrated into arguments
Includes empirical/reality-based evidence (quantitative or qualitative) as appropriate
Balanced treatment of ideas/issues
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Not Competent []
4. WRITING MECHANICS
Documentation and citation: sufficient and consistent, including one style of citation used adequately and
correctly throughout the paper; adequate number of sources referenced; paraphrases and quotations used
appropriately and fully cited. Correct incorporation of citation at the sentence level.
Understands how to construct sentences/paragraphs
Word choice, syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Uses consistent voice and tone
Appropriate use of first person
Uses active voice
Avoids contractions, slang, vague pronouns
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Not Competent []
5. INDEPENDENT THOUGHT
Develops own line of reasoning and/or applies knowledge
Synthesizes knowledge, not just regurgitation or summary
Provides interesting/valuable insights
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Not Competent []
Highly Competent []
Competent []
Emerging Competence []
Final Paper Grade____________________
Not Competent []
OVERALL SCORE
8/8