Chabot College
Fall 2010
Course Outline for Administration of Justice 50
INTRODUCTION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
Catalog Description:
50 – Introduction to the Administration of Justice
3 units
History and philosophy of administration of justice in America; recapitulation of the system;
identifying various subsystems, role expectations, and their interrelationships; theories of crime,
punishment and rehabilitation; ethics, education and training for professionalism in the system. 3
hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. describe the components of the administration of justice system;
2. develop an awareness of the crime problem and criminal statistics;
3. explain the major causal theories of crime;
4. compare and contrast types of criminal behavior;
5. analyze the various agency organizational structures and their interdependence;
6. define victims and describe their experience as victims of crime;
7. explain the fundamentals of criminal law;
8. explain the elements of a crime;
9. contrast due process and crime control models of Administration of Justice;
10. describe the organizational structure of a police agency;
11. explain the function of patrol;
12. trace the evolution of community policing;
13. describe the laws of arrest;
14. evaluate police community relations, as it impacts the crime rate;
15. describe Search & Seizure laws with regard to police investigations;
16. describe the police sub-culture;
17. explain why police isolation and stress impact community policing;
18. explain police recruitment techniques;
19. evaluate police discretion;
20. describe the structure of American criminal courts;
21. explain the accusatory process;
22. describe and evaluate the bail system;
23. describe the prosecutional system;
24. interpret the stages of discretion from arrest to conviction;
25. explain the role of the defense attorney;
26. compare methods of determining guilt in court;
27. summarize the negotiated plea bargain;
28. evaluate the trial process;
29. explain the appellate process;
30. identify the goals of punishment;
31. compare and contrast probation and parole;
32. explain theories of rehabilitation;
33. define Habeas Corpus;
34. summarize the sentencing choices of the court;
35. trace the development of the correctional system;
36. compare and contrast the federal correctional system and the state system;
37. describe major classifications of inmates in prison;
38. profile male and female felons;
39. explain the goals of the correctional system;
40. distinguish media portrayal of prison life with realities of these institutions;
Chabot College
Course Outline for Administration of Justice 50, Page 2
Fall 2010
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
identify security levels in prison;
analyze prisoner’s rights as they pertain to the amendments;
trace the development of the juvenile justice system;
explain the juvenile justice process;
identify categories of cases under juvenile court jurisdiction;
describe juvenile intake screening process;
summarize juvenile pretrial procedures;
identify issues surrounding juveniles transferred to adult court.
Course Content:
1. Crime and the criminal justice system
a. Historical development
b. Current trends
c. Federal involvement
2. The criminal justice system
a. Governmental structure
b. Agencies of the criminal justice system
c. The criminal justice process
3. The nature of crime and victimization
a. The concept of crime
b. How crime is measured
c. Crime rates – patterns and trends
d. Victimization data
4. The causes of crime
a. The classical view of personal responsibility
b. Biological theory
c. Sociological theories
d. Conflict theory
5. Criminal Law
a. Historical development
b. Purposes of criminal law
c. Sources of criminal law
1) common law
2) case decisions
3) administrative rule making
4) constitutional law
6. Classification and legal definitions of crimes
7. Criminal responsibility
8. The criminal defense
9. Roles of the police
a. Patrol procedures
b. Investigative techniques
c. Changing concepts
d. Community oriented policing
10. Issues in policing
a. Professionalism
b. The police culture and personality
c. Changing composition of the police force
1) role of education
2) inclusion of minorities
3) increased role of female police officers
11. Police and the rule of law
a. Identifying criminal behavior
b. Search and seizure
c. Surveillance
d. Custodial interrogation
e. Exclusionary rule
Chabot College
Course Outline for Administration of Justice 50, Page 3
Fall 2010
12. Courts and the judiciary
a. Structure of the system
b. Criminal court processes
c. Prosecution
d. Defense
e. Right to counsel
13. Procedures following arrest
a. Bail
b. Preventative detention
c. The process of indictment
d. Plea bargaining
14. Trial procedures
15. Punishment
a. History and philosophy
b. Goals
c. Sentencing strategies
d. Capital punishment
16. Corrections
a. History of correctional institutions
b. Jails and prisons
c. The correctional population
d. Probation and parole
17. Juvenile Justice
a. Historical development
b. Juvenile court jurisdiction
c. Trial, disposition, and treatment
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lecture and discussion
Case study of recent court decisions
Guest speakers from the various branches of the criminal justice system
Student group project and reports
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments
a. Visit a selected justice facility – police station, courtroom, jail prison and provide a threepage summary report
b. Write a brief oral and written report on study group project
c. Write an analysis of a case study of recent court decision
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a. Attendance and participation
b. Quizzes and midterm
c. Visit and interview reports
d. Student group project
e. Final Examination
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Criminal Justice in America, 5th edition, 2008 by Cole and Smith, Thomson Publisher
Special Student Materials:
None.
ADMJ 50, revised 9/09: cs