CRIMINOLOGY 496
ISSUES IN CRIME AND JUSTICE
INSTRUCTOR:
Chris Eskridge
472-6755
ceskridge@unl.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a capstone course that will focus on contemporary issues of crime and justice.
The course will examine the justice process and the general operations of the criminal
justice system. Concepts of crime and deviance, as well as individual rights and
discrimination in a democratic society will also be reviewed and critiqued against the
backdrop of contemporary issues. The law enforcement, judicial, juvenile justice, and
corrections subsystems will be particularly explored, and a number of reform proposals
presented and considered. Students will be expected to integrate material in their written
assignments that they have learned throughout their college experience.
COURSE READING MATERIALS:
Readings on the course webpage
Articles as assigned in class
Bohm, Death Quest; recommended resource
Jones, Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction; recommended resource
COURSE MEETING SCHEDULE
The course is structured along the lines of the European educational model. While the
class will meet only a few times during the course of the semester, students will be
expected to use their out-of-class time to carefully read and digest assigned course
materials, search for and read additional relevant materials, and write thoughtful and
insightful papers.
EVALUATION:
Students are required to attend all four classes, and will not pass the class unless they do
so. Students are to complete four papers that focus on the materials presented in each of
those classes. Class dates and themes are noted below. Each paper is to be a minimum
of 3,500 words in length, not including endnotes/footnotes (note the word count on the
last page of the paper). Each paper will be worth 20 percent of the course grade.
Students will also be required to attend the presentation of two guest lecturers who
address social-behavioral science topics, and write a paper that integrates undergraduate
coursework materials with the speakers’ presentations. Each of these papers are to be a
minimum of 1,250 words in length, and are each worth 10 percent of the course grade.
Note the word count on the last page of the paper. Students should check the UNL
Calendar of Events for a list of upcoming presentations (https://events.unl.edu/), as well
as the Thompson Forum presentations in particular (https://enthompson.unl.edu/). Again,
any presentation dealing with social and behavioral science topics is acceptable, but
students may certainly double check with the instructor to verify if any particular
presentation is approved. Extra credit opportunities may be available and will be
announced in class. This is a Pass/No Pass course, and students obviously need to pass
the course to obtain ACE 10 credit.
ACE 10
Criminology 496 satisfies ACE Student Learning Outcome 10: Generate a creative or
scholarly product that requires broad knowledge, appropriate technical proficiency,
information collection, synthesis, interpretation, presentation, and reflection.
Students have the opportunity to achieve ACE Student Learning Outcome 10 through the
following:
1) Completing four research papers on contemporary justice topics, synthesizing and
integrating material they have learned throughout their academic career to date,
analyzing and reflecting upon that material, and presenting it in a coherent and
professional fashion.
2) Completing two papers based upon the presentation of guest lecturers, and
integrating that information with that which they have learned in their academic
careers, reflecting upon those contemporary issues, and presenting that
information in a coherent and professional fashion.
The graded assignments which will be used to assess student’s achievement of the
Outcome are the four research papers and the two guest lecturer reflection papers.
Samples of student work will be collected to assess student learning in the course and
program. The purpose of this assessment is to help faculty improve student learning
opportunities, not to evaluate individual student work. Any student in this course who is
not willing to participate in this process should notify the instructor.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln provides individualized accommodations to students
with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability that is impacting your
academic progress, please call SSD at 472-3787 and schedule an appointment with the
Director, Veva Cheney, or Assistant Director, Barbara Woodhead. If you do not have a
documented disability but you are having difficulties with your coursework (such as
receiving low grades even though you study more than your classmates or running out of
time for test questions when the majority of your peers finish their exams in the allotted
time), you may schedule an appointment with Veva or Barbara to discuss the challenges
you are experiencing.
COURSE OUTLINE AND PAPER DEADLINES:
Section 1 (August 23) – Crime, Deviance and Justice; paper due 9/20
Section 2 (September 20) – Genocide; paper due 10/11
Section 3 (October 11) – International Law; paper due 11/8
Section 4 (November 8) – The 8th Amendment and Capital Punishment; paper due 12/12
SPEAKER PAPER DEADLINES:
Speaker #1 – Paper due 12/12
Speaker #2 – Paper due 12/12
SPEAKER OPTIONS FOR THE FALL TERM:
Speaker #1 – Lincoln PD Chief Jeff Bliemeister, UNL City Campus Student Union, Noon
to 1 pm, Wednesday, September 21.
Speaker #2 – Nebraska Chief Justice Michael Heavican, UNL City Campus Student
Union, Noon to 1 pm, Wednesday, October 24.
Speaker #3 – Chair, Nebraska Senate Judiciary Committee Les Seiler, UNL City Campus
Student Union, Noon to 1 pm, Wednesday, December 7.