Criminology (CJ& 112)
Fall 2011
8:00—9:20 a.m. MWF
Room 243
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Susan Palmer
First floor academic offices #5
10:30-11:30 a.m. Daily M-F
and by appointment
Phone:
509.527.4545 (office and voicemail)
E-mail address: susan.palmer@wwcc.edu
Catalog Description
The study of deviant behavior as it relates to the definition of crime: crime statistics, theories of crime causation,
crime typologies. Introduction to the impact of crime, limits of criminal law, and society's reaction to criminal
behavior.
Course Description
Criminology is fundamentally the study of crime and punishment that helps us gain an understanding of the
parameters of the crime problem and the methods used to measure it. We will explore the public perceptions of and
fear of crime. Additionally, theoretical perspectives will be emphasized and the definitions of what is criminal will be
examined, as well as the origins of criminal law. One goal is to understand the importance of objective research on the
value-charged topics of crime and criminal justice policy. Criminological theory and a variety of criminal behavior
patterns will be examined. Another objective is to understand some of the realities of life and work in prisons and to
explore a range of issues and programs in the criminal justice system and adult corrections.
We will read 3 books that offer different angles from which to interpret aspects of our criminal justice system. Each
book will help us cultivate our critical thinking skills and challenge us to mindfully examine our own values and
beliefs. Early in the quarter we will hear from Mr. Juan Melendez who spent nearly 18 years on death row before he
was exonerated for a crime he did not commit. We are also scheduled to tour Washington State Penitentiary in early
November.
Web-Enhanced Class
This is a web-enhanced class, which means that in addition to our face-to-face classroom time, we will be using a tool
(i.e., Angel) commonly used in online classes to augment the course. Various assignments, discussions, and other
items will be posted there. You will be able to monitor your progress and grades at any time once scores are posted. I
recommend that you practice checking the site on a daily basis. If you miss a class, checking the Angel site is a must in
order to find reading assignments and other homework.
Achieving WWCC “Core Abilities”
In addition to the course objectives, this class also addresses the college’s following core abilities:
 Communication—the ability to understand and effectively express a concept, feeling, or experience.
 Critical Thinking—the process of examination, evaluation, and revision of material, ideas, or data using
appropriate attitudes and skills.
 Personal and Professional Responsibility—the attribute of developing ethical and quality standards while
building one’s character in integrity, civility, and respect for others.
 Diversity/Appreciation of Differences—the ability to understand the uniqueness of self and others, and
demonstrate an openness toward diverse points of view.
 Information/Technology—the ability to access, evaluate, and apply information from a variety of sources,
tools, and contexts, and to adapt to changing technologies.
 Lifelong Learning—the ability to persist in acquiring knowledge and applying skills, set and revise goals, and
assume responsibility for one’s own learning.
Required Reading
Bloodsworth: The True Story of the First Death Row Inmate Exonerated by DNA, Tim Junkin, Algonquin Books, 2004.
Crime and the American Dream, Steven F. Messner and Richard Rosenfeld, 4th edition, Thomson Wadsworth, 2007.
Let’s Get Free: A Hip-Hop Theory of Justice, Paul Butler, The New Press, 2009.
You should expect to devote at least one hour each day outside of class to keep up with your reading assignments.
Each day in class I will assign specific pages to be read as part of your homework assignment. It is your responsibility
to find out the homework assignment if you miss class.
Note: Classroom lectures and discussions complement and often intersect with the reading assignments. However,
sometimes they are in addition to, and not included in, the reading. You are expected to read the assigned materials
independently, without class discussion. Bring questions you have about the reading to me during office hours.
Classroom Policies
Violating any of these 3 simple policies is considered comparable to breaking the law (i.e., criminal-like behavior). Violators
will be dealt with accordingly.
If the classroom doors are closed, you have arrived too late. Closed doors indicate that class has begun and
should not be interrupted.
Using your cell phone, including sending or receiving text messages, is prohibited during class time.
Audio and video recording in the classroom is prohibited without explicit consent of the instructor.
Disability Identification and Accommodations
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both
your instructor and Claudia Angus, the Disabilities Coordinator, in the Student Development Center, 527.4543, as
early as possible in the quarter. Note that special testing arrangements must be scheduled with the Testing Center in
advance, and must be initiated by you, the student.
Tardiness and Attendance Policy
WWCC generally schedules daily 50-minute classes for 5-credit courses, so our schedule is somewhat unusual in that
we meet 3 days a week for a longer session, 80 minutes. That requires mindfulness on your part to wake up early on
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
There is a positive correlation between class attendance and success in the course. Class attendance is expected and
will be counted. If you do not want or plan to attend class, please drop this course.
My goal is to achieve an optimal learning environment. Tardy arrivals are highly disruptive to the classroom learning
environment. Hence, once the doors are closed, class is in session and not to be disturbed. If you are unexpectedly
tardy, do not enter the classroom. Simply try to arrive on time in the future.
Evaluation
Capital Punishment Paper (see instructions later in syllabus)
Points
100
Journal Submissions
150
3 @ 50 points each (see instructions later in syllabus)
Syllabus Quiz
Level of engaged learning feedback sheets
Washington State Penitentiary Tour
15
up to 3 points each
75
50
Evaluation continued
Midterm Exam
Points
Multiple Guess/Know
Long-Answer Essay
75
25
Important Exam Policy
You will be allowed ONE 8½ x 11” CRIB SHEET prepared from study questions to use for the exam. You may write as much or as
little on it as you want. You are expected to compose your own crib sheet in your own words, even if you study with
others. Shared or identical crib sheets are prohibited, since the instructor has no means of determining whose work the crib sheet
represents. Photocopying from the textbooks is also prohibited. You are required to turn in your crib sheet with your exam.
THERE ARE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS. YOU MAY ARRANGE TO TAKE AN EXAM EARLY (BUT NOT
AFTER THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED EXAM).
Good notetaking skills are essential for this class. You will find that good notetaking will be especially
beneficial in preparing for and taking the exams.
FINAL Group Project Power Point
Presentation
100
100
Extra Credit (to be announced)
up to 3 @ 20 points each
60
Calculating Your Grade
642 – 690
621 – 641
600 – 620
573 – 599
552 – 572
531 – 551
504 – 530
483 – 503
462 – 482
414 – 461
413 and under
Capital Punishment Paper Instructions
Due date: Monday, October 10th
Point Value: 100
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
5-8 pages, typed 11-12 font, double-spaced, full APA citations
In this paper you will compose a well-developed compare-and-contrast essay regarding 3 capital punishment cases
involving innocent individuals—Bloodsworth, Melendez, and a unique-to-you case selected from the Innocence
Project list. Each class member must select a unique Innocence Project case that must be approved IN ADVANCE
by the instructor. You will address the following:
 BRIEFLY outline the criminal accusations and circumstances of each case.
 Compare and contrast the social factors and circumstances surrounding the cases (emphasize similarities and
differences with regard to age, ethnicity, social class, gender, level of education, geographic region, criminal
record, nature of evidence, investigation and prosecution, victim characteristics, and so forth).
 Provide a sociological and criminological analysis of our legal system with regard to these cases.
 Propose improvements to our criminal justice system that would minimize or eliminate the prospect of
innocent individuals facing death row.
Journal Entry Instructions
Due Dates (based on first letter of last name):
A-L
M-P
Q-Z
September 30th
October 21st
November 9th
October 7th
October 28th
November 18th
October 14th
November 4th
December 3rd
Submit printed journals in class on due date or e-mail journals to susan.palmer@wwcc.edu by midnight on due date.
Each journal entry submission (3 total) should be a minimum of 600 words (approximately 6 paragraphs). The topic
of your journal entry is entirely up to you, as long as it is clearly relevant to criminology. The purpose is to develop
your critical and deep thinking skills in the process of writing. You will NOT be graded on spelling, grammar, or
organization. Your grade will reflect the degree to which you push yourself to think critically, and sociologically
(criminology is a subfield of sociology), about your topic. In general you will want to delve as deeply as you are able,
and focus as much as you can, on a particular topic.
Plagiarism/Cheating
1.
Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. A student
must give credit to the originality of others and acknowledge indebtedness whenever: directly quoting another person’s
actual words, whether oral or written; using another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories; paraphrasing the words, ideas,
opinions, or theories of others, whether oral or written; borrowing facts, statistics or illustrative material; or offering
materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgement
People’s ideas may be contained in written text, visual text, multi- media products, including websites, music, and written text
2.
Any student who aids or abets the accomplishment of such activity as defined in subsection one (1) above shall also be
subject to reasonable action by the instructor (see below).
3.
An instructor may take reasonable action against any student who is deemed to have been guilty of plagiarism. Course of
action might include, but not be limited to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
student receive warning;
student receive a lowered grade;
student receive failing grade for the course;
student dropped from course;
student be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for violation of Student Code of Conduct.
Walla Walla Community College Catalog, 2010-2012, p. 26
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus and assessments as needed.
Schedule
DATES
September 19—October 10
Important Dates
September 23
September 30
October 4
October 5
October 7
October 10
October 10—October 31
Important Dates
October 7
October 21
October 28
October 31
October 31—December 6
Important Dates
November 4
November 7
November 9
November 11
November 16
November 18
November 21—25
December 2
December 5
December 6
TOPIC
BOOKS/POINTS
Introduction to Criminology, the Architecture of
U.S. Legal System, Capital Punishment
Junkin book
Syllabus Quiz
A-L Journal Due
Innocent on Death Row: Juan Melendez
Whitman College, Olin Hall 130, 7:00 p.m.
Juan Melendez speaks with CJ 101 & CJ 112
Water Center Room 1203 & 1204, 8:00-9:20 a.m.
M-P Journal Due
Capital Punishment Paper Due
15
50
Societal Reaction to Crime, Theories of Crime and
Criminal Behavior
Messner & Rosenfeld
Q-Z Journal Due
A-L Journal Due
M-P Journal Due
Midterm Exam
50
50
50
100
Mass Incarceration, Drugs, Juries, Justice
Butler book
20 points extra credit
50
100
Q-Z Journal Due
50
Washington State Penitentiary Tour
50
Leave campus at 12:15 p.m. SHARP!
A-L Journal Due
50
Veteran’s Day—no class
Good day to meet with your small group (final project)
Advising Day—no class/make appt. with advisor
Good day to meet with your small group (final project)
M-P Journal Due
50
Thanksgiving Break—no class
Q-Z Journal Due
50
Last day of regularly scheduled class
Final Group Power Point Presentation
200
8:00-10:30 a.m.
Sample Exam Question
Multiple Guess/Know
Correct Answer + KNOW = 1.5 points (full value of each question)
Correct Answer + GUESS = 1 point
Incorrect Answer + GUESS = 0 points
Incorrect Answer + KNOW = –.5 point
Scoring Range for 30 questions
–15 to +45
****************
1.
Because criminologists are influenced by many disciplines (e.g., sociology, psychology, political science,
natural sciences), the field of criminology is considered:


KNOW
GUESS
a.
b.
c.
d.
2.


a.
b.
c.
d.
3.


a.
b.
c.
d.
4.


a.
b.
c.
d.
comprehensive.
international.
interdisciplinary.
concentrated.
+1.5
****************
Because criminologists are influenced by many disciplines (e.g., sociology, psychology, political science,
natural sciences), the field of criminology is considered:
KNOW
GUESS
+1
comprehensive.
international.
interdisciplinary.
concentrated.
****************
Because criminologists are influenced by many disciplines (e.g., sociology, psychology, political science,
natural sciences), the field of criminology is considered:
KNOW
GUESS
0
comprehensive.
international.
interdisciplinary.
concentrated.
****************
Because criminologists are influenced by many disciplines (e.g., sociology, psychology, political science,
natural sciences), the field of criminology is considered:
KNOW
GUESS
-.5
comprehensive.
international.
interdisciplinary.
concentrated.
WASHINGTON STATE PENITENTIARY
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
1313 N. 13th Ave. Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone (509) 526-6500 or 509-526-6355 Fax (509) 526-6444
DATE:
September 1, 2011
TO:
Susan Palmer
WWCC
FROM:
Shari Hall
Admin Program Manager
RE:
Tour
Attached is a facility clearance form for access to the Penitentiary. Please feel free to make copies as needed.
Please return via fax to 526-6444. Each tour participant must fill out a clearance form. Do not submit any other
type of form or list for tour participation. These need to be returned a minimum of 5 business days prior to the
tour date to facilitate timely background checks. The marked section of the facility clearance form must be filled
out completely and legible. It is imperative that the full legal name of the tour participant is given as it appears on
their birth certificate. (i.e. Robert, not Bob; Catherine, not Cathy), to include full middle name, not just a middle
initial. I also need other last names used (maiden name, previous married names). No additional students may be
added to the tour after 5 days prior to the tour.
Please park in the visitor’s parking lot and ensure the vehicles are locked. Tour participants must have a valid
state picture ID on their person. Wallets, purses and electronic devices are not permitted. Keys will be secured
by penitentiary staff prior to the tour. Attached is a visitor dress code for access to the penitentiary.
Occasionally a person is denied access to the penitentiary. The Captain approves/denies access based on some of
the below listed reasons:
Conviction of a felony
Conviction of a gross misdemeanor (depending on what, how long ago and how many times convicted)
Currently on probation/community supervision
Current warrant for arrest (even a missed traffic court date that results in a bench warrant)
If one of your students is not allowed to tour, I will notify you by telephone or e-mail.
If you have any questions or concerns you may contact us at 526-6500.
WASHINGTON STATE PENITENTIARY
CLOTHING STANDARDS FOR TOUR PARTICIPANTS
The following clothing items are prohibited when participating in a tour:
1.
Items with holes, rips, tears, quilted, or with drawstrings.
2.
Low cut (exposing undergarment, cleavage, back, stomach) or shirt/blouses with full zippers.
3.
Sheer, transparent or mesh fabrics (other than hosiery) that is see-through or that exposes
undergarments through the fabric.
4.
Tight fitting clothing (i.e., spandex, lycra or other rubberized or elasticized garments). We must be able
to search your pockets comfortably.
5.
Clothing that refers to obscenity, alcohol, drugs, prison, gangs or sex in any form.
6.
Culottes, shorts, cut-offs, halter tops, tank tops, oversized or sleeveless blouses or shirts.
7.
Cargo, stir-up, jogging, baggy, overly long, deep pocketed pants or any pants with elastic closures at the
bottom of the leg. All pockets must be easily searched.
8.
Thongs or shower shoes.
9.
Dresses or skirts with hemlines higher than the bottom of the knee.
10.
Wrap around clothing with full length openings or skirts too tight to allow officers to easily search the
inner leg. No button down skirts or dresses.
11.
Camouflage or fatigue clothing.
12.
Bibbed attire or jumpers.
13.
Money belts or belts with compartments.
14.
Excessive jewelry or non-searchable jewelry styles. (No more than 2 rings on each hand, 2 necklaces, 2
bracelets, one watch and 2 pair of earrings.) No lockets or pins. No non-prescription sunglasses.
15.
Shirts or blouses that are longer than hip length must be tucked into pants/skirt. Shirts and blouses must
be long enough to ensure no skin is exposed with arms raised.
16.
Headgear or excessive hair ornamentation (unless medically required and written verification is provided,
or part of a religious practice).
17.
Any item considered to be a threat to the security and safety of inmates, visitors or staff as determined
by the Superintendent/designee.