Introduction to Criminal Justice
Instructor: Thaddeus D. Hicks
Intro to Criminal Justice is an exploration of the historical development, current
operation, and future trends of criminal justice. Emphasis will be placed on
contemporary problems in the definition of law, the enforcement of law, strategies of
policing, judicial systems, sentencing strategies, correctional practices, and emerging
forms of justice. While the focus of the content will be practices in the United States, we
will also look at other cultures and their systems of justice.
Course Description:
This course will provide students with an introduction and overview of the system of
criminal justice operated in the United States today. Beginning with a survey of the
sources, philosophies, and role of law in society, this course will provide a brief
examination of those factors that distinguish civil, criminal and social justice from one
another.
Students will be introduced to the notion that our definitions of what constitutes a
"crime", how society responds to it, and how we explain crime and criminals have
changed over time. Similarly, those methods used to measure and compare crime have
also changed and students will be introduced to the major sources of our understanding of
what we know about the extent of crime in society. A broad survey of the origins,
historical development of policing, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing and corrections
in the United States will provide students with a basic understanding of the
administration of criminal justice and challenge them to decide whether the criminal
justice system is a "system" or a "process".
Course Objectives:

To examine the basic organization of each of the major elements of the Criminal
Justice System.

To create an awareness of the challenges of the law enforcement, judiciary and
corrections elements in today's world.

To examine the operations of the various systems.

To examine the pathway which an individual follows from first arrest to
incarceration.
Course Textbooks:
Hahn, Paul (1998) Emerging Criminal Justice, Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications
Schmalleger, Frank. Criminal Justice Today, Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-184493-8
Zehr, Howard (1995) Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice. Scottdale
PA., Herald Press.
Zehr, Howard (2002) The Little Book of Restorative Justice, Intercourse, PA, Good
Books.
Course Requirements:
1. Successfully complete one (1) short essay describing your view of Criminal Justice.
2. Complete 2 Papers. The topics will be given in class, and the length will be 6-8 pages
each. The student will use the MLA style.
3. Successfully complete one (1) group presentation. The topic will be decided by class
conversations.
4. One (1) examination will be given. The date will be announced in class. All
examinations will be based on material from the lectures, textbook and other
materials.
5. There will also be a potion of the grade decided by student attendance and class
participation. Part of this grade will include the assigned readings. Failure to do so
will be evident to the instructor and will affect this grade.
Course Evaluation:
Initial Essay
100 points
Paper 1
100 points
Paper 2
100 points
Group Presentation
100 points
Prison Design Paper
100 points
Attendance / Participation
100 points
Late Assignment Penalty:
Please take note of the dates when assignments are due. These dates are "carved in stone"
and are not negotiable. There will be no extensions of those dates unless a valid note
from your medical doctor, employer or the clerk of a court is provided to the instructor.
A late penalty of ten percent (10 %) of the total grade for the assignment will be
assessed for each day that your assignment is late. This means that your assignment will
be graded and then 10 points will be taken from your original grade for the
assignment...Ouch!
Grading:
No curve will be used to adjust grades. Your course grade will be based upon the total
number of points earned in the essay assignment, examinations, and class participation.
90 - 100 A
"A" grades mean outstanding performance. Represents work of an
exceptional quality. Content, organization and style all at a high
comprehension of the subject and uses existing research and literature
where appropriate. Also uses sound critical thinking, has innovative ideas
on the subject, and shows personal engagement with the topic.
80 - 89
B
"B" grades mean good performance. Represents work of good quality with
no major weaknesses. Writing is clear and explicit and topic coverage and
comprehension is more that adequate. Shows some degree of critical
thinking and personal involvement in the work. Good use of existing
knowledge on the subject.
C
"C" grades mean satisfactory performance. Adequate work. Shows fair
comprehension of the subject, but has some weaknesses in the content,
style and/or organization of the paper. Minimal critical awareness or
personal involvement in the work. Adequate use of the literature.
60 - 69
D
"D" grades mean a marginal performance. Minimally adequate work,
barely at a passing level. Serious flaws in content, organization and/or style,
Poor comprehension of the subject and minimal involvement in the paper.
Poor use of research and existing literature.
0 - 60
F
"F" grades mean an inadequate understanding and application of the course
and its materials. Failing work.
70 - 79
Plagiarism:
College and University regulations regarding academic misconduct, as set forth in the
Hicks University Student Handbook and other University documents and publications
will be strictly enforced. Any student caught in the act of cheating will be assigned a
grade of F (0 points) for that examination and cannot retake the examination. If your
written work does not appear to be your own, you will be questioned informally about the
issue. The general rule to follow is this: if a thought is not your original thought or a
product of your analysis, then the original author should be cited.
Assignments:
Week Of
Topical Area and Assignment
January
8
Introduction to Class
January
10
Presentation of Initial Essays
January
15
What Is Justice
Chapter 1
January
17
The Crime Picture
Chapter 2
January
22
The Search For Causes
Chapter 3
January
24
Criminal Law
Chapter 4
January
29
Paper on Police Identity
January
31
Police: History & Structure
Chapter 5
February
5
Police: Organization and
Management
Chapter 6
February
7
Policing: Legal Aspects
Chapter 7
February
12
Police: Issues & Challenges
Chapter 8
February
14
Guest Speaker:
February
19
Courts: Structure and Participants
Chapter 9
February
21
Pretrial Activities and the Criminal
Trial
Chapter 10
February
26
Sentencing
Chapter 11
February
28
Guest Speaker: r
March
11
Probation, Parole & Community
Corrections
Chapter 12
March
13
ACJS
No Class
March
18
ACJS
No Class
March
20
Prisons and Jails
Chapters 13
March
25
Prison Life
Chapter 14
March
27
Prison Design Individual
Presentations
April
1
Prison Design Individual
Presentation
April
3
Juvenile Justice
Chapter 15
April
8
Drugs and Crime
Chapter 16
April
10
Terrorism and International
Criminal Justice
Chapter 17
April
15
The Future of Criminal Justice
Chapter 18
April
17
In Class Preparation for Group
Presentations on some aspect of
Justice.
April
22
Presentations
April
24
Presentations
April
29
Presentations
May
1
Class wrap up, completion of Group
presentations if necessary. Future of
Justice Paper Due
Criminal Justice Resources on the World Wide Web:
There are a number of sites on the World Wide Web (WWW) which may provide you
with information concerning the criminal justice system. Please avoid sites such as Time,
Newsweek and The Democrat-Gazette, in favor of those sites which are more "academic"
in nature, such as those sites maintained by a government agency, college or university.
Examples of those sites which are more "scholarly" include:
National Criminal Justice Reference Service at http://www.ncjrs.org/
Federal Bureau of Prisons at http://www.bop.gov/
National Criminal Justice Reference Services at http://www.ncjrs.gov/