CJC 101
Introductory Survey of Criminology & Criminal Justice
Fall 2007 (3 credit hours)
M, W, & F 10:00 am
Hardy Classroom, 204
Instructor Information
Name:
Dr. Deanna L. Diamond
Office:
Office Hours:
Phone:
E-mail:
Communication with the Professor: When communicating with the professor via e-mail,
students are REQUIRED to use their Barton e-mail accounts.
Prerequisites
None.
Course Description
This survey course is designed to provide students with a general introduction to the concepts,
phenomenon, and issues of concern in the scientific study of crime and justice practices. It
provides the introductory student an overview of the nature, dynamics, etiological theories of
crime and criminal behavior. It also seeks to establish a rudimentary level of understanding of
the major issues of concern in the criminal justice sciences, particularly those warranting further
study. Special emphasis is given to current research findings in crime policy and criminal
practice.
Required Texts
Burns, R. G. (2007). The Criminal Justice Sytem. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Additional Readings
Additional readings will be provided through Blackboard. Content from these readings WILL be
included on exams.
Attendance Policy
Role will be taken every class session. Academic advisors will be notified if students miss more
than one scheduled class period without an excusal. Hospitalization, extreme illness, a death in
the family, or military commitments are all valid reasons for an excused absence. According to
the attendance policy of Barton College, students are expected to attend at least 75% of the class
hours. Attending less than 75% of the scheduled course meetings during the semester will result
in failure of the course.
Exams and Make-up Work
Students are expected to take all exams at the scheduled time. Prior WRITTEN notice (e-mail is
sufficient) of the need for an alternative time will be required. Documentation of the reason for
requesting the alternative test date is required. In case of an emergency, please call the professor
as soon as possible and leave a message requesting an alternative time to take the exam. All
make-up mid-terms will be given on the day of the final.
If a students requires extra time to complete homework assignments, please inform the professor
in WRITING (e-mail is sufficient) PRIOR TO the due date and provide documentation of the
reason for the delay. If there are personal issues preventing a student from completing the
required course work, then please DO NOT wait until the last week of classes to discuss the
situation with the professor. Incompletes will not be given during the last week of the semester.
Classroom Conduct
Please show up on time and be prepared. Put all cell phones on vibrate, and leave the classroom
before answering any calls. DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE IN CLASS. Be respectful of other
students and the professor at all times. Sophomoric or disruptive behavior will result in students
being asked to leave the classroom.
Course Requirements
Self-Paced Learning Assignments: There will be a series of assignments throughout the
semester that will require students to complete outside research. Each of these assignments will
be worth 20 points, for a total of 80 points. They will be completed outside of class, but will be
used in group work during class. Each self-paced assignment is due according to the course
calendar contained in this syllabus.
Mid-term Exam: There will be an in-class mid-term exam on Friday, October 12th. The midterm will consist of multiple choice questions, fill-in-the blank questions, and short answer/essay
questions. The mid-term will be worth a total of 100 points.
Final Exam: There will be an in-class final exam on Thursday, December 13th. The final will
consist of multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short answer/essay
questions. The final will be cumulative and will be worth a total of 100 points.
In-class Group Work: Each student is required to participate in in-class group assignments.
There will be a total of five graded group assignments throughout the course of the semester.
The nature of the assignments will vary. Some will require group writing. At least one will
require students to present their work to the class. The assignments will be worth 10 points each,
for a total of 50 points. Those students who are not present in class on the day of in-class group
work WILL NOT have the opportunity to make up those points. If the student can present
documentation for his or her absence, including emergency medical care, death in the family, or
other serious events, then a written assignment may be substituted for the in-class group work.
Students will be allowed to make up only one in-class assignment.
Weekly Homework Assignments: Students are required to download weekly homework
assignments through Blackboard. These assignments should be submitted according to the
course calendar contained in this syllabus. Each assignment will be worth 5 points each, and
there will be 17 of them, for a total of 85 points. These assignments will highlight important
concepts from the text and lectures. They are meant to function as a study guide for the quizzes
and exams.
Theory Application Paper: Each student must complete a 2-3 page paper that applies criminal
theory to an actual crime or criminal lifestyle. The assignment will require students to apply at
least two theories to a given criminal scenario. This paper will be worth 40 points. It is due
according to the course calendar contained in this syllabus.
“Real-World” Project: Students will be divided into groups to complete this project. Each
group will be given a specific problem that might occur in a real-world criminal justice agency.
The group must work together to identify resources to help address the issue. It must then design
a solution to the problem. Each student will be evaluated by other members of the group, as well
as the professor, for this project. This project will be worth 50 points. It is due according to the
course calendar contained in this syllabus.
Semester Project: Each student is required to complete a final project that explores a criminal
justice profession. The project will include interviewing an individual working in the criminal
justice field, researching the job requirements of the chosen position, and obtaining an
application for the chosen position. The project will be worth a total of 100 points.
Point Totals:
Self-paced learning assignments
Theory application paper
Mid-term
Final
“Real-World” project
Weekly assignments
Group work
Semester Project
TOTAL
605
Grading Scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DU(F)
80
50
100
100
50
85
50
100
560-605 points (93-100%)
545-559 points (90-92%)
525-544 points (87-89%)
500-524 points (83-86%)
485-499 points (80-82%)
460-479 points (77-79%)
440-459 points (73-76%)
425-439 points (70-72%)
405-424 points (67-69%)
380-404 points (63-66%)
360-379 points (60-62%)
<359 points (0-59%)
Academic Dishonesty
In accordance with the General College Catalog regarding the College Policy on Academic
Honesty (p. 63 of 2000-2001 catalog) – “The following list of violations outlines infractions.
The list is not comprehensive.
 Academic Dishonesty is defined as any act of cheating and plagiarism.
 Cheating is defined as giving or receiving aid, including attempting to give or receive
aid, without the specific consent of the professor, on quizzes, examinations,
assignments, etc.
 Plagiarism is defined as presenting as one's own the writing or work of others.
Whenever phrasing is borrowed, even if only two or three words, the indebtedness
should be recognized by the use of quotation marks and mention of the author's name.
The language of another is not made the writer's own by omission, rearrangement, or
new combinations; such an act is plagiarism."
An act of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of “0” for the exam or assignment in
question. In addition, a report of the act of academic dishonesty will be submitted to the Office
of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. All students caught committing an act of academic
dishonesty will be under heightened scrutiny for the remainder of the semester. A second act of
academic dishonesty will result in automatic failure of the course.
BARTON COLLEGE HONOR CODE
The mission of the college is rooted in our commitment to developing ethical and socially
responsible behavior in all relationships. Responsible living in a community of learners requires
adherence to demanding standards.
Members of the Barton College Community Will
 Express opinions with civility.
 Show consideration and respect for the opinions of others.
 Promote the honor code in all their actions for the benefit of the community of learners at
Barton.
Members of the Barton College Community Will Not
 Lie.
 Cheat.
 Plagiarize.
 Steal.
 Violate others’ property.
 Tolerate others’ disregard for the honor code.
Grade Disputes
It the student’s responsibility to retain all graded work for the semester and to track grades as the
semester progresses. Should there be a grade dispute, it is the student’s responsibility to produce
graded work to challenge the refuted grade.
August 2007
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
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7
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9
10
11
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1
Course
Introduction
The CJ System
and the CJ
Process
The CJ System
and the CJ
Process
Lecture
Lecture
September 2007
Sun
Mon
Tue
2
3
Wed
4
Thu
5
Fri
Sat
6
7
Measuring and
Defining Crime
Measuring and
Defining Crime
Measuring and
Defining Crime
Read Chpt. 1 &
“Measuring Crime”
(Blackboard)
Self-paced learning
assignment-Elements
of a Crime
Self-paced learning
assignment-Elements
of a Crime
Assignment 1 due
Group activity
Group activity
8
Lecture
Last Day to ADD
10
12
13
14
Policing
Policing
Policing
Read-“History of
Policing”
(Blackboard)
Read Chpt. 2
Read-“Community
Policing” (Blackboard)
Assignment 3 due
Assignment 4 due
15
Assignment 2 due
Neighborhood Walk
Lecture
Group activity
17
19
20
Policing
Policing
Policing
Read-“Policing and
the Law”
(Blackboard)
Read-“Policing and the
Law” (Blackboard)
Read Chpt. 3
Assignment 5 due
Group activity
21
22
28
29
Assignment 6 due
Lecture
Lecture
24
Policing
Read Chpt. 4
Assignment 7 due
25
26
Last Day to Policing
DROP
Self-paced learning
assignment-Federal
Law Enforcement
27
SCJA ConferenceSavannah
Professor Absent
TOUR of Wilson PD
Lecture
Group activity
October 2007
Sun
Mon
30
Tue
1
Wed
Thu
2
3
Fri
Sat
4
Criminal Theory
Criminal Theory
Criminal Theory
Read-“Criminological
Theory” (Blackboard)
Read-“Criminological
Theory” (Blackboard)
Assignment 8 due
Video-“Girls in the
Hood”
Video-“Mind of a
Rapist”
Group activity
Class discussion
5
6
12
13
19
20
Lecture
7
8
9
10
11
Criminal Theory
Read-“Criminological
Theory” (Blackboard)
MID-TERM
Mid-term Review
Theory Application
Paper due
Class discussion
15
FALL BREAK
16
FALL
BREAK
NO CLASS
17
18
The Courts
The Courts
Read-“The Courts”
(Blackboard)
Read Chpt. 5
Assignment 10 due
Assignment 9 due
Self-paced learning
assignment-Bail
Lecture
22
The Courts
Read Chpt. 6
Assignment 11 due
23
24
The Courts
11 am
Advisement
MeetingRead Chpt. 7
Hardy
Lower
Assignment 12 due
25
26
The Courts
Video-“Plea
Bargaining”
Group activity
Lecture
Group activity
29
30
31
The Courts
The Courts
Read Chpt. 8
Assignment 13 due
Self-paced learning
assignment-Criminal
Defenses
Group activity
Group activity
27
November 2007
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
2
3
9
10
16
17
1
The Courts
Read Chpt. 9
Assignment 14
due
Group activity
4
5
The Courts
Read Chpt. 10
6
7
Last Day to The Courts
WITHDRAW
Movie-“Gideon’s
Trumpet”
8
The Courts
Movie-“Gideon’s
Trumpet”
Assignment 15 due
“Real World”
project is due
Lecture
12
13
14
Corrections
Corrections
History of
Punishment
Movie-“The
Voyage of the
Courtesans”
15
■ ASC
ConferenceAtlanta
Professor Absent
Lecture
JAIL TOUR
19
Corrections
Read chpts.11 &12
Assignment 16 due
20
21
22
23
Last Day to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
Request
Break
Break
Break
Changes to
Exam
Schedule
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
Lecture
25
26
Thank Corrections
sRead chpts. 13 & 14
giving
Break Assignment 17 due
Lecture
27
28
29
30
Corrections
Corrections
Audio-“Witness to
an Execution”
Movie-“Inside
Tuttweiler Prison
for Women”
Movie-“Inside
Tuttweiler Prison
for Women”
Class discussion
Class discussion
24
Thanksgiving
Break
December 2007
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice
Read-“The Juvenile
Justice System”
(Blackboard)
Self-paced learning
assignment-The
Juvenile Justice
Vocabulary
6
7
8
14
15
Careers in
Criminal Justice
Semester Project
due
Assignment 18 due
Class discussion
Lecture
10
LAST DAY OF
CLASS
11
12
13
10:30
am
EXAM
READING
DAY
Review for Final
17
18
19
20
21
22
24
25
26
27
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Course Goals
This course is intended to provide students with a comprehensive, though shallow, understanding
of the various types and functions of agencies that compose the criminal justice system in
America. Students will also be introduced to the various measures used to gauge the crime rate
in America, as well as the classifications and types of crime. Students will also be introduced to
various perspectives on the causes of crime and the characteristics of criminal offenders.
At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
One:
Identify and compare the various methods of official data collection used to measure
crime in the United States
Two: Understand the roles of law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies within the
American criminal justice system
Three: Identify the flow and process of investigating and prosecuting a criminal offense, as well
as punishing the offender
Four: Better understand the emerging trend of victims’ rights and services in the criminal
justice system
Five: Identify key differences between the adult and juvenile justice systems
Six:
Identify the various methods of punishment for offenders, including jail, prison, and
community sanctions
Seven: Identify trends and issues in the American criminal justice system that motivate the
student to expand his or her knowledge through individual reading and future enrollment
in criminal justice courses
Eight Utilize study techniques that are effective for success in college.
Course Objectives
Unit One: The CJ System and the CJ Process
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Identify the three main branches of the CJ system
2) Identify the basic functions of the three main branches of the CJ system
3) Identify the main players in each of the three branches of the CJ system
4) Describe the role that each of the three branches of the CJ system plays in the
investigation and prosecution of crime
Preparation for Class: None. This unit is lecture based.
Classwork: None
Homework: None
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the CJ system’s functions and the roles of the
three main branches of the CJ system
Unit Two: Measuring and Defining Crime
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Compare and contrast the two measures of crime used by the federal government
2) Compare and contrast government measures of crime with “self-report studies”
3) Identify the characteristics of the common law system
4) Describe the evolution of the common law system in the United States
5) Define “felony”, “misdemeanor”, and “violation”
6) Distinguish between federal, state, and municipal laws
7) Define actus reas, mens rea, conversion, and absolute liability offense
8) Analyze the actions and intent necessary for commission of a criminal offense
Preparation for Class: Read Chpt. 1 and “Measuring Crime” (available through Blackboard)
Classwork: Small group activity; self-paced learning project-Elements of a Crime
Homework: Assignment 1 (on Blackboard)
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on legal definitions and their use; short answer item
about the evolution of the common law system
Unit Three: Policing
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Describe how American policing developed
2) Explain the connection between American policing and the establishment of the
London Metropolitan Police force in 1828
3) Compare and contrast the functions of federal, state, county, and municipal law
enforcement agencies
4) Identify how federal, state, and local police agencies are organized
5) Identify the function and jurisdiction of the main federal law enforcement agencies
6) Analyze how community-police relations impact policing strategies
7) Identify the origins and function of “community policing”
8) Apply the community policing model to issues and problems within the City of
Wilson
9) Define due process and identify procedural laws that facilitate due process
10) Explain how the rules of evidence influence police actions
11) Define the exclusionary rule and list the major legal exceptions to the exclusionary
rule
12) Identify police actions that can make evidence from interrogations, confessions,
searches, and arrests inadmissible in court
Preparation for Class: Read “History of Policing” (available through Blackboard); Read Chpt. 2;
Read “Community Policing” (available through Blackboard); Read “Policing and the Law” (available
through Blackboard); Read Chpt. 3; Read Chpt 4
Classwork: Small group activities; self-paced learning assignment-Federal Law
Enforcement; walk through neighborhood surrounding the Barton campus; tour of the
Wilson Police Department.
Homework: Assignments 2-7 (on Blackboard)
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the history of policing; the constitutional
protections provided by the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments, and the definitions of “search”,
“seizure”, and “pat down”; short answer item on the 4th Amendment rules governing searches
of automobiles; short answer item identifying the main components of the Miranda Warning;
short answer item on the definition of “probable cause” and “reasonable suspicion”; essay
applying the principles of community policing to a specific scenario
Unit Four: Criminal Theory
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Compare and contrast the biological, psychological, and sociological schools of
criminal theory
2) Compare and contrast positivist criminology and classical criminology
3) Identify the major components of Strain Theory, Cultural Deviance Theories, Social
Control Theory, Life Course Theories, Labeling Theory, and Routine
Activities/Rational Choice Theory
4) Define “subcultures” and identify the role they play in society
5) Compare and contrast “consensus” models of criminal law with “conflict” models of
criminal law
6) Identify the basic principles of situational crime prevention, including “target
hardening”
7) Analyze the applicability of criminal theory to criminal behavior
8) Critique criminal theory using logical, well-developed arguments
Preparation for Class: Read “Criminological Theory” (available through Blackboard)
Classwork: Lecture; small group activities; class discussion exercises; films
Homework: Assignment 8 and Theory Application Paper
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the distinctions between biological, sociological,
and psychological theories of crime; Multiple-choice items on the distinctions between
Classical Criminology and Positivist Criminology; Short answer item comparing and
contrasting two specific criminal theories (ex. Social Control v. Strain Theory)
Mid-term
Unit Five: The Courts
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Define the differences between civil and criminal law
2) Compare and contrast the structure and function of the federal and state judicial
systems
3) Identify the major functions of each level of the federal courts
4) Identify the distinctions between courts of limited jurisdiction and courts of general
jurisdiction
5) Identify the major steps that courts oversee in the prosecution of a crime (initial
appearance, bail, grand jury, preliminary hearing, trial, sentence, and appeal)
6) Identify the factors that judges in North Carolina must use when assessing sentences
for defendants convicted of felonies and misdemeanors
7) Apply the sentencing guidelines of North Carolina to provided scenarios
8) Identify the five major “affirmative defenses” the accused may employ in a criminal
case
9) Identify the major functions of plea bargainning
Preparation for Class: Read “The Courts” (available through Blackboard), Read Chpts. 5-10; Selfpaced Learning Assignment-Bail; Self-paced Learning Assignment- Criminal Defenses
Classwork: Lecture; small group activities; films
Homework: Assignments 9-15; “Real World” Project
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the five affirmative defenses; multiple-choice
items on the differences between civil and criminal law; multiple choice items on bail, the
initial appearance, and criminal trials; essay item comparing and contrasting grand juries and
trial juries; short answer items requiring students to apply the NC sentencing grid to crime
scenarios and assess the benefits of plea bargaining in these hypothetical cases
Unit Six: Corrections
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Define the major philosophies of punishment (retribution, deterrence, incapacitation,
rehabilitation, and restoration) and apply them to various criminal sanctions
2) Compare and contrast the functions of jails and prisons
3) Compare and contrast the functions of probation and parole
4) Define the various types of conditions of probation
5) Identify the distinctions between intermediate sanctions and pre-trial diversion
6) Describe the historical evolution of criminal sanctions from corporal punishment
through the development of prisons and the introduction of probation
7) Describe the general characteristics and nature of prison/jail life
8) Outline the basic steps in the process of execution by lethal injection
9) Distinguish between fines and restitution
10) Analyze the issues facing convicted felons upon release from prison
Preparation for Class: Read Chpts. 11-14
Classwork: Lecture; class discussion; films; audio recording; Wilson County Jail tour
Homework: Assignments 16-17
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the philosophies of punishment; multiple choice
items on the distinctions between jails/ prisons and probation/parole; essay item on the
historical evolution of criminal punishment; short answer item identifying the various types
of conditions of probation and applying them to a given scenario
Unit Seven: Juvenile Justice
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Describe the social forces and attitudes that led to the establishment of a separate
juvenile justice system
2) Identify and the first juvenile court established in America and the year of its
establishment
3) Identify the major characteristics of the juvenile system at the time of its
establishment
4) Describe how the juvenile system has evolved and changed in the past four decades
5) Compare and contrast the procedures of prosecuting an adult offender versus
adjudicating a juvenile offender
Preparation for Class: Read “The Juvenile Justice System” (available through Blackboard); Selfpaced Learning Assignment-The Juvenile Justice Vocabulary
Classwork: Lecture; small group work
Homework: Assignment 18
Test Preparation: Multiple-choice items on the history of the juvenile justice system; short
answer item identifying the major distinctions between the juvenile and adult systems
Unit Eight: Careers in Criminal Justice
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1) Identify the major elements of the job description for a chosen profession in the
criminal justice field
2) Describe the day-to-day realities of that profession
3) Compare and contrast the job description for that profession with the day-to-day
reality of the profession
4) Evaluate their level of interest in pursuing this profession in the future
Preparation for Class: Independent research
Classwork: Class discussion; informal in-class presentation of the results of independent
research
Homework: Semester Project
Test Preparation: None