CRJ 101
Introduction Criminal Justice I
Spring 2010
Credits: 3
Transfer: UNLV and UNR
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Maury Reichelt, MA
Sergeant, Nevada Department of Public Safety
Phone: 684-2427
E-mail: mreichelt@dps.state.nv.us
Division Chair: Robert Morin, J.D. , Ph.D.
Office: Bristlecone 350A
Phone: 445-4401
Fax: 445-3141
E-mail: rpmorin@wnc.edu
Text: Criminal Justice Today, 10th edition, by Frank Schmalleger
Study guide for the text is highly recommended
Course Description:
Surveys the history, philosophy and functions of criminal justice system, law enforcement,
criminal law and constitutional rights as they affect system functioning.
Course Objectives or Outcomes:
The primary goal of this course is to develop a general understanding of the criminal justice
system’s response to crime in society. It is important to note that the general theme of this course
involves the delicate balance between community interests and individual rights that criminal
justice decision making requires. We will explore this theme by examining the criminal justice
process in some detail, focusing on how the system is structured to respond to crime. This
requires an understanding of the core elements of the criminal justice system: police, courts and
corrections. It is noted the text book is covered over two classes. For this course, we will explore
the criminal justice system in two parts (covering chapters 1 through 8):
Part 1: In Part 1, we will examine crime in America. We will briefly touch on the basic
functions of each component of the criminal justice system, discuss the definition of crime and
different kinds of crime, and then explore the causes of crime.
Part 2: This part of the course will focus on the beginning stages of the criminal justice process,
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exploring policing and police decision making. We will explore the history and structure of
policing, police management, and legal aspects of policing.
Topical Outline
The following is a tentative schedule of material to be covered. This schedule is subject
to minor changes with advance notice to students.
Week One-1/26: Review syllabus, define goals of the class and discuss policies of
Western Nevada College. Address current issues in the news today.
Each student will be required to stay current on recent events in the newspaper that
correspond to our class and bring in the articles for the week you feel pertinent.
Discuss expectations and answer questions concerning the up-coming semester.
Read Chapter 1
Week Two – 2/2: Discuss Chapter 1, regarding crime in the last half century, Social
Justice and American Criminal Justice: and The System, American Criminal Justice.
Week Three–2/9: Discuss Chapter 1, regarding The Process, due process and individual
rights, Criminal Justice and Criminology, and Multiculturalism and Diversity in Criminal
Justice.
Read Chapter 2
Week Four-2/16: Discuss Chapter 2, regarding the Uniform Crime Reports.
Week Five-2/23: Discuss Chapter 2, regarding the National Crime Victimization
Survey, Comparisons of the UCR and the NCVS and Special Categories of Crime.
Read Chapter 3
Week Six-3/2: Discuss Chapter 3, regarding Criminological Theory, the Classical
School and Biological Theories
FIRST TEST Chapters 1 and 2
Week Seven 3/9: Discuss Chapter 3, regarding psychobiological, psychological,
sociological, social process and conflict theories, and emergent perspectives.
Read Chapter 4
Week Eight-3/16: Discuss Chapter 4, regarding the nature and purpose of law, the rule
of law, types of law, general categories of crime, and general features of crime.
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Week Nine-3/23: Spring Break (No Class)
Week Ten-3/30 : Discuss Chapter 4, regarding elements of a specific criminal offense
and types of defenses to a criminal charge.
Read Chapter 5
Week Eleven-4/6: Discuss Chapter 5 (all), regarding the historical development of the
police, American law enforcement today to include federal, state and local agencies, and
private protections services.
Read chapter 6
Week Twelve-4/13: Discuss Chapter 6, regarding the police mission, operational
strategies and managing police departments.
SECOND TEST Chapters 3, 4 and 5
Week Thirteen-4/20: Discuss Chapter 6, regarding policing styles, discretion and the
individual officer, professional ethics, ethnic and gender diversity in policing and police
departments as learning organizations.
Read Chapter 7
Week Fourteen-4/27: Discuss Chapter 7, regarding the abuse of police power, individual
rights, search and seizure, and arrest.
Week Fifteen-5/4: Discuss Chapter 7, and the intelligence function.
Read Chapter 8
Week Sixteen-5/11: Discuss Chapter 8 (All), regarding police personality and culture,
corruption and integrity, the danger of police work, police use of force, racial profiling
and biased policing and police civil liability.
THIRD AND FINAL EXAMINATION
Chapters 6, 7 and 8
Week Seventeen-5/18:
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Simple Rules of order:
1. Talking among the students is not permitted during the lecture or video presentation.
The professor is easily annoyed and will embarrass you if you insist on talking during
these times.
2. Cheating and plagiarism is not permitted. Those caught cheating on an exam or
plagiarism on homework can expect to be punished to the fullest extent of the college’s
guidelines. These punishments may include failure on the exam, failure in the course or
expulsion from the college.
3. Discussion of the material is encouraged. The professor has been known to arbitrarily
increase student’s grade because they contributed to the course through discussion. This
discussion should be directed at the professor, not at each other.
4. Attendance is mandatory. You cannot purchase a degree in Criminal Justice from
Western Nevada College. You must earn it!
5. Late assignments will be penalized by one grade per day, unless alternative
arrangements are made with the professor prior to the due date of the assignment.
6. Pagers and cellular phones will be turned off during class (No text messaging).
7. This is a three credit class. You are allowed one absence without penalty/being dropped
from the class. Use it wisely. Students are encouraged to speak to the professor should a
problem arise where they must miss more than one class. A role sheet will be present in
class each week and it is your responsibility to sign in. If a lecture is missed it is your
responsibility to get class notes from another student. So make a friend in class!
8. There are NO make-up exams or homework. You miss an exam or homework
assignment, you get an ‘F’ for that particular piece of missed work. If you are unable to
take an exam or turn in a homework assignment on the scheduled day, you must make
arrangements with the instructor prior to the due date.
Evaluation: Course evaluation will consist of three exams. The tests will not be comprehensive.
They will consist of the most recent material discussed after the previous test. Examinations may
include multiple choice, short answer, fill in the blank and true/false. All material in the book
may be covered whether or not explicitly mentioned in class. All exams will have an 80 minute
time limit.
Grading: Grades will be assigned on the basis of the average of the three tests and the
homework. 90-100% is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, 60-69% is a D, and below 60% is
failure. Class participation can bump up your grade.
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The grading break down is as follows:
Exam #1 – 30% of total
Exam #2 – 35% of total
Exam #3 – 35% of total
R: This class is rated “R”. This class contains adult language, adult situations and brief nudity.
Any problems with this, you might want to drop the class now!
Follow your course syllabus closely. It will tell you the subject for discussion/lecture on a given
day. Plan to spend at least three hours of outside preparation for every class session. Because
student abilities vary from course to course you may need to put more time than this on your
work. If you have a disability and need academic accommodation please contact Disability
Services at (775) 445-3267 Carson Campus.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH STUDENT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND THE
SYLLABUS.
AND FINALLY
PLEASE UPDATE YOUR STUDENT SERVICES RECORDS, I.E.,
Phone number, address, email, etc…
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