JUSTICE ISSUES & PUBLIC POLICY
Justice Studies 423
Spring Term 2011
Professor: Class Meets:
Gary Reed Tuesday & Thursday
Justice Studies Program 10:30am – 11:45am
Social Science Division Classroom: Sam Glenn #119
Lewis-Clark State College
Spalding Hall, Room #211
500 8th Ave. Office Hours:
Lewiston, ID 83501-2698 Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 4:20pm-5:20pm
Phone: (208) 792-2794 and by appointment
E-mail: gereed@lcsc.edu Website: www.lcsc.edu/gereed
Course Description:
Students study and discuss major issues, professional ethics, and policy analysis. Pre-requisite: Senior Justice Studies majors or instructor's permission.
Purpose:
This course will allow students to integrate themes and concepts from multiple Justice Studies courses to better analyze criminal justice issues.
Goals:
It is expected that students will become more adept at utilizing social scientific analysis to understand the relationships between elements of social life, the selection of criminal justice policies, and the consequences of our policy decisions. The written work and verbal presentations of students should reflect systematic, logical arguments that are clearly supported by theory and research.
Course Requirements:
Exam One 25% Exam Two 25%
Exam Three OR Term Paper 25% Exam Four/Final Exam 25%
Class Structure:
Most class meetings will consist of seminar-type discussions of the day’s readings and topics. On occasion the class will consist of a lecture. Please bring your books to class to facilitate discussions.
Exams:
Four exams (including the final exam) consisting of essay questions will be administered in class. Study questions will be available prior to the exams to help you prepare.
Term Paper (Optional):
Students will choose a topic on a criminal justice policy issue to analyze in an approximately 10-page term paper. Students will be expected to utilize theoretical frameworks presented in the class and class readings. Students are encouraged to pick topics early in the term and discuss them with me. Students will present a summary of their papers to the class near the end of the term. Students must follow the term paper guidelines at the end of the syllabus.
Student Conduct:
"Cheating or plagiarism in any form is unacceptable. The College functions to promote the cognitive and psychosocial development of all students. Therefore, all work submitted by a student must represent his/her own ideas, concepts and current understanding" (Provost Fernandez, 2008).
All students are expected to take the short tutorial on citing sources at: http://www.lcsc.edu/library/ILI/Module_2A/Welcome.htm
Any student with questions remaining as to what constitutes cheating or plagiarism should consult the instructor in order to avoid any misunderstanding. If a student is caught cheating, at minimum, he/she will fail the assignment, the Judicial Affairs Officer will be notified and the incident recorded. Students must also keep copies of any written work turned in. Moreover, we will be dealing with controversial issues at times and it is essential that discussions remain constructive and respectful.
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment to talk with me.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Education. In essence, the act states that 1) students must be permitted to inspect their own “education records” and 2) “school officials” may not disclose personally identifiable information about a student without written permission from the student. For further information on FERPA and LCSC’s directory information policy, visit www.lcsc.edu/registrar or call 208-792-2223.
Please refrain from gaming, web surfing or using your cell phone during class.
Readings: (Available at the LCSC Bookstore)
The Criminal Justice System: Politics and Policies, 9th Ed. (Cole, Gertz, Bunger) Wadsworth 2004
ISBN: 9780534628741
Sense and Nonsense about Crime and Drugs 6th Ed. (Walker) Wadsworth, 2006 or 7th Ed
ISBN: 9780534616540
Topics and Assignments:
(Due to the nature of academic discussions, the topics listed below will not always correspond to the days’ agendas.)
Jan 11-13: Introduction to the class
Public policy and crime
Reading: Walker, chapter 1
Jan 18-20: Public policy, media and crime
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger article 3
Jan 25-27: Public policy, the criminal justice system, and law enforcement: Part 1
Reading: Walker, chapter 2
Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles, 5 & 6
Feb 1-3: Public policy, the criminal justice system, and law enforcement: Part 2
Reading: Walker chapter 5
Feb 8-10: Public policy & law enforcement: Part 3 Deadly Force/ Intimate Partner Violence
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 8 & 9
Feb 15-17: Public policy and courts
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 10-12
Walker, chapter 3
EXAM ONE Feb 17
Feb 22-24: Public policy and courts
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 13-16
March 1-3: Public policy and corrections: Part 1
Reading: Walker, chapters 4 & 6
March 8-10: Public policy and corrections: Part 2
Reading: Walker, chapters 7 & 11
Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 17-20
March 14-18: Spring Break
March 22-24: Crime Victim Policies
Reading: Walker chapter 9
EXAM TWO March 24
March 25: Last day to withdraw
March 29-31: Gun Control Policies
Reading: Walker chapter 10
Cole, Gertz & Bunger article 26
April 5-7: The politics of justice policy:
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 1-4
April 12-14: The drug problem Part 1
Reading: Walker chapter 13
EXAM THREE
April 19-21: The drug problem Part 2
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger article 27
April 26-28: Trends in public policy, crime, and criminal justice: Part 1
Reading: Walker chapter 14
April 28: TERM PAPER DUE IN CLASS
May 3-5: Trends in public policy, crime, and criminal justice: Part 2
Reading: Cole, Gertz & Bunger articles 24, 25, 28
Final Exam Study Questions Distributed
Class Wrap-Up
May 10: FINAL EXAM (EXAM #4) 10:30am-12:20pm
JS 423 TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Your task is to choose a public policy and criminal justice issue, unique to this class, to analyze in an approximately ten (10) page (typed and double-spaced) term paper. You will be expected to utilize theoretical frameworks and concepts from class meetings and readings. Be sure to show explicit and substantial use of course readings; however, this is a research project, so do not solely rely upon the course materials (or other courses) for your material. You must also incorporate materials on the topic you have uncovered from outside sources. You are to approach the topic by examining several of the potential perspectives relevant to the subject (where possible). This is not an extended editorial. I will be most happy to discuss more details, outlines, or rough drafts with you; however, I ask that you do not wait until the final days before the paper is due for feedback.
In addition, you will be required to give an oral presentation summarizing your key findings. The presentations will be scheduled the last two weeks of class.
Some more things to consider:
1. The paper is due in class April 28. There will be grade deductions of one percent per calendar day for late papers.
2. You must include a half-page abstract of your paper at the beginning of your essay. Your abstract must include: a) The paper title b) A brief explanation of the topic and why this is an important justice policy issue, c) Research and analysis methods (e.g. types of sources, theories/concepts used, d) Brief results and conclusions.
3. Make a copy of your paper before you turn it in. In the unlikely case that a paper is found to be missing, you will be expected to be able to produce another copy.
4. YOUR REFERENCES MUST INCLUDE AT MINIMUM:
Four ACADEMIC sources (books or journals, not internet sources) and of these academic sources, two must be books or an articles from the class, and two must be from outside the class. YOU MUST ALSO USE AT LEAST ONE SOURCE FROM NCJRS. I encourage you to use Internet sources, but they will not count toward the minimum six sources (unless they are peer-reviewed journals available on-line via sources such as NCJRS).
5. YOU MUST INCLUDE PHOTOCOPIES OF THE FIRST THREE PAGES OF TWO OF YOUR SOURCES OF INFORMATION FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS. THESE MUST BE ACADEMIC BOOKS OR ARTICLES. MAKE SURE THE PAGES IDENTIFY THE SOURCE. THEY MAY NOT BE INTERNET SOURCES (unless they are peer-reviewed journals available on-line via sources such as NCJRS). STAPLE THE PHOTOCOPIES TO THE BACK OF YOUR ESSAY. Papers will not be graded until these photocopies are provided.
6. Reference all paraphrasing and quotes. Use block quotes for quotes longer than 2 sentences. Include a reference page. You are required to use a modified APA style referencing: A recent study (Smoe, 1996) reveals knowledge is good. A more specific paraphrase: Joe Smoe (1996:2) found 90 percent of the people believe knowledge is good. A long quote should be indented on both margins and single-spaced:
All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. (Smoe, 1996:3)
Here are some useful referencing sites: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_docsocio.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
When in doubt, it is better to err on the side of over-referencing sources. If you plagiarize, you will receive an “F” for the assignment.
7. Clear and concise writing, with accurate spelling and proper grammar, makes your analysis flow more smoothly. Awkward grammar and spelling mistakes hinder analysis. The university writing center may be of some assistance.
8. I encourage you to utilize gender-neutral language.
9. The content of your paper should include a description of the topic, a discussion of why the topic is an important and/or interesting policy issue, and the majority of the paper should be a social scientific analysis of the topic. Assume the reader is not familiar with the field; therefore, you should clarify concepts and theories. Remember to keep the focus of the paper manageable given the paper’s length. Avoid a superficial treatment of a very broad topic.
10. If you are having trouble getting started, browse through the readings for topics, look at the sources referenced in the readings, and think about issues that relate to the connections between the various social institutions covered in the class, such as the economy, family, education, culture, and politics.
11. Remember the paper is worth 25% of your final grade. Visit or e-mail me with any further questions. Your grade will be based upon how well you have addressed the issues above.
12. Your paper must have the following sections labeled with these headings to receive a passing grade:
Topic Description
Topic Importance
Stakeholders Involved
Empirical Issues – What research supports the policies and what research challenges them?
Topic Analysis
Future Implications and Conclusions