COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS

 

Justice Studies 403

 

Fall Term 2011

 

Professor:                                                                             

Gary Reed                                                                             

Justice Studies Program                                                     

Social Science Division                                                      

Lewis-Clark State College                                                  

Spalding Hall, Room #211                                                  

500 8th Ave.                                                                          

Lewiston, ID 83501-2698                                                    

Phone: (208) 792-2794                                                         

E-mail: gereed@lcsc.edu                                               

Website: http://www.lcsc.edu/gereed

 

Class Meets: Tuesday & Thursday 1:30pm-2:45pm

Classroom: Fine Arts #202

 

Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 4:20pm-5:20pm, and by appointment

 

Course Description:

The functions, institutions, and operations of US and foreign criminal justice systems are compared. Pre-requisite: JS 103 or permission of instructor

 

This class will compare the functions, institutions, and operations of US and foreign criminal justice systems.  We will focus on six model nations to compare different families of law and criminal justice system arrangements.  We will study England and its Common Law system, France’s unitary Civil Law system, Germany’s federal Civil Law system, The People’s Republic of China’s Socialist Law system, Saudi Arabia’s Sacred Legal system, and Japan’s hybrid legal system.  We will also explore and compare international issues concerning policing and corrections.

 

Goals:

It is expected that students will become more adept at utilizing social scientific analysis to analyze the relationships between elements of social life and international criminal justice systems.  Students will learn how to assess what elements of criminal justice systems may be borrowed and modified from one system to improve another. The written work and verbal presentations of students should reflect systematic, logical arguments clearly supported by theory and research.

 

Course Requirements:

Written Reports 25% Exam One 25%

Exam Two 25% Exam Three 25%

 

Written Reports:

Short reports (approximately two to three typed pages) on selected issues in the readings will be assigned in class (and posted on the course website). The reports are important because they will serve as preparation for discussions. The reports will be evaluated on the quality and thoughtfulness of your social scientific analysis of the assigned material. They will be graded as: excellent, surpassing expectations (A), good, competent work (B), satisfactory (C), not satisfactory (D), failing (F).

REPORTS WILL BE DUE IN CLASS. LATE REPORTS WILL NOT BE EXCUSED, AND THEY WILL BE PENALIZED A FULL LETTER GRADE (e.g. a late "B" will become a "C"). FIVE (5) REPORTS WILL BE ASSIGNED. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THREE (3). You may turn in reports early. YOU MAY SUBMIT A FOURTH REPORT IF YOU NEED EXTRA CREDIT. The extra credit will be applied towards your written report grade. An "A" extra credit report adds three percent to your written report grade, a "B" is worth two percent, and a "C" is worth one percent.

Also note that your reports must contain references for paraphrased and quoted material. See the term paper assignment for the required style of reference citations.

 

Exams:

Three exams (including the final exam) consisting of essay questions, multiple-choice, and short answer questions will be administered in class. Study questions will be available prior to the exams to help you prepare.

 

Attendance:

Attendance will be taken most days. One percent will be added to the final grades of students with recorded attendance of 90% or better.

 

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. 

 

Please refrain from gaming, web surfing or using your cell phone during class.

 

Readings: (Available at the LCSC Bookstore)

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, fourth edition (Dammer & Albanese, 2011) Published by Thomson Wadsworth

 

Topics and Assignments:

(Due to the nature of academic discussions, the topics listed below will not always correspond to the days’ discussions.)

 

Aug 23-25:            

Introduction to the Course

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 1

 

Aug 30-Sept 1:     

Measuring and Comparing Crime

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 2

 

Sept 6-8

Families of Law

Reading: Dammer & Albanese Chapter 3

Written Report #1 due Sept 8

 

Sept 13-15:

Six Model Nations

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 4       

 

Sept 20-22:

Law Enforcement Functions: Part 1

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 5

 

Sept 27-29:

Law Enforcement Functions: Part 2

Sept 29: EXAM #1

 

Oct 4-6:

Criminal Procedure

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 6

 

Oct 11-13:

Legal Actors

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 7

Written Report #2 due Oct 13

 

Oct 18-20:

Courts

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 7

 

Oct 25-27:

After Conviction/Sentencing

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 8

Written Report #3 due Oct 27

 

Nov 1-3:                

After Conviction/Prison Part 1

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 9

Nov 3: EXAM #2

 

Nov 8-10:

After Conviction/Prison Part 2

Written Report #4 due Nov 10

 

Nov 15:

Terrorism

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 10 (No class on Nov 17 due to ASC conference)

 

Nov 21-25:

Thanksgiving Break

 

Nov 29-Dec 1:

Transnational Organized Crime

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 11

 

Dec 6-8:

Juvenile Justice in International Perspective

Reading: Dammer & Albanese, Chapter 12

Written Report #5 due Dec 8

 

Dec 13:

FINAL EXAM (EXAM #3)

 

Syllabus Addendum

 

Consumer Information

 

In 2008, the federal government required all post-secondary institutions offering federal financial aid programs to provide key data to both prospective and current students.  To comply with this requirement, Lewis-Clark State College has developed a consumer information page, which may be accessed at http://www.lcsc.edu/studentconsumerinformation/

 

Disability Accommodations

 

Students requiring special accommodations or course adaptations due to a disability and/or a health-related issue should consult their course instructors and the LCSC Student Counseling Center immediately (RCH 111, 792-2211).  Official documentation may be required in order to provide an accommodation and/or adaptation.

 

Student Rights and Responsibilities

 

Students have the responsibility for knowing their program requirements, course requirements, and other information associated with their enrollment at LCSC.  Students should review the LCSC General Catalog (http://www.lcsc.edu/catalog/) and the LCSC Student Handbook (available at http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/contactus.htm) for more information.

 

Accidents/Student Insurance

 

Students participating in LCSC classes normally must look to their personal health insurance policy (Student Health Insurance Plan or comparable private coverage) should an accident occur.  In the event of an accident, please seek medical help, if necessary, and report the incident to LCSC Security (792-2226).  Fieldtrips or other special student activities may also require students to submit a signed participation waiver (forms can be obtained from the supporting Division Office).

 

Enrollment Verification/Attendance

 

Students who are not actively pursuing their classes may have to repay part or all of their financial aid awards depending upon the circumstances.

 

Academic Dishonesty

 

Academic dishonesty, which includes cheating and plagiarism, is not tolerated at LCSC.  Individual faculty members will impose their own policies and sanctions regarding academic dishonesty.  Students who are accused of being academically dishonest may be referred to the Dean of Student Services for official disciplinary action.

 

Illegal File Sharing

 

Students using LCSC’s computers and/or computer network must comply with the college’s appropriate use policies and are prohibited from illegally downloading or sharing data files of any kind.  Specific information about the college’s technology policies and its protocols for combating illegal file sharing may be found on the Dean of Student Services’ web page (http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/).

 

Diversity Vision Statement

Regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, you will be treated and respected as a human being. http://www.lcsc.edu/culturaldiversity/