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CRIJ 1301: Introduction to Criminal Justice Dr. Danielle Bailey

Office Location: BUS 228 Office Hours: Tuesday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM Office Phone: (903) 566 - 7432 Email: dbailey@uttyler.edu *preferred method of contact* Twitter Username @DrBaileyUTTyler Course Objectives

This course provides an introduction to the structure and function of the criminal justice system in the United States. Students will examine how the various components (legislature, police, courts, and corrections) work together to react to and address crime. Through discussion and real world application, students will learn to critically assess current practices and policies. Student Learning Objectives This course is designed to provide a basis for future coursework on criminal justice system components. By the end of this course, students will become be proficient in the following areas. Student proficiency will be assessed through testing, small group discussions, and an in-class debate.

1. Understand the basic structure of the criminal justice system in the United States, with an emphasis on the state of Texas

2. Identify the interaction between the legislature, policing agencies, the court system, and corrections and assessing how those interactions shape public policies, perceptions, and programs

3. Discuss the difference between crime policy goals and implementation 4. Understand the differences between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice

system Required Text Bohm, R. M. & Haley, K. N. (2014). Introduction to Criminal Justice (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Education Course Format & Instructor Expectations This course will be taught using lectures and small group work. Our class will work together in discussing the above topics in an open and honest manner. You are expected to complete all assigned readings and assignments by the designated dates listed in the syllabus. I encourage students to express their views and opinions supported by analysis or evidence. Discussion, analysis, and independent thinking are highly encouraged. It is expected that you will demonstrate professional behavior and will treat the instructor and other students with respect. I hold regular office hours and am available by email, so if you do not understand any part of this class (readings, lectures, handouts, expectations etc.) I expect you to set an appointment with me.

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The course grade will be comprised of the following assignments:

Weekly Quizzes (13 quizzes at 10 points each) 130 points Midterm Exam 100 points Final Exam 100 points Small Group Discussions 150 points Group Discussion Sheets (10 at 10 points each) (100 points) Peer Review Grades (2 at 25 points each) (50 points) Plagiarism Test 20 points Controversies in CJ Papers 150 points Paper #1 Annotated Bibliography (25 points) Paper #1 (40 points) Paper #2 Annotated Bibliography (25 points) Paper #2 (60 points) In-class Assignments / Pop Quizzes 50 points

Total Points Possible 700 points Grading Scale

A 90-100% 630 – 700 points B 80-89% 560 – 629 points C 70-79% 490 – 559 points D 60%-69% 420 – 489 points F Below 60% Below 420 points

Attendance Policy You should be aware as students that attendance is crucial for success in the classroom. There are

several in-class activities that require you to be in class. Additionally, this class will entail significant

amounts of lecture material. If you miss class, you should arrange to obtain notes from another student.

I do not release copies of my lecture notes to students. Attendance will be considered in the case of

border-line grades.

Assignments Weekly Quizzes (13 quizzes; 10 points each)

Each week we will cover a different chapter in the textbook. Weekly quizzes will be conducted each

week to test for comprehension and understanding of course material. Each quiz will consist of ten

randomly selected multiple choice questions. Questions will cover information from weekly readings.

All quizzes are open note and open book, but will be limited to 20 minutes. Students may attempt each

quiz twice. Only the highest attempt will count towards the final class grade.

Quizzes will be conducted through Blackboard. Quizzes will open Monday morning at 12:01 AM and

close on Sunday at 11:59 PM. Students may take the quiz at any time during the open period. Due to

this flexibility, no makeup quizzes will be allowed.

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Midterm Exam (100 points) The midterm exam may consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, and essay questions, and will cover material from both the readings and the in-class lecture. The midterm exam will cover material from Weeks 1 through 7. Final Exam (100 points) The final exam may consist of multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, and essay questions, and will cover material from both the readings and the in-class lecture. The final exam will cover material from Weeks 9 through 15.

Small Group Discussions (150 points)

The purpose of small group discussions is to promote discussion and analysis of course material within a

small group of peers. Each week, students will split into small groups and be presented several

questions for discussion. Discussion questions may come from the textbook material, published articles,

or require real life application of course material. Groups will be given between 30 and 50 minutes to

discuss the material and finalize a group discussion sheet (1 per group). The entire class will then

participate in a class-wide discussion based on group responses.

Overall, small group discussions are worth 150 points. 100 points comes from the group discussion

sheets. The remaining fifty points comes from a peer review grade completed twice throughout the

semester. Group members will be assigned by the professor.

Group discussion sheets

Each week, a completed group discussion sheet will be submitted to the professor for grading. Group

discussion sheets are worth ten points, and are graded on effort, content quality, and completeness.

Group discussion sheets are group grades, so all the students in a particular group will receive the same

grade. Students who are absent the day of the in-class discussion will receive a zero for that day’s

discussion. There will be eleven small group discussions throughout the semester; the lowest small

group discussion sheet grade will be dropped and the remaining ten will be counted towards the final

grade.

Peer review grade

In small groups, it is important that each member actively participate and contribute to the overall

discussion/conclusion. To encourage participation, small group participants will receive peer grades

twice during the semester (due dates listed on the course schedule). Peer review grades are each worth

25 points and will be compiled by averaging from several peer assessment questions regarding the

student’s overall participation, attitude, and contributions during small group discussions.

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Plagiarism Test (20 points)

Plagiarism is a huge concern for college students. While some forms of plagiarism are intentional, often

plagiarism results from lack of understanding about what constitutes plagiarism and awareness of how

to avoid plagiarized material. Students will be required to complete a plagiarism course and successfully

complete a plagiarism certification test before any written assignments are completed in the course.

Completion certificates must be uploaded to Blackboard using the appropriate link by the due date

noted in the course schedule. The course is available online at https://www.indiana.edu/~plag/.

Controversies in Criminal Justice Papers (150 points)

During the semester, you will write two papers about a controversial topic in criminal justice. Each

paper will be in response to a given prompt. General assignment information for each paper is included

below. Please refer to the Controversies in Criminal Justice paper guidelines and rubrics available on

Blackboard for more specific details.

Paper #1 annotated bibliography (25 points)

The annotated bibliography is intended to help you prepare for Paper #1 and is worth 25 points. It will

contain four citations relating to the paper topic. Handouts describing the format and content of

annotated bibliographies will be distributed in class.

Paper #1 (40 points)

A two to four page response with at least two citations.

Paper #2 annotated bibliography (25 points)

The annotated bibliography is intended to help you prepare for Paper #2 and is worth 25 points. It will

contain four citations relating to the paper topic. Handouts describing the format and content of

annotated bibliographies will be distributed in class.

Paper #2 (60 points)

A three to five page response with at least three citations.

In-class Assignments / Pop Quizzes (50 points)

Throughout the semester, there may be in-class assignments or pop quizzes given at the teacher’s

discretion. Pop quizzes will cover reading and/or lecture material. Students must be in class the day of

the assignment/quiz in order to receive points.

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My Course Policies

Classroom Behavior

Students are asked to turn off all pagers/cell phones/blackberries while class is in session. Students

whose electronics cause continued classroom disruption will be asked to leave. Talking during lecture

(outside of class discussion), sleeping during lecture, and coming late to class are not only rude, but can

be distracting. Students are expected to be considerate of fellow students and myself by not behaving

in such a manner. Students who do not display appropriate classroom behavior may be asked to leave

or be subject to additional penalties at the discretion of the professor.

Email Policy

Email can be a powerful communication tool. There is room, however, for misunderstanding and

miscommunication, and this can reduce its effectiveness. To facilitate smooth online interactions, there

are a few rules regarding the use of email that should be followed in this course:

1) When sending an email, please include a subject heading that describes the topic of the email

(for instance, “Question about the first quiz”). Because of the potential for spam, I will likely

delete any email with a blank subject line.

2) Identify the course name/time in the email. I teach multiple courses, so it’s necessary for you to

identify which course you are referring to.

3) Remember that correspondence with me should remain professional. That means each email

should have a greeting, a message with punctuation, and your full name at the closing. If you

would not send the email to your boss, then please do not send it to me.

4) I will try and respond to your emails in a timely fashion. My normal policy is to return emails

within 24 hours, although please note that due to family obligations I may response slower

weekends and/or holidays.

Office Hours

I hold regular office hours each week. During office hours, I can go over assignments, discuss

quizzes/exams, and answer any questions about course material. If you are unable to visit me during

office hours and need help, please feel free to contact me via email and set up an appointment. I can

set up on-campus or video-conferencing appointments as necessary.

I may cancel my office hours if I am unable to come into the office for a particular reason. If office hours

are canceled, I will inform you during class or through Blackboard announcements. Please note: I

encourage students to come to me if they have questions or would like clarification about written

assignments. However, I will not give feedback through email conversations. Instead, you should plan

on visiting my office during normal office hours or schedule an appointment with me to go over

assignments one on one.

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Submission policy

Course assignments will be submitted online through the appropriate Blackboard links. In order to

receive full points, assignments must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the due date. Please check the

assignment instructions to ensure that each assignment is submitted appropriately. To avoid confusion,

I do not accept assignments submitted via email.

Late Assignments

Assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the due date. Submission links will close at this time. No late

assignments will be allowed unless there are emergency situations and documentation is provided.

Be aware: Technical and logistical problems, such as being unable to access a computer, computer

failure, problems with internet connections (such as speed or quality of the connection) or browsers,

failure to check your assignments have properly loaded, etc., will not automatically or in every instance

result in remedies favorable to the student, even if the technical or logistic problem is not your fault.

The earlier you submit your assignments, the more I will be able to assist with technological issues.

Extra Credit

I offer a variety of extra credit opportunities throughout the semester. These opportunities may include

the following:

Extra credit opportunities on each exam

Extra credit writing assignments

Please note that I do not offer extra extra credit. I will not offer last minute assignments at the end of

the semester to students requesting extra points. You must take advantage of the extra credit

opportunities as they are assigned.

Make-Up Quizzes/Exams

The University Catalog does not establish make-ups as a student right. Major tests are forecasted;

therefore, no make-up opportunities are contemplated. Opportunities to make-up missed examinations

will be provided only for exceptional reasons and must be documented (e.g., hospital records,

obituaries). Requests for make-up examinations must be made within 3 business days of the exam.

Make-up examinations may be in forms completely different from original examinations and will be

scheduled at the convenience of the instructor.

Military personnel

I understand that students who are currently members of the Armed Forces may have obligations that

impact their ability to participate in class. In situations where service to the Armed Forces impacts

course participation, students may be able to work out alterative options for completion of their

assignments. In order to approve alterative options, students will need to provide me with proof of

orders or a letter from their commanding officer or senior NCO detailing the student’s obligations that

will impede course participation. Situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

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University of Texas Policies

Students Rights and Responsibilities

To know and understand the policies that affect your rights and responsibilities as a student at UT Tyler,

please follow this link: http://www2.uttyler.edu/wellness/rightsresponsibilities.php

State-Mandated Course Drop Policy

Texas law prohibits a student who began college for the first time in Fall 2007 or thereafter from

dropping more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career. This includes courses dropped

at another 2-year or 4-year Texas public college or university. For purposes of this rule, a dropped

course is any course that is dropped after the census date (See Academic Calendar for the specific date).

Exceptions to the 6-drop rule may be found in the catalog. Petitions for exemptions must be submitted

to the Enrollment Services Center and must be accompanied by documentation of the extenuating

circumstance. Please contact the Enrollment Services Center if you have any questions.

Emergency Exits and Evacuation:

Everyone is required to exit the building when a fire alarm goes off. Follow your instructor’s directions

regarding the appropriate exit. If you require assistance during an evacuation, inform your instructor in

the first week of class. Do not re-enter the building unless given permission by University Police, Fire

department, or Fire Prevention Services.

Grade Replacement/Forgiveness and Census Date Policies

Students repeating a course for grade forgiveness (grade replacement) must file a Grade Replacement

Contract with the Enrollment Services Center (ADM 230) on or before the Census Date of the semester

in which the course will be repeated. Grade Replacement Contracts are available in the Enrollment

Services Center or at http://www.uttyler.edu/registrar. Each semester’s Census Date can be found on

the Contract itself, on the Academic Calendar, or in the information pamphlets published each semester

by the Office of the Registrar. Failure to file a Grade Replacement Contract will result in both the

original and repeated grade being used to calculate your overall grade point average. Undergraduates

are eligible to exercise grade replacement for only three course repeats during their career at UT Tyler;

graduates are eligible for two grade replacements. Full policy details are printed on each Grade

Replacement Contract. The Census Date is the deadline for many forms and enrollment actions that

students need to be aware of. These include:

o Submitting Grade Replacement Contracts, Transient Forms, requests to withhold directory information, approvals for taking courses as Audit, Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit.

o Receiving 100% refunds for partial withdrawals. (There is no refund for these after the Census Date)

o Schedule adjustments (section changes, adding a new class, dropping without a “W” grade) o Being reinstated or re-enrolled in classes after being dropped for non-payment o Completing the process for tuition exemptions or waivers through Financial Aid

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Disability Services

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the

ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) the University offers accommodations to students with learning,

physical and/or psychiatric disabilities. If you have a disability, including non-visible disabilities such as

chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, PTSD or ADHD, or you have a history of modifications

or accommodations in a previous educational environment you are encouraged to contact the Student

Accessibility and Resources office and schedule an interview with the Accessibility Case Manager/ADA

Coordinator, Cynthia Lowery Staples. If you are unsure if the above criteria applies to you, but have

questions or concerns please contact the SAR office. For more information or to set up an appointment

please visit the SAR office located in the University Center, Room 3150 or call 903.566.7079. You may

also send an email to cstaples@uttyler.edu

Technical Support Services

Students are provided technical support through Information Technology (www.uttyler.edu/it/) or call

903-565-5555.

Student Writing Support

Students may obtain assistance with writing and documentation at the Writing Center on the second

floor of the Business Administration Building (BUS 202), contact at writingcenter@uttyler.edu or call

903-565-5995.

Student Absence due to Religious Observance

Students who anticipate being absent from class due to a religious observance are requested to inform

the instructor of such absences by the second class meeting of the semester.

Student Absence for University-Sponsored Events and Activities

If you intend to be absent for a university-sponsored event or activity, you (or the event sponsor) must

notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to the date of the planned absence. At that time the

instructor will set a date and time when make-up assignments will be completed.

Social Security and FERPA Statement:

It is the policy of The University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential nature of social security

numbers. The University has changed its computer programming so that all students have an

identification number. The electronic transmission of grades (e.g., via e-mail) risks violation of the Family

Educational Rights and Privacy Act; grades will not be transmitted electronically.

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UT Tyler Statement Regarding Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is a violation of University policy and professional standards. If compared to a

violation of the criminal law, it would be classed as a felony. Academic dishonesty is defined as

cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. The penalty for academic

dishonesty in this class will be no less than immediate failure of the course and a permanent student

record of the reason therefore. In most cases, a written record of academic dishonesty or an

instructor’s report of same to an agency investigator during a background check will bar an individual

from employment by a criminal justice agency as it is considered indicative of subsequent corrupt acts.

Many students have an inadequate understanding of plagiarism. Any idea or verbiage from another

source must be documented. Any time the exact words from another author are used, they must be

enclosed with quotation marks and followed by a citation. However, quotations should only be used on

rare occasions. Student papers should be written in the student’s own words; therefore excessive

quotations will result in a failing grade.

If you have a question about using or citing another writer’s work, DO NOT GUESS. Check with your

instructor or consult with the Writing Center (BUS 202). Bring a printout of the original source and your

paper to the consultation.

The above policy also applies to all instances of cheating, copying, or other dishonest behavior within

the classroom.

Dr. Bailey’s addendum: All assignments submitted through BlackBoard will be will be checked using the SafeAssign plagiarism

software, which checks the submitted essay against other student papers, books, and online content.

Papers with significant overlap in wording/content with other sources will be subject to an automatic

zero on the assignment and may be subject to other penalties in accordance with the Academic

Dishonesty statement described above, including but not limited to failure of the course.

All papers submitted during this semester require APA format citations (overall paper format may vary).

References should be cited correctly in APA format and be noted in both in-text citations and reference

pages. Lack of in-text citations is considered plagiarism, even if the material is not a direct quote from

the resource. If you did not know the information prior to starting your research, you should include an

in-text citation for it. APA format relies on paraphrasing instead of direct quotations. I expect that you

will not use direct quotations from any of your references. Copying your own words from other papers

is also considered plagiarism, and will result in the described penalties.

For more information, including the definitions and examples of various types of plagiarism, please visit

http://www.uefap.com/writing. This link is also available through the UT Tyler Writing Center’s website.

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Course Schedule

*Note: This schedule is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. Any changes will be announced to the students as soon as possible.

Class Date Lecture Topic Weekly Quiz Assignments Due

Week 1

January 18 No Class – MLK Day

Chapter 1

January 20 Introduction to the Course

January 22 Crime & Justice in the US

Week 2

January 25 Crime and Its Consequences

Chapter 2

January 27 Crime and Its Consequences Plagiarism Test Certificate

January 29 Small Group Discussion #1

Week 3

February 1 Explaining Crime

Chapter 3

February 3 Explaining Crime Paper #1 Annotated Bibliography

February 5 Small Group Discussion #2

Week 4

February 8 Rule of Law

Chapter 4

February 10 Rule of Law

February 12 Small Group Discussion #3

Week 5

February 15 History and Structure of American Law Enforcement

Chapter 5

February 17 History and Structure of American Law Enforcement

February 19 Small Group Discussion #4

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Class Date Lecture Topic Weekly Quiz Assignments Due

Week 6

February 22 Policing: Roles, Styles, and Functions

Chapter 6

February 24 Policing: Roles, Styles, and Functions Controversies in Criminal Justice

Paper #1

February 26 Small Group Discussion #5

Week 7

February 29 Policing America: Issues and Ethics

Chapter 7

March 2 Policing America: Issues and Ethics

March 4 Midterm Exam (Weeks 1 – 7) Peer Review Grades

Week 8

March 7 - 11 No Class – Spring Break

Week 9

March 14 The Administration of Justice

Chapter 8

March 16 The Administration of Justice

March 18 Small Group Discussion #6

Week 10

March 21 Sentencing, Appeals, and the Death Penalty

Chapter 9

March 23 Sentencing, Appeals, and the Death Penalty

March 25 Small Group Discussion #7

Week 11

March 28 Institutional Corrections

Chapter 10

March 30 Institutional Corrections Paper #2 Annotated Bibliography

April 1 Small Group Discussion #8

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Class Date Lecture Topic Weekly Quiz* Assignments / Presentations

Due

Week 12

April 4 Prison Life, Inmate Rights, and Recidivism

Chapter 11

April 6 Prison Life, Inmate Rights, and Recidivism

April 8 Small Group Discussion #9

Week 13

April 11 Community Corrections

Chapter 12

April 13 Community Corrections

April 15 Small Group Discussion #10

Week 14

April 18 Juvenile Justice

Chapter 13

April 20 Juvenile Justice Controversies in Criminal Justice

Paper #2

April 22 Small Group Discussion #11

Week 15

April 25 Topic TBD

No Quiz This Week

April 27 Topic TBD

April 29 Final Exam (Weeks 9 – 15) Peer Review Grades

Week 16

May 2 No Class – Study Day None