SOC 2600 ~ Introduction to Criminal Justice

Fall Quarter 2012-13

Professor: Dr. Faust Email: Faust@ohio.edu Office: Bentley Annex 103 Office phone: 587-2765 Office hours: Tu & Th 11-12 Class: Bentley Hall 132 Meetings: Tu & Th 1:30-2:50 Contacting the professor: The best way to reach me is via email or coming to office hours. If the office hours listed above do not work with your schedule please email and we can set up an alternative meeting time. When you email me PLEASE include the phrase soc 2600 somewhere in the subject line. Course Description: This course will provide an overview of the Criminal Justice System in the United States, focusing primarily on crime, police, courts and corrections. We will consider how race, class, gender, and the media are relevant to institutions of social control and investigate contemporary issues that challenge the criminal justice system. Required Book: Custom text: Pearson Criminal Justice (a selection of chapters from a text by Albanese). Additional Required Readings: These will be made available on Blackboard.

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Expectations in the Classroom: Being Fully Present: Attendance is important, but it is just as important that you are fully active and engaged during class. This involves asking questions and being a participant in classroom discussions. Arriving late or leaving early should only occur in an emergency and all cell phones and pagers should be put on a non-audible setting. When you are in class it is expected that you will NOT be texting or surfing the internet. If this becomes a problem we will adopt a stricter classroom policy affecting everyone. Respect and Restraint: While this is a rather large class I still encourage students to participate. However, students are expected to share their feelings/stories/opinions with respect to others in the room. If you have a documented disability, please see me prior to exam week to make arrangements that will suit your needs (i.e., extra time, out-of-class exam, etc.). More information can be obtained from the Office for Disability Services http://www.ohio.edu/disabilities/ located in the Crewson House (593-2620). Academic Honesty: The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. These include cheating; plagiarism; forgery; furnishing false information to the University; and alteration or misuse of University documents, records, or identification. (Source: Faculty Senate Handbook) If you are unsure of exactly what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or forgery, please see me before submitting anything. Attendance: The attendance policy will be explained below. However, it is highly likely you may need to miss a class or two. When and if this is the case you should make an effort to talk to your classmates about what you missed. Take a minute now to get the contact information for someone you can talk to if you miss class.

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Name________________________ Phone_____________________________ It is always a good idea to clear prolonged absences with the professor and to stay in contact with the professor during any potential complications. Late Assignments & Make-up Exams: Late assignments (i.e. quizzes, etc.) will not be accepted. You are given plenty of advanced notice for your quizzes, so you will not be given extended due dates. If you fail to complete a quiz, the only way to regain those points is through any offering of extra credit points I choose to extend. To make up an Exam I will need documentation for why you missed the exam. Additionally, I reserve the right to give you the make-up exam in an alternate format (i.e. essay). Blackboard 9: In this course Blackboard 9 will be used for class notes, announcements, quizzes, and grades, therefore, you should make a point to check it often. If you need help with this contact the Office of Information Technology Help Desk (593-1222).

Course content: Attendance (100+): In this course attendance will be evaluated on a group as well as individual level. Individually, you will receive attendance points corresponding to the percentage of classes you attend. For example, at the end of the semester a student with perfect attendance will receive 100 points. A student who missed three out of our 28 scheduled meetings (an attendance rate of 82%) will receive 82 points. As a group, there is potential for extra credit attendance points. If there is an attendance rate of 95% or more (meaning 95% of registered students) for both days of any given week, each student will receive 5 points of extra credit. Based on a class of 77, this would mean no more than 5 absent students. Quizzes (195pts): There will be 13 quizzes during the quarter, each worth 15

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points. The quizzes are to be completed on Blackboard 9. These quizzes will cover material from the assigned reading, anything from class (including videos or speakers), and any supplemental information given to you. Quizzes will open on Thursday after class and will close the following Monday at midnight. Homework (55pts): There will occasionally be homework assignments announced. You should check Blackboard for the details if you miss class. Exams (200pts): There will be two exams in this class; a midterm and a final. Each exam is worth 100pts. Exams will cover material from readings, lectures, discussions, quizzes, any guest speakers, and any movies we watch. Grading Scale: This course has a total of 550 possible points. 534-550 =A+ 517-533 =A 495-516 =A484-494 =B+ 451-483 =B 440-450 =B429-439 =C+ 401-428 =C 385-400 =C374-384 =D+ 341-373 =D 330-340 =DBelow 330 =F

Tentative Schedule: (subject to change as needed) Week One August 28: Introduction to course August 30: Assigned reading: Additional reading #1

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*Weekend Quiz* Week Two September 4: Assigned reading: Additional reading #2 September 6: Assigned reading: Chapter 1: Perspectives on Criminal Justice *Weekend Quiz* Week Three September 11: Chapter 1 continued. September 13: Assigned reading: Chapter 2: Defining and Measuring Crime *Weekend Quiz* Week Four September 18: Chapter 2 continued. September 20: Media *Weekend Quiz* Week Five September 25: Assigned reading: Chapter 3: Criminal Law and the Criminal Justice Process September 27: Chapter 3 continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Six October 2: Assigned reading: Chapter 4: Criminal Procedure and the Police October 4: Chapter 4 continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Seven October 9: Midterm exam October 11: Movie Week Eight

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October 16: Movie continued. October 18: Assigned reading Chapter 5: Origins and Organization of the Courts *Weekend Quiz* Week Nine October 23: Assigned reading: Chapter 6: Trial Defense and Prosecution October 25: Chapter 6 continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Ten October 30: Assigned reading: Chapter 7: Trials and Sentencing November 1: Chapter 7 continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Eleven November 6: Assigned reading: Chapter 8: Origins and Organization of Jails and Prisons November 8: Chapter 8 continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Twelve November 13: Assigned reading: Additional reading #3 November 14: No Class- conference *Weekend Quiz* Week Thirteen November 20: Media November 22: No Class- Thanksgiving Week Fourteen November 27: Assigned reading: Chapter 9: Justice and Punishment in the 21st Century November 29: Chapter 9 continued

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*Weekend Quiz* Week Fifteen December 4: Assigned reading: Additional reading #4 December 6: Additional reading continued. *Weekend Quiz* Week Sixteen-Final Exam

Tuesday, December 11 at 12:20 PM- Bentley Hall 132

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