I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

    An examination of the major components of the Criminal Justice System - law enforcement, courts and corrections - including historical and social perspectives; the roles and functions of various agencies; and the processes involved in the administration of justice.

II. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

    After completing Criminal Justice 1013, the student will be able to:

    1. Explain the nature of the crime problem in the United States.
    2. Describe the historical development of law enforcement, courts and corrections.
    3. Define the roles and significance of the Criminal Justice system in the societal context.
    4. Define the broad goals and functions of the major components of the Criminal Justice system and
        the relationships between them.
    5. Describe the various theories of crime causation.
    6. Explain the process involved in the Administration of Justice.
    7. Intelligently question current ideas and evaluate proposed changes in the purposes and operation of
        the Criminal Justice system.
    8. Investigate the major myths and their realities relating to crime and the Criminal Justice system.
    9. Define basic Criminal Justice terms.
    10. Describe the relationship between the Constitution and the Criminal Justice system.

III. COURSE PURPOSE:

    This is a required course in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with the Administration of Justice and Law Enforcement options. This course also fulfills Social Science Elective requirement in the general education requirements for a Bachelors' degree.

IV. COURSE TEXT:

    The text for this course is The American System of Criminal Justice, 7th edition, by George F. Cole. Reading assignments are listed in the course schedule. Students are expected to have read and be ready to discuss the assigned material during the appropriate class meeting (see schedule).

V. COURSE EXAMINATIONS:

    There will be four examinations in this course (see schedule for dates). Make-up examinations will "NOT" normally be given. It is the students responsibility to be at and take the examination at the appropriate times and dates.

Answer Sheets: The instructor will provide SCAN-TRON answer sheets. NUMBER 2 LEAD PENCILS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL EXAMS.

VI. COURSE PARTICIPATION:

    A maximum of 10 percent of the final grade will be awarded for class participation including attendance. Students will be evaluated on their contribution to class discussion particularly on their performance during the short review period preceding most lectures. All students including those absent should carefully review material discussed before the next class meeting.

VII. COURSE GRADING:

    The student should understand that assignments, papers and presentations are to be turned in or completed before the class indicated. Papers and assignments that are not turned in by the class period indicated will have a penalty of letter grade per each weekday (Monday-Friday) assigned. Those student not doing a presentation during the assigned time without prior approval will have a penalty of two letter grades assigned per occurrence. Failure to complete a major part of the course (turn papers, take major exams or make presentations) can result in the failure of the course.

    The following is a breakdown of the value of each element of the students work as it pertains to the final grade:

    Each examination will counts 22.5%                                                 22.5 x 4 = 90%

    Class participation will count 10%                                                       10 x 1 = 10%

                                                                                                             Total = 100%

Grading System:

    90 - 100% = A
    80 - 89% = B
    70 - 79% = C
    60 - 69% = D
    0 - 59% = F

VIII. COURSE FINAL GRADE:

    If you would like to know your final grade at the end of the semester before the university sends it to you, bring a self addressed, stamped business sized envelope to the final examination and your final grade and final exam grade will be sent to you.

IX. COURSE ETHICS:

    A student found to be acting unethically (cheating on tests, quizzes, papers or assignments, plagiarism, etc.) will be failed in this course.

    All work submitted to the instructor must be the result of the student's own effort. If it is not it is PLAGIARISM. Any instances of plagiarism in any class assignment or test will result in a grade of zero for the assignment or test. The assignment or test will have to be redone as well. To plagiarize is to represent as one's own work the words or ideas of another. Examples of plagiarism include:

    a. Failure to give credit to the person whose words or ideas have been borrowed;

    b. Failure to place quotation marks (or other proper citation forms) around passages that are cited
        verbatim;

    c. and Minor changes of someone else's sentences and words that do not alter the essential style or
        meaning of the passage.

    The above paragraph is copied from a professional colleague with his permission.

X. COURSE DECORUM:

    The University regulations prohibit the use of tobacco (both smoking and chewing), drinking and eating in the classroom. These regulations will be observed. Tape recorders are NOT allowed in this course. Students who disrupt class (talking, pagers, cell phones, watch alarms, ect.) or fail to follow instructions will be warned once without penalty. Subsequent infractions will result in a deduction of points from the student's final grade. Additional guidelines regarding classroom behavior will be announced in class.

XI. COURSE ATTENDANCE:

    A student should recognize that one of the most vital aspects of a college experience is attendance and participation in classes and that the value of this academic experience cannot be fully measured by testing procedures alone. The members of this class are considered sufficiently mature to appreciate the necessity of regular attendance, to accept this as a personal responsibility and to demonstrate the kind of self-discipline essential for such performance.

    As a student, one should remember that they are responsible for all material covered in class. If a class should be missed, it is the students task to find and make-up the missed material. Leaving an electronic mail, voice mail, or written message does NOT fulfill this responsibility.

    Attendance will count towards the computation of the student's final grade. Students who come to class late or leave early will be counted absent. Excessive absences can be a reason for failure of the course.

    The objective of this course is to learn the outlined material. Therefore the student instead of having his/her final grade reduced for absences will follow the following procedure when missing a class. The student will answer the Questions for Review of the chapter assigned for the class missed. The student will TYPE the answers in proper form and turn them in to the instructor within TWO WEEKS OR BEFORE the Examination in which the chapter is tested which ever is shorter time period.

XII. COURSE WITHDRAWAL:

    Students may withdraw with a "W" grade until the last day allowed by the University (June 26, 1998 this semester) regardless of their grade in the course. Students who withdraw after the last day to withdraw with a "W" will receive a "W" grade if they are passing at the time of their withdrawal and have less than ten absences (calculated on the basis of a fifty-minute class period). Students who want to withdraw and have a "F" average and less than ten absences should see the instructor. Students with ten or more absences (calculated on the basis of a fifty-minute class period) who withdraw will receive a "F" grade.

XIII. COURSE INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Charles Dreveskracht
303 Seminary Hall
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464-2399
Telephone (voice): (918) 456-5511 ext. 3505
Telephone (fax): (918) 458-2193
E-Mail(Internet): dreveskr@cherokee.nsuok.edu
URL: http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~dreveskr

OFFICE HOURS:

Monday: 13:00-14:30
Tuesday: 13:00-14:30
Wednesday: 13:00-14:00
Thursday: 13:00-14:00
    or by appointment

CLASS HOURS:

Monday: 9:00-11:45
Tuesday: 9:00-11:45
Wednesday: 9:00-11:45
Thursday: 9:00-11:45

XIV. COURSE ACCOMMODATIONS:

    If any member of the class feels that he/she has a disability and needs special accommodations, please advise the instructor of such disability at the first class attended.

XV. COURSE EXCEPTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

    Under EXTREMELY compelling circumstances, exceptions can be made to some policies in this syllabus. If you have a problem, inform me as soon as possible, preferably beforehand and in person. If I am alerted early, it may be possible to work out a mutually satisfactory solution to the situation. Delay almost always makes resolution more difficult. I prefer to discuss problems in my office rather than in front of the class and find that the students are usually happier about the decisions made there. All exceptions to class policies in this syllabus must be requested in writing and, if approved, will be granted in writing. The instructor, not the students, determines class policy or policies in any instance in which the syllabus does not seem to be clear.

XVI. COURSE OUTLINE:

A. Foundations of Criminal Justice

    I. Criminal justice system

    II. Criminal justice process

    III. Basic terminology

B. Background to Criminal Justice

    I. The crime problem
        a. Classifications
        b. Legal elements
        c. Size
            1. Statistical measures
                (a). Uniform crime reports
                (b). Victimization reports
                (C). Self-report reports
            2. Measurement problems

    II. Theories of criminology
 
    III. Victimless crime

C. History of Criminal Justice

    I. Ancient times

    II. Feudal and middle ages

    III. English precedents

    IV. American colonial and post revolutionary

    V. Nineteenth and early twentieth-century

    VI. Modern America

D. Law Enforcement Functions and Structures

    I. Local law enforcement

    II. State law enforcement

    III. Federal law enforcement

    IV. The law enforcement process

    V. Current problems and trends

E. Judicial Functions and Structures

    I.  Courtroom work group

    II.  Organization of the courts

    III. Pretrial

    IV. Trial

    V. Post trial

F. Correctional Functions and Structures

    I. Correctional institutions

        a. Prisons
        b. Reformatories
        c. Jails

    II. Probation

    III. Parole

    IV. Community-based corrections

    V. Current problems and trends

G. Juvenile Justice System Functions and Structures

    I. Juvenile delinquent

    II. Juvenile intake processes

    III. Juvenile adjudication process

    IV. Juvenile corrections process

    V. Current problems and trends

H. The Future of Criminal Justice

    I. Research

    II. Improvement

XVII. COURSE SCHEDULE:

Dates             Subject                                     Text Pages

June 8         Introduction

June 9         System                                             1-39

June 10       Crime                                             40-87

June 11       Criminal Law                                  88-131

June 16       Exam #1                                        (1-131)

June 17       Police                                            132-163

June 22       Police Operations                           164-215

June 24       Police Issues                                  216-265

June 29       Exam #2                                       (131-265)

June 30       Prosecution & Defense                   266-327

July 6          Pretrial                                          328-363

July 8          Court                                            364-397

July 13        Trial & Posttrial                             398-431

July 16         Exam #3                                     (266-431)

July 20         Sentencing                                    432-463

July 21         Corrections                                   464-497

July 22         Community Corrections                 498-523

July 23         Prisons & Prison Society               524-585

July 27         Release                                        586-615

July 28         Juvenile Justice                             616-654

July 30         Exam #4                                     (431-654)

"PLEASE BE PLANNING WELL AHEAD SO THAT YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THE REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS ON THE ABOVE DATES"

Last Modified on Thursday April 22 1999
Maintained by Charles L. Dreveskracht