A. PURPOSE / DESCRIPTION The number of persons of color who are arrested and convicted of crime in the United States is grossly disproportionate to their representation in the general population. This course examines the role of race and racial bias in the definition of crime and criminal conduct, in the methods of policing, in crime reporting and reporting victimization, in the decisions of courts, and in the imposition of the death penalty and in treatment in prisons and other correctional settings. Students should be able to examine facts and problems, analyze issues, research remedies, apply theoretical concepts, examine alternatives, and formulate and communicate solutions. B. LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Analyze the historical and societal factors that cause the criminalization of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. criminal justice system.(5 pages) 2. Critique the role that complex networks of social structures including the legal system, policing, sentencing, and corrections play in the creation and perpetuation of dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity. (5pages) 3. Apply the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future criminal justice policy as/social justice action. (5pages) C. LEARNING ACTIVITIES 1. Read the assigned materials and discuss them with this faculty member. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity and Crime in America by Samuel Walker, Cassia C. Spohn, and Miriam DeLone. Assignments 1 through 3 For each of the three (3) course outcomes, the student will use the textbook readings to create a detailed journal entry for each of the three (3) learning outcomes. Each journal entry should be between 5 pages in length. You will submit 3 journals for each of the three learning outcomes. The goal of the 3 journaling assignments is to assist you in developing comprehensive knowledge of the topic. This includes learning the purposes, objectives, practices, procedures, and theories of the topic and its content. This is accomplished by critically reading selected chapters in a text and in the article data base. The key is to use the various texts and the data base to promote new learning in this topic. As the student gains develops increased mastery it is expected that they will become stronger and more robust as they go, reflecting on their increased body and breadth of knowledge.
