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Jim Thomas email: jthomas@math.niu.edu 4:00 PM 06:50 PM Phone: (815) -756-3839 BSB 40112LH Office: BSB 4018B 540 Syllabus WebBoard 540 Criminal Justice: Process and Institutions 4 hours. Critical examination of the criminal justice system. The dynamics and processes of contemporary police, judicial, and correctional institutions are evaluated in the context of key historical developments and relevant research. In this course, we will examine the individual components of the criminal justice system, especially the judiciary, police, legal apparatus and corrections. We will examine the flow of people through the system as well as the relationships and problems between the individual components. We will also examine broader social issues that affect criminal justice operations, including political, fiscal, ideological and related issues. The course will be run as a seminar, using handouts and current events as primary source material. If you are currently working in a criminal justice agency, it would be especially useful to relate your experiences to the discussions. If you are not working in an agency, you will be expected at least once during the term to either participate in one (as in a police "ride-along") or observe one (e.g., a court setting, prison). We will be taking several field trips to prisons. As graduate students, you all have a serious responsibility to each other, and to the seminar, to read, analyze, integrate and critique the literature you are assigned. You must participate fully. Attendance is required, and you must accept the responsibility of attending each seminar meeting. Each unexcused absence will reduce your total final points by 25 points.NOTE: Because of schedule conflicts for some students, fter the first class period, this class will meet at 4:30. To make up for the extra half hour, an online component, WebBoard, will be added.
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