POLITICAL SCIENCE 313
Politics of Criminal Justice

TEXTS

Mays & Ruddell; Making Sense of Criminal Justice (Mays) Marion; A Primer in the Politics of Criminal Justice (Marion)

From ancient Sumeria (circa 2000 B C) to the U S (circa 2009 A D), crime control, social control, and how to implement both, have been major concerns of political leaders. Every society seeks some semblance of order and security and will employ the coercive authority of government to obtain it, imposing sanctions on those who violate the law. In a democratic society, however, crime control must be tempered by a sense of justice, fairness, and a respect for basic individual rights and liberties. Thus is derived the term, "criminal justice;" though, as we shall see, specifically defining the terms may be problematic. In this course we will study how government(s) in the United States attempt to balance security and freedom. Central to this course is the concept that criminal justice involves more than police making drug busts and courts sending criminals "up the river." We shall see that the men and women "doing criminal justice" operate in a political, social, and economic environment which shapes their thoughts and actions. They receive messages from elected politicians (and of course some of them are elected officials), interest groups, the media, and the general public, that heavily influence their decisions. They have a role to play in a network of systems where the actions of one component (the police, courts, corrections) are influenced by, and in turn influence, the others. While we will consider the direct actors in the criminal justice system(s) we will not lose sight of the fact that criminal justice should be considered as part of a political process. Thus we will spend a good deal of time analyzing the political environment which heavily influences the actions of the "doers" of justice, taking into account current policy issues, evaluating the prevailing policy modes, and considering alternative approaches to "doing justice."

Your grade in this course will be based on your performance on two hour exams (20% each), a term project (20%), and a comprehensive final exam (40%). The exams will be analytical essay in nature. For your term project, you are to write an 8 to 10 page analytical paper in which you recommend specific policy changes which would better strike a balance among personal ansd national security, individual rights and liberties and equal justice for all.  Expectations are that you will perform at a pre-professional level, appropriate for an upper division student.  Justified logical reasoning, correct grammar and spelling, and proper documentation (footnotes or endnotes when appropriate and a bibliography in an acceptable form) are highly desirable elements of your paper.  You may wish to examine your texts for examples of proper documentation.

Once we get to know each other, no formal class role will be taken; however you are expected to justify the investment California makes in you by being there whenever possible. Make up exams are given only when you have a legitimate excuse for being absent on exam day, and only when you notify me in advance of your impending absence.   There will be a penalty (up to one letter grade) for late papers

Class Schedule

1/20-1/22	Introduction; The setting; Mays, Ch 1 & Marion, Ch 1
1/27- 1/29	Inside the system, case flow and and the rule of law
2/3-2/5	Ideology, crime control vs. due process; Mays, Ch 2
02/10-2/12	Crime, Campaigns and elections; Marian, Ch 2
2/17-2/19	Executives and legislators; Marion, Chs 3 & 4
2/24-2/26	Courts and Bureaucrats, Marian, Chs 5& 6
3/3-3/5	FIRST EXAM 3/3; Juvenile Justice, 3/5; Mays, Ch 13
3/10-3/12	Interest groups and the media; Marion, Chs 7 & 8
3/24-3/26	Law enforcement; Mays, Chs 3, 4, &5
4/2-4/7	Punishment; Mays, Chs 6 & 12
4/9	SECOND EXAM
4/14-4/16	Correction, Prisons and their alternatives; Mays, Chs 10 & 11
4/21-4/28	Equal Justice: Race, Gender; the Poor and the Innocent; Mays, Chs 7, 8 & 9
4/30-5/7	National Security, Liberty, and making sense of it all; Mays, Chs 14 & 15, and Marion, Ch 9
5/5	PAPERS DUE NO LATER THAN TODAY
5/12	FINAL EXAM  (Sorry, no early finals given)