SOC 3101 is also offered in Spring 2025
SOC 3101 is also offered in Fall 2024
SOC 3101 is also offered in Spring 2024
SOC 3101 is also offered in Fall 2023
SOC 3101 is also offered in Spring 2023
SOC 3101 is also offered in Fall 2022
SOC 3101 is also offered in Spring 2022
SOC 3101 is also offered in Fall 2021
Spring 2013 | SOC 3101 Section 001: Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System (50621)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Lecture
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- A-F or Audit
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Delivery Medium
- Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
Tue,
Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, West Bank
Anderson Hall 210
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- Components, dynamics, and philosophical underpinnings of criminal justice and agencies (law enforcement, courts, corrections).
- Class Description:
- Overview and analysis of the U.S. criminal justice system. The course stresses three themes: 1. the balance between the government's power to control crime and the rights of individuals; 2. the appropriate decision making criteria (seriousness of offense, criminal history of offenders, and strength of evidence) and the illegal criteria (race, ethnicity) that can infect decision-making in the major crime control agencies (police, courts, and corrections); 3. the evaluation of criminal justice policies and practices (Do they work? Are they legal? Are they fair? Are they smart?). The course describes, analyzes, and provides information and arguments to stimulate you to think critically about crime control in a constitutional democracy. Topics include crime, trends in crime, criminals and their families; victims and their families; crime control in a constitutional democracy; criminal law; police roles and culture, police strategies, and police and the Constitution; charging suspects; prosecuting, defending, and sentencing defendants; probation and incarceration; and prisoner reentry into society ("Eventually, they all come home.") No prior knowledge of the criminal justice system is required.
- Grading:
- 10% Class Participation
90% Other Evaluation Other Grading Information: 3 NONCUMULATIVE exams + a NONCUMULATIVE final%
- Exam Format:
- multiple choice, True/False, and short essays
- Class Format:
- 55% Lecture
5% Film/Video
20% Discussion
10% Small Group Activities
5% Guest Speakers
1. documentary videos of police, courts, corrections; 2. Guest lecturers are Minnesota criminal justice professionals, including police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and corrections officials
- Workload:
- 25 Pages Reading Per Week
20 Pages Writing Per Term
4 Exam(s)
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/50621/1133
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 28 July 2011
ClassInfo Links - Spring 2013 Sociology Classes Taught by Joel Samaha