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Canyon College

CJ330
Corrections



SYLLABUS

Instructor: Michael L. Beshears, M.A.

© 2001- Property of - Michael L. Beshears

Instructor: Michael L. Beshears E-mail: beshears@canyoncollege.edu Textbook: Corrections in the 21st Century, by Frank Schmalleger & John Ortiz Smykla, ISBN #: 0028025679 (Click on the textbook's photo for book order information) Note: The workbook is not required for this class, only the textbook. Online Book Store

Welcome to the Class!

ALL LINKS BELOW REQUIRE A USER NAME & PASSWORD!
While crime rates are clearly down, correctional populations have risen substantially. Explaining the difference between declining crime rates and increasing correctional populations is difficult unless you realize that crime rates are a statistical artifact. That is, official rates of crime are calculated using a system that counts only murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny, and arson. Not counted are many forms of hi-tech crime and drug crimes-which now account for a growing number of arrests. Hence, correctional populations continue to rise partially because of increases in crimes that fall outside of official "crime rate" definitions.

The War on Drugs has led to the arrest and conviction of a relatively large proportion of the country's populace, resulting in larger correctional populations in nearly every jurisdiction (especially within the federal correctional system). But again, drug arrests do not figure into the FBI's calculations of the nation's rate of serious crimes.

"Get-tough on crime" laws, such as the three-strikes laws, which were enacted throughout much of the United States in the mid-1990s, have also fueled rapid increases in prison populations. In addition, parole boards, fearing civil liability and public outcry, have become increasingly reluctant to release inmates, contributing to a further expansion of prison populations.

Another factor is that as greater numbers of offenders are placed on probation, the likelihood of probation violations increases, which results in prison sentences for the violators, which results in increases in the prison populations. When the inmates are released from prison, they swell the numbers of those on parole, leading to a larger number of parole violations, which in turn fuels further prison growth.

Week One Lectures Chapter One & Chapter Two	Week Two Lectures Chapter Three & Chapter Four	Week Three Lectures Chapter Five & Chapter Six	Week Four Lectures Chapter Seven & Chapter Eight
Week Five Lectures Chapter Nine & Chapter Ten	Week Six Lectures Chapter Eleven & Chapter Twelve	Week Seven Lectures Chapter Thirteen & Chapter Fourteen	Week Eight Lectures Chapter Fifteen & Chapter Sixteen

Course Description

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This is a didactic and education course regarding the criminal justice system of corrections, which offers a functional analysis of corrections in the American justice system. The course covers and explores various aspects of the: social history of punishment, environmental conditions, staff and inmate safety, prisoner rights litigation, overcrowding, gender and ethnicity, special needs, gang control strategies, and growth of supermax prisons. It also delves into a unique perspective on the rights of victims of crime and the duties of the correctional system to serve such victims. Then the course a useful introduction to career planning for employment in the corrections field. With an eye to the issues that corrections professionals will face, the future looking at restorative justice, technology in corrections, and privatization of corrections.

This course is extensively Internet-augmented. Students will need to know how to use the Internet to review text lecture as well as slides online, keep track of course announcements and assignments, take online quizzes/exams, check their grades, and interact with the instructor and/or other students via email as required.

Course Learning Objectives:

• To obtain familiarity with the duties and responsibilities of the corrections system
• To understand the laws governing corrections practices and operations
• To apply knowledge of the elements of the correctional ideology, including professionalism, policy issues, and society's goals for the correctional enterprise
• The development of personal skills that can be utilized in any correctional field of operations

See individual chapter objectives in the text lecture areas pertaining to each individual chapter.

Course Policies

On-line Participation:

This course is offered on-line, over the Internet and the World Wide Web, technology and courseware, which allow students to participate at any time, from any location. Because of this flexibility, it is important to plan your time carefully. Students are expected to sign in to the class conference forum (your "virtual classroom") and participate in discussions and other activities at least four times per week. You should expect to spend a minimum of four hours per class week on-line -- the same amount of time you'd spend in the physical classroom. You'll be sending and receiving E-mail, performing on-line research and participating in Web explorations and "tours," and interacting socially and professionally with classmates.

A class week is defined as the period of time between Sunday and Saturday. The first week begins the first day of the semester (OR WHEN YOU AND THE INSTRUCTOR AGREE ON A START DATE) and ends midnight the following Saturday. Assignments i.e., quizzes scheduled for completion during a class week should be completed by Saturday of the week assigned. Writing assignments and formal papers (if required) should be completed and successfully submitted, or postmarked, so that they are in my hands on the due date. NOTE: Because this is an online course designed to get feedback on assignments to you directly via the Internet, you must make prior arrangements with the instructor before submitting a quiz answers or papers via fax or the postal service. If you ever have problems taking or transmitting your quiz online to the instructor, telephone he/she immediately, to get the problem solved.

Ground Rules for On-line Participation:

Online Quizzes - must be submitted no later than Saturday of the week assigned. Late weekly quizzes will receive a grade penalty. Weekly quizzes not taken by the due date, but which is turned in no more then 7 days late, will receive a 5 (five)-point penalty for each day late. Weekly quizes not taken within 7 days of the due date will not be scored and will receive a zero. No online quizzes/exams taken after the last Saturday of the online term will be scored. Note: The practice quizzes in the "suggested" text lectures have no point value toward your grade in the course. However, you're encouraged to take them to assist you in the preparation for the quizzes and exams, which shall be utilized toward your course grade.

Discussion Assignments - No online discussion assignments are required for this course.

Absentee Policy - Student(s) who fail to participate in the classroom i.e., quizzes during a course week will be deemed absent for that week. The absence will be annotated as absent unexcused (AU), unless the instructor has been informed beforehand and deemed the absence as absent excused (AE). The instructor shall report all absences to the main campus. A student who has not participated for 14 consecutive days regardless if the absences were deemed AU or AE shall be recommended for administrative withdrawal to the main campus. Emails sent to the instructor during a "course week" without actual classroom participation i.e., taking the weekly quiz will not count as classroom participation or attendance. This will be scored and annotated accordingly AU or AE. In a traditional classroom just because a student contacts the instructor and is excused from a scheduled class meeting does not mean the student is given credit for participation or attendance. The student is still annotated as AU or AE. The online classroom shall be no different in this respect. It is the instructor's sole discretion as to what he/she shall consider AU or AE.

Examinations/Quizzes - Mid-term and Final examinations will be administered online. The midterm and Final Examinations will be posted in the exam area of the classroom. You may take these exams anytime during the week, but NLT the last Saturday of the assigned week. They will be open book/open note exams in which you will have 4 hours to complete. Online weekly quizzes will be administered for each week. They are also open book/open note and you will have 30 minutes to complete them. Again, quizzes are also due NLT the last Saturday of the assigned week. Students may make arrangements to take an exam or quiz early, but no exams/quizzes will be accepted late. Exams/quizzes that are turned in late will be deducted 5 points for each day they are late and will not be accepted once they are 7 days past due. No extensions will be granted.

Students should use E-Mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The Class Conference/Newsgroups is for public messages. However, there should be no need to use this function in this self-contained online course.

1. Students are expected to complete (4 - 5 hours) per week of conferencing or other appropriate online activities, including sending/receiving E-mail and navigating and conducting research over the World Wide Web.

2. All students will participate in the online quizzes required every week. Conventions of "on-line etiquette," which include courtesy to all users, will be observed.

3. Students may get assistance with computer-related problems through the Main Campus Online Administrator.

4. Students will normally submit papers (if required) as ASCII or binary files uploaded to the computer and routed to the instructor, as an "ATTACHMENT" to an email message. All email messages and attachments will include the students: FULL NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, COURSE TITLE, and ASSIGNMENT TITLE.

5. Assigned papers will be submitted via the postal service or fax only if arrangements are made with the instructor beforehand.

Individual Student Responsibilities:

Actually participating in meaningful discussion in the classroom (if required). Just signing in will not earn a student full credit for classroom participation. Full participation is considered signing in weekly and contributing to the class discussion(s) each week with meaningful valid discussion with classmates concerning the course subject material and the assigned topic(s) for each week.

Ensuring assignments are turned into the instructor on time. Assignments received late will be deducted 5 points for each day late up to 7 days and will receive a zero (0%) once 7 days past the due date. Contacting the instructor after 72 hours if they have not heard anything from the instructor regarding their turned in assignment within 72 hours.

Sending homework assignments to the instructor as an "ATTACHMENT", to an email message. The email and attached work product will have the students FULL NAME, EMAIL ADDRESS, COURSE TITLE, and SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT.
Completing weekly Reading assignments.
Completing assigned weekly Quizzes
Completing other assignments as assigned.

Students are responsible for ensuring the instructor has received all messages and work products i.e., homework sent via email. (If required)

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

Canyon College policies are in effect. All work must be your own, unless the instructor authorizes collaboration, in which case you must, in writing, acknowledge the help you have received. Presenting as one's own the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism, and will not be tolerated. The claim of ignorance is no excuse.

Online Exams: (50% of grade)
There will be two major exams: an online midterm and an online final each worth 25% of your total grade.

Online Quizzes: (50% of grade)
There will be eight online opportunities to demonstrate mastery of various knowledge/skills, various thinking skills involving inductive/deductive logic, and appropriate responses to questions on the quizzes. All quizzes count equally i.e., 6.25% or points each for a total of 50% of your course grade. Note: The practice quizzes in the suggested text lectures have no point value toward your grade in the course. However, you're encouraged to take them to assist you in the preparation for the quizzes and exams, which shall be utilized toward your course grade.

Grading System:

A =	91 - 100
B =	81 - 90
C =	71 - 80
D =	61 - 70
F =	60 or Less

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8-Week Calendar

Week One	Corrections: The Profession & Sentencing: To Punish or to Reform Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 1 & 2 "Take Online Quiz 1 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters One & Two
Week Two	Punishments: A Brief History & Jails: Way Stations Along the Justice Highway Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 3 & 4 "Take Online Quiz 2 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online LectureChapters Three & Four
Week Three	Diversion and Probation: Alternatives to Imprisonment & Intermediate Sanctions Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 5 & 6 "Take Online Quiz 3 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lectures Chapters Five & Six
Week Four	Prisons Today & The Staff World: Managing the Prison Population Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 7 & 8 still "Take Online Quiz 4 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters Seven & Eight Take Online Mid-term THIS WEEK!
Week Five	The Inmate World: Living Behind Bars & Legal Aspects: Prisons and the Courts Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 9 & 10 "Take Online Quiz 5 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters Nine & Ten
Week Six	The Prison Environment: Issues and Concerns & Parole Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 11 and 12 "Take Online Quiz 6 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters Eleven & Twelve
Week Seven	Death: The Ultimate Sanction & Juvenile Corrections: End of an Era? Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 13 & 14 "Take Online Quiz 7 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters Thirteen & Fourteen
Week Eight	The Victim: Role in the Correctional Process & Careers: Your Future in Corrections Assigned Reading: Textbook Chapters 15 & 16 "Take Online Quiz 8 - Click Here To Go To Quiz Area" Suggested Readings: Online Lecture Chapters Fifteen & Sixteen Take Online Final Exam THIS WEEK!