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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Offender Treatment: Theories and Methods

Course Title: Department: Instructor:

CJ440 - Offender Treatment: Theories and Methods Criminal Justice Matthew D. Geyer, Psy.D. E-Mail - Vita

Required Texts - Online Bookstore

Hare, Robert D. Without Conscience Guilford Press; ISBN #: 1572304510

Walters, Glenn. Changing Lives of Crime and Drugs: Intervening With the Substance-Abusing Offender. John Wiley & Son Ltd; ISBN #: 0471978418

Wettstein, Robert M. (Editor). Treatment of Offenders with Mental Disorders. Guilford Press; ISBN #: 1572305525

I have priced these books at the time that this course was created. The Hare text was less than $14.00, the Wettstein text was less than $30, and the Walters text ranged from $21.00 to $55.00. Be certain to check out used books that may be available. For instance, at Internet book stores.

Course Overview

This course focuses on the knowledge base required for entry level criminal justice professionals. A basic communications lecture will serve as the basis for this class. Throughout the lectures, the students will be guided on how individual offender characteristics can impact the communication process. Specific attention will be paid to substance abusing offenders, mentally ill offenders, difficult personality offenders, and psychopaths. Other topics will also be discussed.

Course/Instructor Philosophy

This course, CJ440, is intended to introduce the student to the offender population. Assigned text readings are to serve as the knowledge base required to effectively work in a challenging position. The lectures are intended to further this knowledge base and supply illustration for the concepts being presented. This course should not be presumed to qualify the student to be an independent health care treatment provider to the offender population.

Method of Instruction

The instructor has designed this course in order to be completed in an eight to ten week period. At the end of this syllabus, the student will find the assigned readings and lectures. It is expected that prior to completing the assigned lecture, the student will have completed the required reading assignment. The lectures frequently add illustration and additional information which is based, at least partially, on the required readings.

Upon completing the required text readings and corresponding lecture, the student is invited to ask questions via e-mail to the instructor concerning the course content. If necessary, the instructor will schedule further time in one of the "virtual classrooms" in order to further elaborate. However, it is believed that this will be rarely necessary due to the format of the texts used as well as the lectures.

Student Evaluations

This course will utilize two examinations for the purpose of deriving a grade for the student’s participation in this class. Each of these examinations will be worth 100 points, therefore 200 points will be available for the student. Each of these examinations will utilize multiple choice, true and false, and fill in the blank formats. The student needs to recognize that under no circumstances will the instructor utilize "trick questions" on the examinations. In most instances, the answer will appear as "obvious" provided that the student has read and studied the materials assigned. It should not be surprising to the student that both examinations are considered an open book and open note endeavor.

The first examination will occur at the conclusion of the fourth lecture and the final examination will occur after the conclusion of the eighth lecture. The student will be provided with feedback on their examination performance upon completion of the examination.

The following scale will be utilized for the assigning of final letter grades.

180 - 200 - A
160 - 179 - B
140 - 159 - C
120 - 139 - D
Below 119 - F


No student, at any time, will be offered "extra credit."

Course Consultation with Instructor

During the course of study during this class, if the student is concerned about his/her performance or comprehension of the materials assigned, they are encouraged to contact the instructor via e-mail for consultation. If the student requires further attention or consultation, a time will be provided to meet with the instructor in a Canyon College chat room.

Course Feedback

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be asked to complete a survey provided by the College regarding this course. Feedback from your opinions will then be provided to the instructor. This information will be utilized in future course offerings.

The instructor also encourages all student to e-mail him a written evaluation of this course. Not only should this evaluation address areas that need further refinement or adjustment, but it should also address the positive aspects of course participation. The student is requested only to submit such an evaluation upon completion of their final examination.

Course Time

This course is scheduled to be completed in eight sessions. The student is advised that this course was designed to be completed within an eight week session and should not extend past a ten week period. However, the instructor is aware that some situations may require more time and the student may be afforded an extension. However, these extensions will be the exception rather than the rule.

Ethics

As with any educational endeavor, some individuals prefer to "cheat" during the course. If you choose to cheat you are engaging in unethical behavior. Participating in unethical behavior as a student suggests that you will also participate in unethical behavior as a professional. Therefore, if you are caught cheating the instructor will petition the school to drop or suspend your participation in the program. If you cheat but are not caught, you should withdraw from the class immediately and repeat the entire course.

Mid-Term and Final Examinations

Midterm examination is over the following Lecture Topics: Introduction material, offenders with mental illness, substance abusing offenders, and the mentally retarded offender. Please note that the Hare readings will not be part of this midterm examination. However, they are included in the final.

The final examination is over the remaining four lectures and assignments. Please note that this is not a comprehensive final. It will include the Hare Text.

Before you will be able to access the examination, you will need to e-mail me for permission. Make certain that all of your questions have been answered and then take the examination. Remember, my examinations are not designed to be tricky and all answers will be clear to the person who has completed the assignments.

Assignments

Week One Introduction Week Week Two Offenders with Mental Illness Week Three Substance Abusing Offenders Week Four The Mentally Retarded Offender Week Five Psychopaths Week Six Dealing with Difficult Offenders Week Seven Sex Offenders Week Eight Self Care in Criminal Justice

Introduction Lecture (Lecture One) First Half of Walters’ Text Wettstein - Chapters 1 & 2. The Mentally Ill Offender Lecture (Lecture Two) Second Half of Walters’ Text Wettstein - Chapters 3 & 4. The Substance Abusing Offender Lecture (Lecture Three) Entire Walters’ Text First Half of Hare’s Text Wettstein - Chapter 5 The Mentally Retarded Offender Lecture (Lecture Four) Wettstein - Chapter 7. Second Half of Hare’s Text TAKE THE MID-TERM!!! The Psychopath Lecture (Lecture Five) Entire Hare Text The Difficult Offender Lecture (Lecture Six) No Readings... Take a break. Relax. Review the Difficult Offender lecture again after you have relaxed. The Sex Offender Lecture (Lecture Seven) Wettstein - Chapter 6 The Self-Care Lecture (Lecture Eight) Study all of the assignments from Week Five to Week Eight. Study hard. When you are ready, drop me an e- mail and I will give you permission to take the final. Then, take the final, sit back, relax.

NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus at any time. However, students enrolled during the time of these changes will be afforded time by the instructor to compensate for these changes. All students enrolled in a class which is altered will be notified via e-mail by the instructor.