CJ3024: Ethics in Criminal Justice
Description
This course uses as ethical lens to examine the prevalence, causes, and consequences of injustice in the criminal justice system. The course begins with providing a foundation in basic ethical theory and historical trends in criminal justice in the United States—with specific focus on courts and sentencing; policing practices; and correctional management strategies— in light of historical social and political influences. Students will then closely examine past and current examples of inequity, injustice, and disparity across various branches of the criminal justice system…and their impact on individuals. In so doing, students will study the systemic cultural, institutional, and social forces that facilitate and promote unethical and unjust policies and practices in the criminal justice system and the evidence-based policy and practice recommendations to combat them. To this end, students will examine empirical social science research and read the testimonials and writings of those targeted by unjust and unethical policies practices. Course readings, lecture, reflection exercises, and seminar-format class discussion will help to elucidate how People of Color, women, and individuals of reduced socioeconomic status have been disproportionately impacted by these unjust and unethical policies and practices.