EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminology
SOC/CRM 331: Corrections    W 2003, T &Th 12:30  – 1:45 	339 Strong
Dr P. S. Leighton
Office: 712 Pray Harrold, x 0194
http://paulsjusticepage.com > Classes & EMU > CRM 331
Hours: Hours: M 6:00 – 7:00; T 1:45 – 2:45; Th 11:30 – 12:30 or by appointment
Please feel free to drop me an e-mail: paul@stopviolence.com

	DESCRIPTION
 This class is not only an introduction to the field of corrections but also larger issues of penology – the study of pain and punishment.  We will examine the historical development of prison and the death penalty in order to understand their contemporary form. The emphasis will be on understanding key problems with what we have now and think about viable reforms. In addition to the prison itself, examination also includes whether the United States overuses incarceration to the extent it is on an imprisonment ‘binge’ and the extent to which there is a ‘criminal justice-industrial complex’ influencing public policy about prisons.  The political economy of punishment, the relationship of penal institutions to the larger system of justice and our ideals of civilization will be key themes for the semester. Indeed, the semester will finish with an examination of the death penalty, one of the ultimate acts of state power that the US continues to use, even over the increasing objection of our international peers in Europe and elsewhere. 

	REQUIRED READING
Marc Mauer and Meda Chesney-Lind  Invisible Punishment: The Collateral Consequences of Mass Imprisonment. New Press 1-56584-726-1

Robert Johnson, Hard Time Wadsworth, 3rd ed. 0534507174 

Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States. Vintage Books; 0679751319 

	REQUIREMENTS
TEST 1: 50 points
TEST 2: 50 points
Paper 1: 5 points
Paper 2 & 3: 15 points each
Worksheets: 10 points each
ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION:15 points 
FINAL: 40%
TOTAL =  points

All tests will be a combination of true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, short answer (one sentence to a paragraph) and short essay.  Tests will not be cumulative, but up to 10% of the questions on the final can be questions from earlier tests. No one will be admitted to take the test after the first person has left. 

No make-up tests will be given in this class.  Students who have an appropriate excuse for missing a test can present a typed paper of about 13 pages that reviews the material and provides information answering all the questions on the review sheet. They will ONLY be accepted with a note certifying medical care or the death of someone close.  
A note about appealing grades: All requests for a change of grade should be written (typed) and accompanied by a copy of your test.  Please note any computational errors, identify pages from the text that support your answer or articulate any ambiguity in the wording of the question that caused problems.  

Attendance and participation are part of the grade.  Test questions may cover material presented in class that was not covered in the texts and you are responsible for all the information presented.  Being present also allows the opportunity to ask questions and further explore areas of interest to you.  Consistent and constructive participation in class can help improve your final grade. Attendance sheets will be passed around at random points during the paper and attendance will also be measured through papers and tests that are not picked up after I have turned them back
Importantly, many current issues relate to the field so clippings from the newspaper and questions about linkages of this material to other social debates is STRONGLY encouraged.

A series of short papers will be required. The due dates are noted in the schedule below, although some of the reading may only be available through links from the class webpage (see below or on page 1 for address). All writing must be turned in on the day it is due, be typed double-spaced in 10-12 point font with standard one inch margins. Spelling, grammar and syntax matter to the extent that they affect your ability to express your points clearly, powerfully and articulately. Late penalties apply to papers turned in after the due date and increase greatly after the papers have been returned. Any papers turned in after the last class will be worth a maximum of 1 point. DO NOT SUBMIT PAPERS AS AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT – I will only accept a hard copy. 

Several worksheets are also required. The information and worksheets are available through the class webpage. These assignments will provide up to date statistics and introduce students to important resources they can continue to use. It is thus important for everyone to go to the internet, retrieve the Dept of Justice reports and do their own work. 

Plagiarism is appropriating or imitating the ideas, thoughts and language of another and passing them off as your own.  This act occurs when students copy portions of a book (usually more than four consecutive words) without using quotation marks and a citation.  It is also plagiarism to copy portions of another student’s paper.  

Lastly, Education involves not just getting a degree but a search for truth, which requires honesty and personal integrity.  Thus, students at all times will behave in accordance with EMU’s policy on Academic Integrity forbidding such activities as plagiarism, fraud, cheating and knowingly assisting another student who is engaged in one of these acts.  Penalties can affect both your grade in this class and your continued presence at the university.  

CELL PHONE POLICY
Having phones ring in class is distracting and really irritating. Turn the ringer off for the brief time we’re in class and let voicemail pick up the call. If you are expecting something important (child care, etc), set the phone to vibrate and sit by the door so you can leave easily without disturbing the class. 

	SCHEDULE OF CLASSES & READINGS
Please read the assignments carefully & note that we are reading some chapters out of order and skipping part or all of others. Some of the readings for quizzes and papers comes from the internet; they should be accessed through the class webpage.
Please bookmark it and check in
http://paulsjusticepage.com > Classes & EMU Info > CRM 331

Circumstances sometimes require flexibility and students are responsible for any departures that are announced in class. The online syllabus/webpage for this class provides additional information and will be updated throughout the semester. 

Required Reading and Exercises 	
1/7	Introduction & Greeting	
1/9 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: Intro + Ch 1 	Paper based on ‘What Every American Should Know About Criminal Justice’. Read through it and print off a copy – we will be using this document at several points during the semester so make sure you have a copy. 
Write a 1 page paper addressing (1) what you thought were the best points they made (2) what were some point of information you did not know or had not really thought about before, and (3) what questions or disagreements do you have with what they say. 
See class website for link to reading	
1/14 	Johnson ch 1 	
1/16 	Johnson ch 2 	
1/21 	Johnson ch 3	Worksheet 1 due on ‘Prisoners in 2001’  - See class website for link to reading and worksheet	
  
1/23 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: ch 15 + 16 	
1/28 	Johnson ch 4	
1/30 	Johnson ch 5 start 	
2/4 	Johnson ch 5 finish 	Paper 2 - prison rape. See class website for link to reading and full assignment	
2/6 	Johnson ch 6 start	
2/11 	Johnson ch 6 finish + review	
2/13 	test 1	
2/18 	Johnson ch 7	
2/20 	Johnson ch 8	
2/25 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: 5 + 8	
2/27 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: ch 4	Paper 3 due - abuse in women's prisons: See class website for link to reading and full assignment	
3/4 & 3/6 	winter recess - no classes	
3/11 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: ch 7, + 11	
3/13 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: ch 6 + 12	
3/18 	Mauer & Chesney-Lind: ch 3 + 10	
3/20 	Johnson ch 9	
3/25 	Johnson ch 10 start	
3/27 	Johnson ch 10 finish	
4/1 	test 2	
4/3 	Prejean intro + ch 1	
4/8 	Prejean ch 2 + 3	worksheet 2 on Death Penalty See class website for link to reading and worksheet	
4/10 	Prejean ch 4 + 5	
4/15 	Prejean ch 6 + 8	international views on US death penalty - will be covered as part of final exam - see class website for link to reading	
4/17 	Prejean ch 9 + 11	
4/22 FINAL EXAM: 11:30 - 1:00