CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Ms. Highbaugh

 

This Criminal Justice course is designed to examine the criminal justice system from the police, courts, corrections, and juvenile justice perspectives. In the past, this course has been associated with a similar first year college course through Eastern Kentucky University. This course is designed to teach the practical side of the criminal justice system and to make the student aware of the community’s and individual’s rights within the system.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED: history of criminal justice, police, court system,

sentencing, corrections, juvenile justice, and

current topics.

GRADES: grades are determined on a total points basis. Test, activities, projects, etc. will all be assigned a point total and total points

earned will be divided by total points possible.

ACTIVITIES/PROJECTS: a number of projects will be assigned during the

year. Among them will be:

Interview: you will be given an outline for this interview. You will

be expected to interview someone within the criminal

justice system.

Court Visit: we will either visit a court session as a group or you will

be asked to make a visit. You will then be asked to

analyze your visit. If you choose to participate in teen

court, this can substitute for this.

Case Studies: this will involve in-class activities regarding the topics

we are discussing at the time.

Mock Trials: we will conduct one or two mock trials during the

semester. You will be asked to play various roles and

will be graded on your participation.

Police Investigation: we will be working on a case that is posted on the

internet. You will be asked to look at the

evidence and determine which suspect

committed the crime. You will be asked to keep

a notebook on the case and you will receive a

grade based on your notes. Bonus points will be

awarded if you choose the correct suspect.

Field Trips: we will go on a least one field trip. We will visit a

medium security prison. If time and schedule allow,

we may also have a local field trip as well.

Current Events: periodically we will conduct a current event

activity. It will be important that you stay

abreast of not only criminal justice issues but

general topics as well.

Guest Speakers: we will have a number of guest speakers from

the criminal justice area.

C.J. Jeopardy: periodically, we will play C.J. Jeopardy. The

class will be divided into teams and play for

extra points.

TESTS: testing will occur normally after every chapter. However, where

chapters are closely related, more than one chapter may be included

on the test. You will be given a review prior to the test and it will be

important to keep notes on the review. Each test will be assigned a

point value based upon the material covered.

RULES:

I have very few rules in my class. I want free flowing discussions and I want to hear everyone’s opinion. I do expect certain things from you however,

    1. Get to class on time.
    2. Bring your book, paper, and pencil unless you are told otherwise.
    3. Assignments must be turned in on time. No extensions. You will be

      4. given the same amount of time as the others to complete the assignments. If you miss a day, it is your responsibility to get your

      assignment from the teacher the next day. You will be given the same

      amount of time as the others to complete the assignment. If you do not turn in the assignment on time or do not request the assignment upon your return, you will receive a zero.

    4. Respect one another, the teacher, school property, other’s property, and

      5. yourself. In return I will show you the same respect.

    5. Be tolerant of those with different opinions. Listen to what everyone has

to say with an open mind. You might learn something.