Course Snapshot for CRJ145 - Correctional Process
The information listed below is subject to change. Please review the course syllabus within your online course at the start of class.
Course Competencies
The competencies you will demonstrate in this course are as follows:
- Identify early historical developments of the use of punishment and corrections.
- Recognize how the prison system began and evolved in the United States.
- Identify how theoretical and philosophical ideology has shaped the US correctional system.
- Describe the organization of corrections in the United States, including federal and state correctional systems.
- Recognize how correctional law has been shaped through landmark cases.
- Discuss legal liabilities and legal principles in the field of corrections.
- Describe the history of probation.
- Summarize modern probation including various approaches for successful completion.
- Explain the goals, directions, and varied operations of intermediate sanctions, including community corrections.
- Discuss the history and goals of incarceration and the United States.
- Appraise the federal, state, and local organization of institutional corrections.
- Describe the origins and evolution of jails and detention facilities, including their goals, organization and management.
- Discuss how prisons are organized, governed, and managed.
- Identify classification and custody levels of prisoners.
- Illustrate the role and functions of correctional officers and prison staff.
- Describe the male prison population, including the prison subculture and prison violence.
- Describe the female prison population and how it compares to their male counterparts.
- Compare and contrast private versus public prisons.
- Discuss parole, reintegration and re-entry programs, including the role and function of parole officers.
- Evaluate trends in corrections, including evidence-based practices and program evaluation.
Module Outcomes Mapped to Competencies
Module 1 Learning Outcomes |
Mapped to Course Competencies (above) |
| Examine the history of corrections and the development of prisons over time. | 1, 2, 3 |
| Evaluate the various types of sentences used under the indeterminate and determinate sentencing models. | 3, 6, 12 |
| Describe the design of modern jails, the staff's roles, the categories of offenders in jails, and the issues related to jails. | 10, 11, 12 |
| Define probation and intermediate sanctions. | 7, 8 |
| Discuss the impact that case law has had on the due process of probation. | 5 |
| Summarize the goals of intermediate sanctions. | 9 |
Module 2 Learning Outcomes |
Mapped to Course Competencies (above) |
| Describe federal, state, and private prisons. | 1, 4, 11, 13, 18 |
| Evaluate the costs involved with operating prisons. | 11, 13, 18 |
| Explain the growth in the prison population. | 2, 10 |
| Compare the different methods for release from prison and issues facing inmates upon release. | 12, 14, 19 |
| Describe characteristics of male and female prisoners, and the racial disparity in prisons. | 16, 17 |
Module 3 Learning Outcomes |
Mapped to Course Competencies (above) |
| Describe the development of the juvenile justice system. | 4, 5 |
| Explain the process for transferring juveniles to the adult courts. | 4, 5 |
| Define special offenders and the issues regarding them in the legal system. | 6, 9, 10 |
| Describe supermax prisons and reasons for and against their use. | 10, 13, 14 |
| Examine the various jobs of prison staff and the daily activities of correctional staff. | 13, 14, 15 |
Module 4 Learning Outcomes |
Mapped to Course Competencies (above) |
| Describe the functions of custody, treatment and services in a prison. | 4, 12, 13 |
| Define the methods for controlling inmate behavior and inmate disciplinary systems. | 13, 14 |
| Summarize security within prisons and the functions of emergency teams in prisons. | 13, 14, 15 |
| Summarize treatment programs, educational and vocational programs in the prisons. | 12, 20 |
Module 5 Learning Outcomes |
Mapped to Course Competencies (above) |
| Describe the culture in both men's and women's prisons. | 13, 16, 17 |
| Define the methods staff use to identify gangs and control their activities. | 13, 15 |
| Analyze the Constitutional Rights of prison inmates. | 5, 6 |
| Examine capital punishment and the court rulings impacting it. | 5, 6 |
| Identify current and future issues facing the correctional system. | 3, 6, 18, 20 |
Course Time Commitment and Expectations
For every credit hour, students should plan to spend an average of 2-3 hours per week for course-related activities in a 15-week course. For example, a 3 credit hour course would average an average 6-9 hours per week to read/listen to the online content, participate in discussion forums, complete assignments, and study the course material. For 10 and 6-week courses, the amount of time per week will be higher so all course competencies, module outcomes, and assignments will be covered.
Aside from typical reading assignments, this course has the following (Please Note: This list is subject to change based on the discretion of the instructor facilitating this course.):
| Assignment | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussions (5 @ 35 points each) | 175 |
| Quizzes (5 @ 50 points each - minus lowest scoring quiz) | 250 |
| Final Exam (1 @ 50 points) | 50 |
| Assignments (5 @ 80 points each) | 400 |
| Assignments - Chapter Reviews (5 @ 35 points each) | 175 |
| TOTAL | 1000 |
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