Student Evaluation                                    Readings                                Listserv Instructions

Instructor:     Jane Siegel, Ph.D.
Office:         363 Armitage
Phone:         (856) 225-6143
E-mail:         jasiegel@camden.rutgers.edu
Home page: http://crab.rutgers.edu/~jasiegel/

Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00-10:30, and by appointment.

American Corrections, Fifth Edition, by Todd R. Clear and George F. Cole
The text can be purchased at the bookstore.

The goals of this course are for students to:

1. understand the variety of ways society punishes people who break criminal laws

2. become familiar with the philosophical underpinnings of correctional systems and understand how correctional practices are   shaped by these philosophies

3. understand the benefits, drawbacks and competing considerations involved in different policy choices

4. think critically about our correctional practices and develop informed ideas about how our justice system should respond to people who break the law

5. improve their understanding of empirical research and its role in measuring the impact of our policies

This course examines the history, philosophy and components of the American corrections system. It provides an overview of the origins of correctional systems in the United States and abroad and an introduction to the philosophical ideas with which specific correctional approaches are associated. The history, nature and recent development of the major institutions and programs that make up the correctional system - jails, probation, intermediate punishments, prisons and parole - will be explored. Students will also learn about typical correctional clients, life in prison and issues related to the management of correctional programs. Important and controversial issues related to our contemporary correctional system, such as the death penalty, the disproportionate incarceration rate of minorities and the increases in imprisonment over the last two decades will be discussed.

Students' mastery of the readings and lecture materials presented in class will be evaluated on the basis of their performance on two tests and a final exam, a written assignment, and class participation.

Written assignment

Each student will find an article in an academic journal that evaluates a correctional program and provide written answers to the following questions:

1. What was the purpose of the study? What questions were the researchers trying to answer?

2. What kind of program was being evaluated (i.e. describe the program, including a description of the people in the program - e.g. parolees, inmates, men, women, etc.)?

3. What method and measures did the researchers use to evaluate the program?

4. What was their conclusion?

5. What is your assessment of the study? Does it seem sound? Is there anything you think should have been done differently?

6.  Assuming you had the power to do so, would you be willing to institute this program in your own jurisdiction on the basis of this evaluation alone?

Prior to the due date for the assignment, we will discuss an article that evaluates a correctional program and do an exercise in class that will include these questions. The paper you submit should be no more than four pages and must be typed, double-spaced, with 1" margins all around. You must photocopy and attach the article's abstract to your paper. Citations should follow the style guidelines of the American Sociological Association or the American Psychological Association. The department has a web page with links to sites that provide guidance on how to format written materials to comply with those guidelines.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless your paper meets the following requirements, you will receive no credit for this assignment and will not have a chance to resubmit (so please see me if you are not sure how to do this assignment):

1. The article must be from a peer-reviewed academic journal (e.g. Criminology, Federal Probation, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, or Criminal Justice and Behavior) not the popular press ( e.g. Time, U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek or Atlantic Monthly). My home page has a link to a partial list of peer-reviewed journals.

2. The article must describe empirical research evaluating a corrections program. An article in which the authors are reviewing past program evaluations or are presenting their own beliefs or opinion about the effectiveness of certain types of programs is not acceptable.

3. The assignment must be written in your own words to the fullest extent possible. If you must quote from the article, make sure that you provide the appropriate citation.

4. You must attach a copy of the article's abstract.

Class participation

Class participation is an important component of this course. Assigned readings should be done prior to the date where they appear on the syllabus so that students are prepared to discuss the readings and answer questions about them in class. In addition, questions may be posted periodically to the class listserv (see below) that will require you to obtain additional information from the Internet. Students should be prepared to answer those questions orally in class.

Unexcused absences, repeatedly arriving late or being obviously unprepared for class will result in a loss of points for class participation.

Student performance will be computed on the following basis:
 

Report on program evaluation	15%
Test 1	20%
Test 2	20%
Final	35%
Class participation	10%

Make-up exams will be given only if you have obtained my permission to be excused from the actual exam prior to the time of that exam. Late submission of written assignments will be permitted only with my prior consent, or permitted with a penalty, depending on the reason for lateness.

The college's academic integrity policy, which can be found in the college catalogue, will be enforced in this class. Students are also encouraged to refer to the department's web site on plagiarism, which includes links to an on-line version of the university's academic integrity policy and some useful links to other sites that may help you avoid plagiarizing inadvertently. If you are in doubt about what might constitute plagiarism in a written or oral assignment, please check with me.

A listserv has been established for this class. I will use it when needed to communicate messages to the entire class, which each student will receive as an e-mail message. Students can also utilize the listserv to pose questions or comments to the entire class. Instructions on subscribing to the listserv can be found by clicking here.

The schedule outlined below represents my intended timetable, but adjustments may be made during the semester.

Students are responsible for knowing the material in the readings, regardless of whether it is discussed in class or not. In other words, your tests will include materials from class lectures and your readings, unless otherwise noted. Since I will not be able to discuss all of the subjects covered in the text, you should take careful notes on the readings and ask me about any topics you do not understand and that I have not reviewed in class.