CJA305:
Professions, Practices, & Ethics in CJA
CLASS SYLLABUS - fall 2005
Dr. L. Paul Sutton
phone:
619-594-4449
Office:
 PSFA 149
email: psutton@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:15 am
website: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~psutton

[This document includes information that is VITAL to your successful completion of this course. Read the syllabus CAREFULLY; you will be responsible for compliance with all requirements set out in this document and for keeping abreast of all changes posted in this document throughout the semester.]

To be a true professional is to be a problem solver; to be a problem solver, one must seek out, discover, own, and ameliorate the problem. Ownership is the key; a problem should never be regarded as “someone else’s.” If it hurts the organization, then it is the job of every professional to identify, assess, and solve it.

WELCOME TO CJA305!

True to the teaching/learning theories which hold that lessons which are self taught are the ones that are best learned, this course will largely be an exercise in learning-by-doing. We will learn about professions, practices, and ethics by inviting the professional world into the classroom and to emulate many of the functions of a professional organization in what we do and how we do it within the class.

Class activities will be oriented toward exposing you to the meaning and challeges of becoming and being professional and the role of the organization in professional development. In our exploration of professions and professionalism in criminal justice, we will call upon members of the professional criminal justice community to share their learning and experiences with us.

From law enforcement to parole supervision, from criminal justice research to running a prison, criminal justice professionals face myriad tasks, exhibit a broad range of talents and skills, and execute a variety of functions--from analysis to supervision to administration--as they come from a breadth of educational and training backgrounds. The tasks of justice are so diverse that we must visit a variety of professions and positions to truly appreciate the breadth of tasks performed and the career opportunities available.

The class will be divided into 3- to 4-member teams which will be responsible for orienting the class to various issues relating to professions and ethics, as well as identifying, escorting, and introducing professional members of the criminal justice community to the class for a variety of class presentations.

GRADING POLICY

ATTENDANCE:

Since much of the learning in this class will be done within spedified class periods, your participation is key to successful completion of the class. Accordingly, at a minimum, your attendance at “class meetings” and key organizational functions is essential for the purpose of not only your own presentation, but your evaluation and feedback regarding others' work. You cannot do this if you are not in class.

Accordingly, 10 points will be deducted from a grade for each absence.

TEAM ACTIVITIES: The class will be divided randomly into teams of approximately 3 persons.

  1. MEDIA PRESENTATION (50%):
  • In addition to the actual DVD of the program, each team must submit a detailed media transcript which will include all of the following:

    • INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES (read carefully):

      1. a separate, boxed, one-or two-sentence quotation from the article video, or presentation which captures the essense of the most important message of the piece
      2. a 1-2-page critique of the piece.
      3. a 100-word summary of what you learned from the article, video, or presentation. ie, What was important about it? What do you make of it? What do you DO with the information or arguments made by the author/producer/presenter? In other words, after you have viewed or read the piece, answer the question "so what?".

    MAKE-UP work
    No individual make-up exams will be given for any missed unit or comprehensive exams, nor for any late or missed assignments.     Nor will there will be any "extra credit" opportunities. Please don't ask.

    COMPUTATION OF COURSE GRADE: FINAL GRADES ARE FINAL.
    Your course grade is based on your total exam and workout scores. The curve for all work will be as follows:

    READING ASSIGNMENTS, WORKOUTS, & EXAM SCHEDULE

    readings

     

    Cal Copy (College Ave.) Readings for CJA305. Obtain 1" 3-hole binder for reading assignments.

    website

     

    http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~psutton (for supplemental materials and assignments)

    workouts

     

    Workouts (defined by link at left) are due on Tuesdays according to the schedule below.
    critical!!! Workouts are due at the moment class begins--not 1 or 2 minutes later--AND they MUST be submitted in class ON the assigned dates. Early/Late workouts will NOT be accepted.

    news

     

    Consult SDSU Blackboard and Sutton's website for relevant announcements and grades.

    DATE

     

    TOPIC

    Reading# due

    Thur

    9/1

    Intro. SDSU Blackboard and website; syllabus; course requirements & policies;
    what do we mean by "professions?" "ethics?"

    Thur

    9/8

    		 class orientation; tasks and definitions

    Thur

    9/15

    		 team assignments Video: Boston Public

    Thur

    9/22

    		 Orientation to new media production
    TEAM meetings in class;
    collect images and start research!!!

    Thur

    9/29

    		 team meetings

    Thur

    10/6

    		 team meetings

    Thur

    10/13

    		 team meetings

    Thur

    10/20
    • Presentation 1: law enforcement--local, state, federal police
    		group #1

    Thur

    10/27
    • Presentation 2: law enforcement--the county sheriff
    		group #2

    Thur

    11/3
    • Presentation 3: the judiciary--judges, court administration, & adversary system
    		group #3

    Thur

    11/10

    team meetings

    Thur

    11/17
    • Presentation 4: the legal profession--the defense attorney
    • Presentation 5: the legal profession--the prosecutor
    		group #4, #5
    Thur 11/24

    THANKSGIVING VACATION

    Thur

    		 12/1
    • Presentation 6: corrections
      • correctional officers and supervisors (state prison)
      • corrections--correctional treatment personnel (state prison)
      • corrections--supervision in the community
    		group #6,

    NOTEBOOKS DUE.

    Thur

    12/8

    COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: based on all readings and class content

     

    Mon-Fri

     

    PRISONTOUR #1: WINTER VACATION

    		 Jan. 2-6, 2006

    Mon-Fri

     

    PRISONTOUR #2: WINTER VACATION

    		 Jan. 9-13, 2006

    Mon-Fri

     

    PRISONTOUR #3: SPRING VACATION

    		 Mar. 13-17, 2006

    Mon-Fri

     

    PRISONTOUR #4: SUMMER VACATION

    		 May 22-26, 2006

    Mon-Fri

     

    PRISONTOUR #5: SUMMER VACATION

    		 Jun. 5-9, 2006

    NOTE: This syllabus is subject to change. You are responsible for complying with all changes.
    FYI: CALIFORNIA PRISONTOUR!
    (click for more details)
    • Make plans for the most important professional/academic experience of your life!
    • Experience the real world of criminal justice like few others can!
    • Walk the line in maximum security! Walk the yard! Tour the cellblocks!
    • Walk and talk face-to-face with inmates serving life terms for murder!
    • Talk with guards, wardens, administrators!
    • See inmate-made weapons, drug & gang paraphernalia.
    • Experience the underbelly of prison life!
    • Join this incredible 5-day, 1,500-mile excursion through 8 California prisons (eg, San Quentin, Folsom, Soledad, & CCWF--largest women’s prison in the world & home of California women's death row!)
    • Carries 3 units "PRACTICUM" credit for all CJA majors! (like internship)
    • Space limited; deposit required; see link above for more details; to sign up, contact Dr. Sutton.
    DON'T MISS IT!

    5-day excursion in Winter, Spring, & Summer.

    Cost approx. $950 (for tuition, travel, room, most meals)

    meets "practicum" requirement for ALL CJ majors

    SUGGESTED AREAS TO BE COVERED IN TEAM PRESENTATIONS OF EACH TOPIC AREA (Not all areas need be addressed;
    but you should focus particularly on those issues that we can look for when we are touring the institutions):

    • The following questions and issues are relevant to ALL the cja professions enumerated below. In your presentation, be critical, fair, balanced, and realistic in your evaluation of each profession. Note that I may use the term "profession" and "professional" in ways that may not be entirely appropriate. Just like we use the word "system" erroneously to talk about the cj system, I may use the words profession and professional to refer to careers and traits that may not actually rise to the level of professions and professional behavior. It wll be YOUR job to determine where and whether these terms should apply to EACH "profession" we will be discussing in class.
      • what the profession is all about
      • how it fits into the smaller subsystem of which it is an immediate part, as well as the larger "system" of CJA
      • why the job requires a "professional" (or does it?)
      • qualifications for admission into the profession
      • salary and benefits; retirement
      • what the job consists of (responsibilities)
      • a day in the life of...(the actual "practices" of the profession)
      • requirements/character traits for performing the job effectively
      • is the profession unionized? has that been good or bad for the profession? for members of the profession?
      • ethical challenges of/dilemmas encountered during performance of the job
      • most interesting part of the job; what makes it fun/challenging
      • most difficult parts of the job; what makes it especially problemsome
      • best part of the job
      • worst part of the job
      • how the profession is regarded by members of the public and the extent to whether that perception is fair or not
      • how services performed by this profession can be improved; how it may change
      • short and long range prospects for the profession
      • evaluation of the career afforded by this profession
      • remember the name of the course is PROFESSIONS, PRACTICES, AND ETHICS. You must effectively cover all three areas in your presentation in a competent, authoritative, and interesting way.

    PROFESSIONS TOPICS:

    • READINGS:

      group 1:
    1. Moore, Richter H., Jr. “The Criminal Justice Non-System”
    2. Atkins, Burton & Mark Pogrebin. “Introduction: Discretionary Decision-Making in the Administration of Justice”
    3. Broderick, John J. “Professionalism and Police Organization”
    4. Martin, Roger. Pigs and Other Animals, chapters 3, 17

      group 2:
    5. VanMaanen, John. “The Asshole”
    6. Birch, James W. “Reflections on Police Corruption”
    7. Klockars, Carl B. “The Dirty Harry Problem”
    8. Skolnick, Jerome. “Deception by Police”

      group 3:
    9. Sutton, “The Fourth Amendment in Action: An Empirical View of the Search Warrant Process”
    10. Culbertson, Robert G. and Tezak. Order Under Law. “Confrontation and Compromise: The Courts"
    11. "Should the Adversary System be Abolished?”
      Strick, Ann. “YES”
      Freedman, Monroe. “NO”

      group 4:
    12. Blumberg, Abraham S. “The Practice of Law as a Con Game”
    13. Heumann, Milton. “Plea Bargaining-Introduction”
    14. Heumann, Milton. “Plea Bargaining-The Context of Adaptation” (3 parts)
    15. Heumann, Milton. “Plea Bargaining-Defense Attorneys”

      group 5:
    16. Miller, Frank. “Discretion and the Charging Decision”
    17. Culbertson, Robert G. and Ralph A. Weisheit. Order Under Law. Heumann, Milton. “Adapting to Plea Bargaining: Prosecutors”
    18. Jonakait, Randolph N. “The Ethical Prosecutor's Misconduct”
    19. Frankel, Marvin. “Individualized Judges”
    20. Heumann, Milton. “Plea Bargaining-Conclusions and Implications”

      group 6:
    21. Culbertson, Robert G. and Weisheit. Order Under Law. “Change Without Progress”
    22. Zimbardo, Philip G. “The Pathology of Imprisonment”
    23. Szasz, Thomas S. “The Control of Conduct: Authority vs. Autonomy”
    24. Johnson, Robert. “To Have and To Hold: The Prison Officer's Public (Custodial) Agenda”
    25. Johnson, Robert. “To Protect and To Serve: The Prison Officer's Private (Correctional) Agenda”

      group 7:
    26. Ingraham, Barton L. and Gerald W. Smith, “Electronic Surveillance and Control of Behavior and Its Possible Use in Rehabilitation and Parole.”
    27. “Epilogue to the Survey of the Administration of Criminal Justice”