Department of Social Sciences
Semester Spring 2025: January 25- May 22, 2025
Course Number/Title/Section: CRIM101 E2 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System
PW Common Core Category: 2D Individual and Society
Class Day(s)/Time: Online Asynchronous Class. Attendance is not required! However, I will hold a
zoom live session on each Tuesdays at 10AM; any student who wants to attend may come
Classroom: N/A
Instructor: Dr. KEBA SYLLA
Office & Office Hours: Mondays: 10-11Am; Tuesdays: 9-10AM, Thursdays: 10-11 Am
Phone: 718-631-8851
Email:
[email protected] Course Description (from QCC Bulletin)
Pre-requisites (from QCC Bulletin): BE122 OR BE226 or satisfactory score on the CUNY/ACT Assessment Test
QCC General Educational Objectives Addressed by the Course
Communicate effectively in various forms
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
make informed decisions
Make ethical judgments while recognizing multiple perspectives, as appropriate in the
program of study
PATHWAYS LEARNING OUTCOMES Addressed by the Course
Gather, interpret, and assess information from a variety of sources and points of view.
Evaluate evidence and arguments critically or analytically.
Produce well-reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions.
Identify and apply the fundamental concepts and methods of a discipline or interdisciplinary field
exploring the relationship between the individual and society, including, but not limited to,
anthropology, communications, cultural studies, history, journalism, philosophy, political science,
psychology, public affairs, religion, and sociology.
Examine how an individual's place in society affects experiences, values, or choices.
Articulate and assess ethical views and their underlying premises.
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INDIVIDUAL COURSE OBJECTIVES Addressed by the Course
FROM PATHWAYS CJ MAJOR REPORT
Performance objectives:
1. Students will develop analytical, ethical and critical reasoning skills through writing assignments and
participation in class discussions.
2. Students will develop the ability to effectively locate information.
3. Students will develop the ability to integrate and contrast information from different sources and to
present this information in writing in a clear, coherent and systematic way.
Knowledge objectives:
1. Students will gain an understanding of the American criminal justice system with a view to its social
and institutional context, and its structure and functioning. This includes an understanding of the
importance of issues of diversity embedded in the field of criminal justice.
2. Students will gain an understanding of why societies punish certain behavior in the first place, how the
law distinguishes between lawful and unlawful behavior, and what legal safeguards have been
established in democratic societies against unfair and unreasonable punishment
3. Students will gain an understanding of how and why crimes are committed, and what this means for
individual victims and for society.
4. Students will gain an understanding of the sequence of events that leads to the determination of guilt or
innocence of an individual alleged to have committed a crime. Students will also learn about the
various criminal justice institutions, including police, courts and corrections, and how they interact at
the various stages of the criminal justice process
5. Students will gain an understanding of why and how offenders are punished, and what the individual
and social consequences of punishment are.
Requirements:
Methods used to evaluate student learning will include: exams, papers, projects, discussions
Grade Determination:
Exams: (40%). There will be four exams in the semester worth a total of 40 points. Each exam is
worth 10% of your grade. They will consist of short essays or reaction paper and will cover
materials from the text book, readings and class lecture.
Paper I: (25%). You will be required to write a short paper of 3-5 pages worth on any topic related
to the topic of Introduction to CJ, covered in Class (see the list of topics below, p. 2-5). This paper I
is based on an essay format with an introduction, a Body and a conclusion. Students must write
their paper accordingly to academic writing standards with appropriated academic citation formats
(MLA or APA, do not use both at the same time), that are required in college writings. In this
paper/project I, students are required to choose a topic on the list of Topic lists (see pages 3-5 in this
syllabus). Students use only one and only topic and then write an essay about that chosen topic. I
will explain all of this in class first session if you use to come on the first day. Even though this is
Online class , I urge many of you to attend the first day of the class at least 10 minutes to
understand what are the expectations of this class online.
Short paper/reaction: (20%). You will be given a document to write an essay about that document
(newspaper article etc). Your reaction paper consists of 1-2 pages (double space it). This will take
an essay format with an introduction, Body and a conclusion with appropriate academic citations
required in college level writing. This paper is based on a newspaper article that deals with any
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topic related to your class topic. Students will get it a head before the exam date. No late paper is
accepted under any circumstances.
Response paper: (15%). This is based on 3 questions on any chapter that we reviewed in this class.
In this class, a study guide will be posted or send to all the students before any exam.
A study guide for the articles of the reaction paper and the response paper questions will be posted
on Bright space for students to prepare them before the exam date.
There is no final exam in this class.
Grade determination
Student Assessment: Exam dates/ due dates
Exam #1 10% Tuesday: 02/18/2025
Exam #2 10% Tuesday: 03/18/2025
Exam # 3 10% Tuesdays: 04/15/2025
Exam # 4 10% Tuesday: 03/13/2025
Final paper 25% Tuesday: 03/11/2025
Short/reaction 20% Tuesday: 04/29/2025
Response paper 15% Tuesday: 05/7/2025
Total 100%
QCC Grading Policy:
Letter A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F
Number 96-100 90- 95 87- 89 84- 86 80- 83 77- 76 74- 76 70- 73 67- 69 64- 66 60- 63 0-59
Required Textbook(s) and Reading Assignments
Gaines, L.K. and Miller, R.L. Criminal Justice in Action, 6th Ed, Cengage, 2011
Outline of Topics (as indicated in the Master Syllabus for the course):
Introduction to Crime and Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice System
The Formal Criminal Justice Process
The Informal Criminal Justice Process
Theories of Justice
o Crime Control Perspective
o Rehabilitation Perspective
o Due Process Perspective
o Nonintervention Perspective
o Justice Perspective
o Restorative Justice Perspective
Crime and Victimization
Defining Crime
Researching Crime
o Record Data
o Survey Data
o Alternative Data Sources
Crime Trends
Crime Patterns
Victimization Patterns
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Causes of Crime
Choice Theory
Sociobiological Theory
Psychological Theory
Social Structure Theory
Social Process Theory
Conflict Theory
Developmental Theory
Criminal Law
Historical Development
Sources of the Criminal Law
Criminal and Civil Law Compared
Crimes and Classifications
Crime Elements
Criminal Defenses
Constitutional Criminal Procedure
The Police and Law Enforcement
History
Structure and Organization
Roles and Functions
Legal Control of Policing
Issues in Policing
o Community Policing
o Racial Profiling
o Technology and Law Enforcement
o Responses to Terrorism
o Police Culture and Personality
o Police Discretion
o Corruption
o Job Stress
Criminal Courts
Structure
o State Courts
o Federal Courts
Roles
o Judiciary
o Prosecution
o Defense
o Court Administration
Pretrial Procedures
o Bail
o Pretrial Detention
o Charging the Defendant
o Plea Bargaining
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o Pretrial Diversion
The Criminal Trial
o Legal Rights During Trial
o The Trial Process
o Evidentiary Standards
Sentencing
o Goals of Sentencing
o Sentencing Models
o Sentencing Procedures
o Factors Affecting Sentencing
Issues in the Courts
o Prosecutorial Discretion
o Legal Services for the Indigent/Competency of Defense Attorneys
o Preventive Detention
o Plea Bargaining Reform
o Televising Criminal Trials
o Courts and Terrorism
o Sentencing Reform
Corrections
History of Punishment
Correctional Populations
Community Sentences
o Probation
o Intermediate Sanctions
o Restorative Justice
Correctional Institutions
o Jails
o Prisons
o Alternative Correctional Institutions
Parole
Capital Punishment
Issues in Corrections
o Jail/Prison Overcrowding
o Jail/Prison Conditions
o Prison Privatization
o Corrections and Terrorism
Juvenile Justice
History
Juvenile Justice System
Juvenile Justice Process
Issues in Juvenile Justice
o Prosecuting Juveniles as Adults
o Teen Courts
o Abolishing the Juvenile Court
o Sentencing Reform
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Academic Integrity Policy:
The Department of Social Sciences Academic Integrity Policy adheres to the standards described in the
Academic Integrity Policy of Queens borough Community College. Within the framework of the college
policy sanctions for violations of academic integrity are left to the discretion of the instructor. Students
may appeal sanctions to the department chair that will refer the appeal to a departmental Committee on
Academic Integrity for review. Any violation of Academic Integrity Policy will be referred to the Chair of
the Department and to the appropriate authorities in the College.
Notice for Students with Disabilities.
Student who are registered with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) and will need special
accommodations must identify themselves to their instructor and show their SSD accommodation card.
The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities in Science Building, S-132 (718-631-6257) will be
contacted to coordinate reasonable accommodations for only those students with documented disabilities.
My availability
I will be accessible to students to help with assignments, discuss regarding, or review your papers. I will
respond to students' e-mails or phone calls within 24hrs M-F provided I am not out of town.
Have a great spring semester session!!!
