Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP - Archives

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: January 26, 2006
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ 363: Corrections

You will be held accountable for purposes of grading for the readings and exercises listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.

* * * * *

Week 3: Week of January 29, 2006

The Last Day to Add a Class is Monday, January 30th

Topics: Who Goes to Prison and Why?


Preparatory Readings:

• Theory, Policy, Practice
  
• Hassine. Life Without Parole. Chapters 10-18.
  
• Haas and Alpert. Dilemmas of Corrections. Chapter 6-10.
  
  

Lecture related links:

• Atrocious Advice from "Supernanny" by Alfie Kohn.
  
• Wisconsin Department of Corrections
  
  
• Join the Yahoo Discussion Group with CSUDH students.
• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
  
• "Academic Accountability"
• "Who's Habermas? Why Habermas?"




Concepts to be covered:



• retribution
• utilitarianism
• the interrelationship between "theory, policy, practice"
• jails and prisons (differences/similarities)



Discussion Questions:



1. Who goes to prison? Why.
2. Is the selection process discriminatory? Why or why not?
3. Who "belongs" in prison? Why.
4. Is there a discrepancy between "who goes to prison?" and "who 'belongs' in prison?" What does this tell you about the interrelationship between "theory, policy, and practice"? Why.
5. What are your reactions (i.e., thoughts, impressions) to the first several chapters of Life Without Parole ? What surprised you most about the most, so far?
6. Relate "theory, policy, practice" to the Hassine book. What does he tell us about today's prison? Why.



Suggested Creative Measures:




Note: All creative measures must be approved by the instructor before you begin. Email the instructor with your idea. Creative measures cannot be something that you are doing or have done for another course. No term papers. Start thinking about ideas for your creative measures. Must relate to "corrections." Research cannot be 100% online (i.e., google, askjeeves). Must conduct library research using scholarly works, (not the popular press -- Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated). Email me your ideas. Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measures.



• If you enjoyed reading Hassine's Life Without Parole , you might be interested in other prison autobiographies/biographies: a) Jack Henry Abbott. In the Belly of the Beast. b) Leonard Peltier. Prison Writings. c) Eldridge Cleaver. Soul on Ice. d) Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Thirteenth Round. e) Jarvis Jay Masters. Finding Freedom: Writings from Death Row, e) Mumia Abu-Jamal. Live from Death Row., f) The Autobiography of Malcolm X.



Recommended Readings:



• Alfie Kohn. Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community.
• Alfie Kohn. Unconditional Parenting.
• John Irwin. The Warehouse Prison.
  
  

Course Syllabus for CRMJ/SOCA 363 (Corrections)

takata@uwp.edu