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SOCIOLOGY 327 (B1) – CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION IN CANADA Winter, 2021
M W 2:00-3:20
Instructor: Dr. Alison Dunwoody
Office Hours: by appointment via Zoom E-mail: [email protected]
Policy about course outlines can be found in Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures and Grading of the University Calendar.
Communication:
For questions about course content or course requirements, students are encouraged to use the
discussion forums on eClass so that their fellow students can benefit from the information I provide in response. For more personal matters, students should email me. However, for questions or concerns that require extended discussion (i.e., anything more than a few sentences), students should schedule an appointment. Please note that grades will not be provided or discussed via email.
Generally, students can expect responses to emails within 24 hours, except on weekends or holidays. I will not respond to emails containing questions that can be answered by simply reviewing the syllabus or other course documents. Please also note that I will not open or respond to emails sent from accounts other than the U of A. Be sure to indicate SOC 327 in the subject line of all emails.
Course Description:
This course offers a comprehensive look at the Canadian criminal justice system with particular emphasis on policing, courts and corrections. As we explore this complex and continually evolving system, we will address the broader social forces and conditions that impact the development, implementation, and evolution of criminal justice. We will also discuss some of the current issues facing the justice system including the challenge of balancing retribution with rehabilitation, as well as, controversies surrounding public policing, victims’ rights, and wrongful convictions. Prerequisite:
SOC 225 or consent of Instructor.
Course Objectives:
• Understand the various components of the criminal justice system and how they relate to and interact with one another
• Understand the nature, evolution, and application of substantive and procedural criminal law
• Understand the problems, injustices, and ironies inherent in the Canadian criminal justice system by:
o critically situating individual experience within broader social contexts and relationships o interrogating forms of power, inequality, and social change and their intersection
o understanding the ways in which power contributes to marginalization and the implications of these processes for criminal justice system practices
2 Required Course Text:
Criminal Justice in Canada: A Reader (2016 – Fifth Edition) by Julian V. Roberts and Michelle G.
Grossman (published by Nelson Education).
While lecture material will overlap significantly with the text, there will be some “text-only” questions on each exam. Students will, therefore, be disadvantaged by not having access to the course text.
Students may purchase hard copies or e-books through the U of A Bookstore. To purchase an e-book through the Bookstore, use this link.
Course Format and Delivery:
SOC 327 will be delivered remotely and asynchronously. However, students must be available during class time to complete the two mid-term exams (February 10 and March 10). Optional class meetings will be held every Monday. No new testable information will be discussed during these meetings, but students will have the opportunity to ask questions about course material and to engage more deeply with course topics. Students can choose to attend none, one, some, or all of these meetings. Meetings will not be recorded and, therefore, cannot be made available to students. Neither will I summarize meeting discussions. To gain access to information discussed in the meetings requires students to actually attend the meetings.
All lecture material will be provided in the form of voice over PowerPoint slides that will be posted on Google Drive according to the schedule outlined below. Links to videos or information on how to access videos will also be posted on the Drive. The link to the Drive is posted on eClass. However, to gain access to the Drive, students must request it by using their U of A email addresses. Only U of A addresses will be granted access. Where applicable, students should read the corresponding chapters from the text prior to reviewing the audio lectures.
Lecture Posting Schedule:
Jan 11: Module 1: Criminal Justice in Canada: An Overview (Chs 1 & 3) Module 2: Criminal Justice and the Charter (Ch 2)
Jan 18: Module 3: Policing: History, Structure, and Organization (Chs 4 & 11) Module 4: Police Oversight and Accountability (Ch 12)
Jan 25: Module 5: Criminal Law and the Court System
Feb 10: Module 6: Key Players: Lawyers and Judges (Chs 5, 6 & 7) Module 7: The Criminal Court Process (Chs 13 & 14) Feb 22: Module 8: Sentencing
Mar 1: Module 9: Institutional Corrections (Chs 10, 27 & 28) Module 10: Community Corrections (Ch 8)
Mar 10: Module 11: Conditional Release (Ch 9)
Module 12: Offender Populations (Chs 15, 16 & 17) Mar 15: Module 13: Youth Justice (Chs 21 & 22)
Module 14: Domestic Violence (Chs 23 & 26) Mar 22: Module 15: Crime Victims (Ch 24)
Module 16: Corporate Crime (Ch 25)
Mar 29: Module 17: Wrongful Convictions (Chs 18, 19 & 20) Module 18: Capital Punishment
3 Optional Class Meeting Schedule:
Jan 11: Introduction to the Course
Jan 18: Discussion of “Criminal Justice in Canada: An Overview” & “Criminal Justice and the Charter”
Jan 25: Discussion of “Policing: History, Structure, and Organization” & “Police Oversight and Accountability”
Feb 1: Discussion of “Criminal Law and the Court System”
Feb 8: Discussion of Term Exam 1
Feb 22: Discussion of “Key Players: Lawyers and Judges” & “The Criminal Court Process”
Mar 1: Discussion of “Sentencing”
Mar 8: Discussion of “Institutional Corrections,” “Community Corrections” & Term Exam 2 Mar 15: Discussion of “Conditional Release” & “Offender Populations”
Mar 22: Discussion of “Youth Justice” & “Domestic Violence”
Mar 29: Discussion of “Crime Victims” & “Corporate Crime”
Apr 12: Discussion of “Wrongful Convictions,” “Capital Punishment” & Final Exam
Please note that the PowerPoint audio lectures for each chapter are delivered as (approximately) 15- minute segments to allow for easier review of the material. At the end of each file name, the length of the recording is indicated in parentheses. For example, the file name for the first segment of the first course topic is “Criminal Justice in Canada – An Overview Audio Lecture Part 1 (11-07)” which means that the audio lecture is 11 minutes and 7 seconds.
We will be using Zoom for our synchronous optional class meetings. Students will need to download Zoom if they have not already done so. Links for each class meeting are available on eClass (under
“Zoom Optional Class Meetings”). Please be sure to log in to Zoom using your university email address. Please note that, as indicated above, class discussions will NOT be recorded. While students are encouraged to participate in class meetings with video, it is not required.
Course Requirements:
Students have two options for completing this course. Option A is comprised of three multiple choice exams. This option will likely appeal to those students whose time may be constrained by other
responsibilities and/or those who excel at multiple choice format exams. For those students who do not do so well on multiple choice exams and/or who would like the opportunity to develop their analytical and writing skills, Option B may be more appealing. Option B will require students to write the same three multiple choice exams written by students who choose Option A. However, the weight of those three exams will be reduced to allow for students to submit a position paper. There is no need for students to let me know which option they are choosing. Unless a student submits a position paper by the deadline of March 29, I will assume that Option A applies and will weight the exams accordingly.
Please note that completing the position paper does not in any way guarantee that students will receive an equivalent or higher course grade than they would have received by taking Option A. However, students whose paper grades result in a lower course grade than they would have received with Option A will not have their papers counted. In other words, there is no “risk” associated with completing the position paper.
Option A
Mid-Term 1: 30% - scheduled for February 10 (covers Modules 1-5) Mid-Term 2: 30% - scheduled for March 10 (covers Modules 6-10)
Final Exam: 40% - tentatively scheduled for April 27 at 9:00 am (covers Modules 11-18)
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Mid-Term 1: 20% - scheduled for February 10 (covers Modules 1-5) Mid-Term 2: 20% - scheduled for March 10 (covers Modules 6-10) Position Paper: 30% - due by 4:00 pm on March 29
Final Exam: 30% - tentatively scheduled for April 27 at 9:00 am (covers Modules 11-18)
Mid-Terms and Final Exam:
The mid-terms and final exam will be comprised of multiple choice questions. Students are responsible for all lecture materials, videos, and assigned readings from the text. Sample exam questions will be posted on eClass prior to each exam. The mid-terms will be written during regularly scheduled class time (i.e., 2:00-3:20) on the dates indicated above. The final exam will be written during the final exam period as indicated on Bear Tracks.
NOTE: All exams are “closed-book.” Each exam will be remotely monitored using Smart Exam Monitor (SEM) and ExamLock. SEM is a Chrome-browser web application integrated with eClass that digitally monitors students’ physical environment while they complete course evaluations and flags suspicious behaviour. ExamLock is a quiz integrity application that limits students’ screens to a quiz interface while an exam is being completed.
An unexcused absence from an exam will result in a grade of zero for that exam. Should a student miss a mid-term, they must contact me via e-mail within two working days of the originally scheduled exam, or as soon as they are able, having regard to the circumstances underlying the absence. Students are advised that excused absences are not automatic and that, depending upon the circumstances,
appropriate documentation may be required (e.g., “Request for Excused Absence or Deferral of Term Work,” “Statutory Declaration,” police report, death notice, court documents). Students with an excused absence must write the missed exam rather than shift the weight of that exam to other course requirements. Students who have missed the first mid-term, and who have an excused absence, will write an alternate mid-term on February 22 at 8:00 am. Students who fail to write the alternate exam on this date will receive a grade of zero. Students who have missed the second mid-term, and who have an excused absence, will write an alternate mid-term on March 22 at 8:00 am. Students who fail to write the alternate exam on this date will receive a grade of zero. Please note that alternate exams may or may not be the same format as the regularly scheduled exams.
If a student fails to write the final exam, they must formally apply to their Faculty within two working days following the missed exam, or as soon as they are able, having regard to the circumstances underlying the absence, in order to be considered for a deferral. Deferred examinations are intended to accommodate students who have experienced an incapacitating illness or severe domestic affliction;
applications based on minor or inconsequential ailments will not be approved. Please also note that as stated in Attendance of the University Calendar, “a deferred examination will not be approved if a student (a) has not been in regular attendance where attendance and/or participation are required, and/or, (b) excluding the final exam, has completed less than half of the assigned work.” Students granted a deferred final exam will write an alternate exam on a date and time arranged with the instructor. Please note that the deferred final exam may or may not be the same format as the original final exam.
5 Position Paper:
A description of this assignment and the criteria by which it will be evaluated are available on eClass.
Papers must be submitted on eClass by 4:00 pm on March 29. Email submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances. The due date is absolute. Extensions will only be given in extreme
circumstances and appropriate documentation may be required (e.g., “Request for Excused Absence or Deferral of Term Work,” “Statutory Declaration,” police report, death notice, court documents).
Grading:
Description Percentage Grade Value
Excellent 95 – 100 A+ 4.0
90 – 94.9 A 4.0
85 – 89.9 A- 3.7
Good 80 – 84.9 B+ 3.3
75 – 79.9 B 3.0
70 – 74.9 B- 2.7
Satisfactory 66 – 69.9 C+ 2.3
62 – 65.9 C 2.0
58 – 61.9 C- 1.7
Poor 54 – 57.9 D+ 1.3
Minimal Pass 50 – 53.9 D 1.0
Fail 0 – 49.9 F 0.0
Grading Policies:
Grades will not be assigned on the basis of a particular distribution (e.g., bell curve) but will be assigned based on the individual merits of students. Grades are not negotiable. Grades will not be rounded up. For example, students who obtain a final course grade of 74.9% will be assigned a grade of B-, not B.
Requests to re-write exams or to submit extra work to increase grades will not be considered under any circumstances. Likewise, pleas for higher grades to get into quota University programs will not be heard under any circumstances.
Discussion Forums:
Discussion forums are available on eClass. In addition to separate forums for “Course Requirements”
and “Optional (Position Paper) Assignment” there is one forum for “Course Content.” Students are free to comment on their fellow students’ posts and, in fact, are encouraged to do so. While I will be
checking the forums daily (though not on weekends or holidays), I will only be responding when there is a need to do so. For instance, if a posted question was accurately and completely answered by another student, a response from me is not necessary.
Please adhere to the following guidelines for respectful online engagement (this applies to both the discussion forums and optional class meetings):
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• Be Respectful. We have students from many different backgrounds participating in this course.
Respectful disagreement is fine and encouraged. Sexist, racist, homophobic comments and other inflammatory remarks are not conducive to learning in our course, and absolutely will not be tolerated. As this is a University of Alberta course, all participants are governed by the Code of Student Behaviour.
• Be Mindful. In our readings and discussions, we will engage with many controversial topics.
However, we will do so in a respectful and a considered manner. So, for example, when we discuss the legacies of colonialism, we as a community must remember that some students suffer with the consequences of colonialism every day — though we all bear responsibility for addressing that legacy. When our course materials examine sexual violence, we must engage with those materials knowing that members of our community have themselves survived such violence. And when we explore questions of racism, we do so knowing that members of our community experience very different realities because of systemic and personal prejudices faced each and every day.
• Be Safe. If you are witness to or the target of abusive or offensive behaviour in our course, please inform me right away. Alternatively, you could ask a trusted friend to contact me on your behalf.
Technology Requirements:
Students are reminded that I am not an IT specialist and that if they encounter technological issues, it is their responsibility to contact Information Services and Technology (IST).
To participate in this course, students are required to have the following:
• A computer which can run a currently supported version of Windows or MacOS: has Windows (Version 8, 8.1, or 10) or Mac (Version 10.13 or higher), 4 GB of RAM, and 256 GB hard drive
• Wired or wireless network adapter
• Webcam, microphone, and speakers (or headphones/earbuds)
• A screen large enough to easily view documents and videos
• The ability to access productivity software such as Google Apps or Microsoft Office
• A reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to support watching online videos, taking part in video conferences and taking online exams
As indicated above, all exams will be remotely monitored and will, therefore, require students to have access to particular technologies. Please consult Smart Exam Monitor (SEM) and ExamLock for additional requirements and procedures.
Learning and Working Environment:
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
Academic Integrity:
The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty.
Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at https://www.ualberta.ca/governance/) and
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avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Discipline Process.
Audio or Video Recording:
As per University policy, audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the Instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or Instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
The pre-recorded lecture material cannot be duplicated or shared in any way. Likewise, class meetings cannot be recorded or shared. Engaging in either of these will be considered a violation of the Code of Student Behaviour and can result in serious consequences.
