CRIMJ 430: Alternatives to Incarceration (3) Control and treatment of offenders in the community, probation and parole organizations, diversion programs, innovative sentences, supervision techniques. Prerequisite: CRIMJ 100 and CRIMJ 113 and CRIMJ 230 or permission of program
Overview
This course provides students with an in-depth analysis of the purposes, public policy consideration, and societal attitudes toward non-incarcerative criminal sanctions. The course begins with an overview of the purposes of utilizing sanctions in a community setting and considers the political, economic, and social ramifications of such practices. Special populations such as drug offenders, sexual offenders, young offenders, violent offenders, and mentally challenged offenders are singled out for particular emphasis. This is accomplished using the texts as well as assigning refereed journal articles and using films and collaborative assignments. Gender issues in terms of contact with and supervision by the justice system are addressed considering children, race, education, and family background. New challenges such as treatment of sex offenders, predatory sexual offender statutes, and mandatory drug treatment are viewed from a research and policy perspective. Administrative and operational issues within community corrections are viewed from management, union, correctional officer, gender, and offender perspectives. Students will leave the course having been exposed to the costs and benefits associated with the treatment and supervision of criminal offenders in a non-institutional setting.
What will be covered in this course
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to those components of the criminal justice system that deal with convicted criminal offenders in community-based settings. The material covered in this course can be roughly divided into three distinct sections. Covered first are topics that provide the foundation for understanding the role of corrections in the justice enterprise. They include a history of non-institutional sanctions in the United States, an analysis of the trends and issues affecting correctional supervision over the past several decades, and an overview of the various non-incarcerative sanctions available to the courts for sentencing offenders (e.g., fines, community service. Next, the issue of offenders serving sentences in the community under justice system supervision is examined. There is an in-depth consideration of probation, the most frequently used correctional disposition, and its various forms. Also addressed in this second section are the various treatment regimens and programming options used in a rehabilitative model. Lastly, the course considers supervision of offenders who have been released from a correctional institution on parole. In addition, this final unit of the course addresses a ‘hot-button’ issue in criminal justice today – the role of the system in easing the transition of former prisoners back into communities. Known collectively as reentry, the discussion illustrates the multi-faceted, multi-agency strategies that have been developed to guide ex-inmates in their adjustment to life in the “outside world” , and the measures being taken to help reduce recidivism among this high risk group.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Be familiar with the history, purposes, and development of community-based sanctions;
- Understand the variables considered by the justice system when deciding to sentence an offender to a community-based or institutional sanction;
- Recognize the important role probation plays in offender punishment and treatment;
- Discuss the challenges faced by ex-inmates when they reenter mainstream society.
Materials
The following materials are required and must be purchased from MBS Direct:
- Alarid, F., Cromwell, P. F., del Carmen, R. V. (2008). Community-Based Corrections. 7th ed. Thomson Learning.
For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website.
Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. It is very important that you purchase the correct materials. If your course requires one or more textbooks, you must have exactly the correct text required (edition and year).
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Technology and Software page.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
- Weekly Assignments
- Discussions: Each week, students will receive a grade for participation in discussion forum and/or blog postings. Discussion grading is based on the following criteria: significance of ideas, Originality of thought, clarity of expression and organization of ideas, timeliness, and appropriate language (civility, excessive jargon, etc.). If, at the end of the semester, your participation is less than 50% in any one activity (discussions, writing assignments, homework, tests) you will receive a failing grade for the course.
- Response/Position Papers: At the end of many lessons students will be required to demonstrate their proficiency with the assigned material by drafting an original paper expressing their viewpoints interpretations regarding a particular issue.
- Exams
- Exams will be completed online through ANGEL.
There will be three exams throughout the semester that will be of an objective (multiple-choice, matching, etc.) format. The total possible points for each exam will be 100. All exams will be non-cumulative, focusing exclusively on the topics covered in the previous class sessions.
Please refer to the University Registrar's information about University grading policies. If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY-BASED SANCTIONS
| Lesson 1: An Overview of Justice Systems and the Role of Corrections | |
|---|---|
| Readings: |
|
| Assignments: |
|
| Lesson 2: A Brief History of Punishment and the Criminal Sentence | |
|---|---|
| Readings: |
|
| Assignments: |
|
| Lesson 3: Non-Residential Community-Based Sanctions | |
|---|---|
| Readings: |
|
| Assignments: |
|
| Lesson 4: Residential Community-Based Sanctions | |
|---|---|
| Readings: |
|
| Assignments: |
|