Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Introduction to Criminal Justice (Face-to-Face)

CJ 1010-01

Course: CJ 1010-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32390

Course Description

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the criminal justice system, encompassing its fundamental components: policing, courts system, and corrections. Throughout the course, we will delve into the structure and operation of these crucial components, exploring their roles, challenges, and policy recommendations.

We will begin by examining the intricate workings of police organizations, shedding light on their organizational structure, day-to-day responsibilities of police officers, as well as the methods and obstacles they encounter in the line of duty.

Transitioning to the courts system, we will analyze its structure and functions. We will study the sentences and punishments available to the court, exploring the various factors that influence judicial decision-making, and policy recommendations.

The course will then shift its focus to the realm of corrections, where we will explore the distinctions between jails and prisons. Moreover, we will examine community corrections, which serve as alternatives to incarceration, and their role in reintegrating individuals into society.

Through engaging lectures, discussions, case studies, and interactive exercises, this course will equip students with a foundational understanding of the criminal justice system. By the end, students will have developed a comprehensive knowledge of the key components of criminal justice and their interconnectedness, empowering them to critically analyze and evaluate the system's strengths, weaknesses, and potential for reform.

Required Texts

Peak, K. J., & Madensen, T. D. (2018). Introduction to criminal justice: Practice and process. Third Edition. Sage Publications. (ISBN 13: 9781506391847)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students are expected to have acquired the knowledge, skills, and competencies to demonstrate the following:  

1.  Critical Thinking
Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

2.  Quantitative Literacy
Students can understand and create sophisticated arguments supported by quantitative evidence and clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc., as appropriate).

Course Requirements

Midterm Exam: 30%
Final Exam: 30%
Assignments, Discussions, and Class Participation: 40%

Course Outline

Tentative Course Schedule & Reading Assignments

Note: This schedule is subject to change. Updates will be announced in class. Please complete all assigned readings before the corresponding class session.

First Class

  • Aug. 28 — Introduction & Syllabus Overview

Class 1

  • Reading: Chapter 1 – Fundamentals of Criminal Justice
    Sep. 2 — Assignment 1
    Sep. 4 — Discussion 1

Class 2

  • Reading: Chapter 2 – Foundations of Law and Crime
    Sep. 4 — Assignment 2
    Sep. 9 — Discussion 2

Class 3

  • Reading: Chapter 3 – Theories of Crime
    Sep. 11 — Assignment 3
    Sep. 16 — Discussion 3

Class 4

  • Reading: Chapter 5 – Police Organization
    Sep. 18 — Assignment 4
    Sep. 23 — Discussion 4

Class 5

  • Reading: Chapter 6 – Police at Work
    Sep. 25 — Assignment 5
    Sep. 30 — Discussion 5

Class 6

  • Reading: Chapter 7 – Policing Methods and Challenges
    Oct. 2 — Assignment 6
    Oct. 7 — Discussion 6

Oct. 9 — Midterm Exam


Class 7

  • Reading: Police Innovation (Assigned Reading on Canvas)
    Topics: Problem-Oriented Policing, Community Policing, Hot Spots Policing
    Oct. 16 — Class Session
    Oct. 21 — Assignment 7
    Oct. 23 — Discussion 7

Class 8

  • Reading: Chapter 11 – Court Methods and Challenges
    Oct. 28 — Assignment 8
    Oct. 30 — Discussion 8

Class 9

  • Reading: Chapter 12 – Prisons and Jails
    Nov. 4 — Assignment 9
    Nov. 6 — Discussion 9

Class 10

  • Reading: Chapter 14 – Corrections in the Community
    Nov. 11 — Assignment 10
    Nov. 13 — Discussion 10

Class 11

  • Reading: Chapter 15 – Juvenile Justice
    Nov. 18 — Assignment 11
    Nov. 20 — Discussion 11

Class 12

  • Reading: Evidence-Based Crime Policy: Theory into Practice (Assigned Reading on Canvas)
    Dec. 2 — Class Session

Dec. 4 — Final Exam


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

  • Assignments and discussions must be submitted on time. Late submissions will incur a 1-point deduction per day.
  • No submissions will be accepted more than one week past the due date without prior approval.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is required for all class sessions. 
In-class discussions and activities are an essential part of the course and will only be available to students who attend. 

Class Rules and Policies

Prohibited: Use of cellphones, headphones, or earbuds during class (except for emergencies or in-class exercises).

Academic Misconduct: A broad term that is used to describe a violation of academic integrity, including but not limited to Cheating, Complicity, Fabrication, Falsification, and Plagiarism collectively. Academic Misconduct is behavior that has the effect of causing readers, evaluators, or consumers of a work, data, or information to incorrectly believe the Student is the authentic source of the work, data, or information.

Plagiarism: The intentional or unintentional appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words, without giving appropriate credit. Plagiarism includes the unattributed verbatim or nearly verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs from another's work, which materially misleads the reader regarding the contributions of the author. It does not include the limited use of identical or nearly-identical phrases which describe a commonly-used methodology. Plagiarism is a type of Academic Misconduct.

APA Citation Requirements for Cited Information:
All submitted work must adhere to APA citation guidelines, including proper in-text citations and a reference list for all cited information.
  • No AI-Generated Content: Submissions containing AI-generated content will not be accepted.
  • Plagiarism Check: All assignments will be checked using plagiarism detection tools (e.g., CopyLeaks). Submissions with a similarity score higher than 50% will be reviewed. If flagged for potential plagiarism, students may be required to revise and resubmit their work.
  • Ensure that your work is original, properly cited, and aligns with academic integrity standards. Failure to do so may result in penalties in accordance with university policies.
 
Sometimes we will talk about uncomfortable or controversial topics where students have different opinions. I aim to make my class environment a safe space in which students feel comfortable discussing their ideas, experiences, and opinions. I encourage respectful debate and disagreement, and you should always feel free to challenge what I say. I expect you to be considerate of the viewpoints and privacy of others. 

Students who show disrespect to their peers or the instructor will be asked to leave the classroom.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.