Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Drugs and Crime (Face-to-Face)

CJ 3400-01

Course: CJ 3400-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32414

Course Description

The historic, economic, social, and political roles of legal and illegal drugs, their contribution to crime and impact on the criminal justice system, production distribution systems, efforts to combat decriminalization, prevention, and treatment. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): CJ 1010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D-

Required Texts

Crack in America, Reinarman   ,     Drug War Crimes, Miron 

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes will be provided by the instructor.
1.      Knowledge of the Criminal Justice System

Students will recall terminology; understand the different components of the criminal justice system as well as a basic understanding of what those components accomplish; and identify employment opportunities in criminal justice.

2.      Critical Thinking

Students will utilize information from various sources to draw conclusions.

3.      Teamwork

Students will work together to complete assignments in different areas of the criminal justice system. 

4.      Intercultural Knowledge

Students will understand the challenges their own as well as different cultures face in the criminal justice system.

Course Requirements


15% - Test #1


15% - Test #2


15% - Test #3


15% - Final


40% - Presentations and class participation (Attendance)

Course Outline

August 27         Introduction of syllabus 
August 29         Chapter 1 “Drug War Crimes”
September 1     No Class Labor Day
September 3     Chapter 1 “Drug War Crimes”
September 5     Chapter 2 “Drug War Crimes”
September 8     Chapter 3 “Drug War Crimes”
September 10   Chapter 4 “Drug War Crimes”
September 12   Chapter 5“Drug War Crimes”
September 15   Chapter 6 “Drug War Crimes”
September 17   Chapter 7 “Drug War Crimes”
September 19   Chapter 1-7 Review for Test #1“Drug War Crimes”
September 22   Test #1 – In Canvas – No Class
September 24   Crack and Politics
September 26   No Class - “Dealing Careers” Essay #1 Due
September 29    Chapters 1,2 “Crack in America”
October 1          Chapters 3,4 “Crack in America”
October 3          Chapters 5,6 “Crack in America” “Researching Crack Dealers” Essay #2 Due
October 6          Chapters 7,8 “Crack in America”
October 8.         Chapters 9,10 ,11, 12  “Crack in America”
October 10        Chapters 13,14 “Crack in America”
October 13-14   No Class Fall Break
October 15        Chapters 15 “Crack in America”
October 17        Chapters  16,17 “Crack in America”
October 20        Chapter Epilogue “Crack in America”
October 22        Review for Test #2
October 24        Test #2 - In Canvas – No Class
October 27        “The Myth of Organization” Essay #3 Due
October 29        “ Consenting to Talk” Essay #4 Due
October 31        “Drugged Druggists” Essay #5 Due
November 3.     “The Drugs-Crime connection among stable addicts” ” Essay #6 Due
November 5.     “ E is for Ecstasy” ” Essay #7 Due. Group Presentation ( Ecstasy)
November 7.     “ Trafficking in Bodily Perfection” Essay #8 Due
November 10    “Cooks are like gods” ” Essay #9 Due Group Presentation (Meth)
November 12     Group Presentation (Fentanyl)
November 14     Group Presentation (THC)
November 17     Group Presentation (?)
November 19     Review for test #3
November 21     Test #3 – In Canvas _ No Class
November 24-28 No Class Thanksgiving Break
December 1      CNS Depressants and Stimulants
December 3.     CNS Depressants and Stimulants
December 5      Instruction Ends (Final ) - In Canvas – No Class

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

Late work will only be accepted one class period after the due date and it will be penalized 50%.

Attendance Policy


Attendance and participation account for 40% of the student’s final grade. Only by attendance at the class will the student be in a position to discuss the nuances of the various theories and gain a sense of their priority. If it appears that the student is unable to attend class, the instructor expects to be notified by telephone or e-mail prior to the start of class. 

Course Fees

No Fees

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.