Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Drugs and Crime (Online)

CJ 3400-30I

Course: CJ 3400-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 12441

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

  • Drugs & Society 14th Edition  by Glenn R. Hanson, Peter J. Venturelli, Annette E. Fleckenstein [ISBN-13: 978-1284197853; ISBN-10: 1284197859]

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Identify commonly abused drugs, their effects on the  human body,  and how this can contribute to criminal behavior.
  2. Define types of crimes that are commonly influenced by drug use and drug distribution.
  3. Describe and understand Drug/Alcohol related laws.
  4. Identify ways law enforcement is trying to combat drug related crimes.

Course Requirements

Quizzes


You will have 7 quizzes in this course. Each quiz will consist of multiple-choice and short answer questions. You will have 60 minutes and two attempts to complete each quiz. Quizzes must be submitted no later than the assigned due date. You may use your textbook or notes to complete the quiz.

Discussions


There will be 8 discussions (including introduction discussion) in this course.  You will be expected to post your initial response by Tuesday of each week with a minimum word count of 250 words.  The initial response to the discussion is encouraged to have outside sources supporting your thoughts on the topic, but this is not required.   You will be required to respond to at least 2 people by Saturday of that same week with a minimum word count of 100  words.  Your responses can include questions about the other person’s post or comments to add to their post.  Proper grammar and spelling is expected.  I feel that a great way to learn is through discussion where we can learn from each other's perspectives and experiences.  Through these discussions we can have a much richer, interesting, and meaningful experience in this online course.   Quality of your posts and responses is crucial to getting the most out of the discussions. It is okay to disagree with someone, but we must learn to have respectful conversations. Posts, comments, questions, and responses should be polite and respectful.

Final Paper


The final paper will be based on an interview conducted with an individual who has a history of drug addiction or is currently struggling with drug addiction.  This paper will be a 7-page minimum (not including cover page and reference page) and will need to follow APA standards.  If the student does not know someone personally meeting the criteria for the interview, I have contacts with Adult Parole and Probation that can assist students in finding someone to interview in a safe environment at an AP&P office with an agent present. 

Course Outline

Each week students will need to complete a discussion and quiz for each module.  There will be a final paper due at the end of the semester.




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

No late work will be accepted.  However, if you have an emergency that will cause you to have an assignment done late, please let me know as soon as you can!  I am open to allowing students extra time to complete an assignment if there is an emergency situation or if arrangements are made PRIOR to you needing accommodations, not after. This will be a case-by-case basis.  An emergency is not if you were out late at the basketball game/activity the night before and missed the deadline, your significant other broke up with you, forgot about time difference (out of state/country students), your family came into town and surprised you so you couldn't get your homework done, you decided to go on vacation to somewhere that didn't have internet service (let me know beforehand on this), etc.  An emergency is family member passing away, car accident that you were hospitalized for, extreme sickness (hospitalization), children being hospitalized etc., or other extenuating circumstances.  If there are technology issues that give you an error, it would be great if you could take a screenshot to show the error/issue you are having that you can send to me as well as Canvas support. 

Attendance Policy

As this is an online course, your attendance will be measured by your participation and completion of course activities.

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.