CJ 4960 - Race, Ethnicity and Injustice in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

3 unit(s)

(Formerly: Race, Ethnicity and the Criminal Justice System) Explores and analyzes the role and treatment of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. criminal justice system. Readings and lectures will discuss the historical and current influence of race and ethnicity on justice; policing communities of color; police use of force; drug enforcement; disproportionate sentencing; and mass incarceration. This course also focuses on biases in the criminal justice system, public policy, and ways forward. Prerequisite: CJ 2250 and CJ 2280, or consent of instructor. Satisfies the Sociocultural Inquiry Requirement and G.E. Area 4B.

SIR and G.E. 4B

Prerequisites: CJ 2250 and CJ 2280, or consent of instructor.

Course Learning Outcomes List
Students will be able to:

Discuss historical and contemporary experiences of historically disenfranchised and marginalized populations;
Describe basic concepts and theories related to race, ethnicity, crime, victimization and criminal justice;
Distinguish between prejudice, discrimination and racial/ethnic stereotypes;
Demonstrate how law enforcement, courts, sentencing policies, and the death penalty may adversely and disproportionately impact minorities and minority communities (PLO #4, #6);
Describe how dominant-minority group relations may influence crime and criminal justice policy (PLO #6); and,
Interpret how power, privilege, and/or oppression shape the histories and lives of historically disenfranchised and marginalized populations (PLO #6).

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