Course Description
Ethics in Criminal Justice is designed to give students a foundation to the basic ethical concepts and issues that arise in various aspects of the field. In this course, students will explore and form an understanding of the concepts of morality, fairness, equity and justice as they relate to policing, the courts, punishment and policy making. Students will be able to develop a familiarity with the cause and effect of ethical decision making through the use of case studies, current events and discussions. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- CRJ 101: Criminal Justice
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Explain the basic ethical concepts and frameworks used in ethical decision-making.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how fundamental ethical concepts are utilized in policing, criminal courts, and corrections.
- Examine the role that race, ethnicity, and gender may play a role in the administration of justice.
- Distinguish between legal issues and ethical issues.
- Relate current events (both domestic and international) to basic ethical concepts.
General Education Outcomes (GEOs)
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 35% |
Current Events Project (Week 3) | 20% |
Midterm Exam (Week 5) | 25% |
Current Events Project (Week 7) | 20% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
- This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are openly licensed, educational resources that can be used for teaching, learning and research. OER may consist of a variety of resources such as textbooks, videos and software that are no cost for students.
- McCarthy, S. & Parent, R. (2015). Ethics in Law Enforcement. BC Campus
- Levin, N. (Ed.) (2019). Introduction to Ethics: An Open Educational Resource
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1,4 | Topic: Introductions and an Introduction to Justice
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2 | 1,2,4 | Topic: Ethical Issues in Law Enforcement (General)
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3 | 1,2,3 | Topics: Ethical Issues in Policing/Racial Discrimination
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4 | 1-5 | Topic: Feminist Ethics
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Midterm Exam Materials Assigned through Week 4 SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4 | |||
5 | 1,2,4 | Topics: Punishment and the Aftermath
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6 | 1,2,4 | Topic: Corrections
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7 | 2,4,5 | Topics: Judges and Lawyers
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8 | 1-4 | Topic: Conclusion
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.