This course will familiarize students with the history, structure, and performance of America's sentencing and corrections system. "Sentencing" is the process by which criminal sanctions are imposed in individual cases following criminal convictions. "Corrections" deals with the implementation and evaluation of criminal sentences after they are handed down. In fact, the two subject areas are inseparable. This course will examine sentencing and corrections from global and historical views, from theoretical and policy perspectives, and with close attention to many problem-specific areas. We will explore sentencing theories and their application, the nature, scope and function of corrections, the impact of mass incarceration on crime and communities, the effectiveness of rehabilitation, the relationship between sanctions and crime, and the consequences of prisoner reentry. These topics will be considered as they play out in current political and policy debates. Guest lectures may include presentations by judges, prosecutors, victims, offenders, politicians, and correctional leaders.
Early in the seminar, each student will choose a sentencing or corrections topic to investigate. A list of possible topics will be provided but students may choose any sentencing or correctional topic that interests them, with the professor's approval. During the quarter, students will conduct research on the topic, including a critical review of the historical, empirical, and policy literature. Where possible, students will contact relevant experts for information and perspective. This research will serve as the basis for in-class discussion, focusing on different aspects of the topic as the quarter progresses. Students will hand in two 15-page papers during the quarter, for review and comment but not for grading. In the final weeks of the quarter, students will do a presentation on their research. At the end of the exam period, students will resubmit their two papers, revised as desired, for grading.