CRJ 712, Fall 2010
R. Shelden
Office: GUA 5141
Phone: 895-0251; e-mail: shelden@unlv.nevada.edu
Web site: www.sheldensays.com
Office Hours: Monday and Wed. 11-noon, Tuesday, 8-11AM
Required Readings:
I. Books (click on title for ordering information):
II. Internet Readings:
Aim of the Course:
The official description of the course reads as follows: “Punishment and Corrections: Philosophies and practices of punishment and corrections. Contemporary theory, the prison environment, work and rehabilitation programs, parole, overcrowding, capital punishment, and alternatives to imprisonment.”
Most of these topics will be covered in this course (especially in Our Punitive Society), but the course will also cover history, the role of race and the concept of “total institutions.” As to history, we’ll examine the origins of the prison system in the United States and thus the philosophy of punishment, which is presented by a classic book by Lewis. As for race, the book by Douglas Blackmon needs no explaining (for a preview of what this is about before you read it go to his web site). The Lewis and Blackmon books can tell us a lot about the current situation with regard to incarceration, especially how we got to where we are. The past tells us a lot about the present and the future. We ignore it at our peril.
Your grade will be based upon class participation, a take home exam, the statement of the problem, a research proposal and the final research paper. The relative weights of each of the above are as follows:
Assignment Points
Take-home exam on Our Punitive Society 100
Class Participation (including talking points) 40
Initial “statement of the problem” 10
Research proposal 20
Research paper 130
Content of the Course: Each day that the class meets we will have a general discussion of the assigned readings for that particular day. Bring with you a set of notes and an outline of what you consider to be main “talking points.” You will turn in a copy of the “talking points” after class. Each student will, in turn, give a brief overview of their talking points. This will be followed by a general discussion.
Take-home exam: This exam will consist of essay questions and will cover Our Punitive Society. More details will be provided.
Research paper: Your research paper should be no longer than twenty-five (25) pages, plus the bibliography. This will be done in three stages. First, an initial “statement of the problem” will be written (maximum of one page, plus references). Second, a proposal will be submitted (maximum of five pages plus minimum of five references). Third, the final paper. Note the various due dates for these below. More will be said about this during the course.
Note: Send assignments (prior to due date) via an e-mail attachment (MS Word) to my home e-mail: profrgs@cox.net.
Schedule of Assignments:
The following
schedule is tentative and subject to change. You will be responsible for
knowing any changes (and you do this by coming to class).
Date Topics and Assignments
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8/24 Overview of Class and general expectations; video - Stanford Prison Experiment (view Internet reading #3 at your leisure)
8/31 Punishment in America: Shelden, Introduction, chapters 1-2
9/7 Total institutions, Internet readings #1&2; Jails: Shelden, chapter 3
9/14 Women and kids: Shelden, chapters 6-7
Statement of the Problem due this date
9/21 Death Penalty and Parole: Shelden, chapters 5 & 8
9/28 History: Lewis, From Newgate to Dannemora, chapters 1-3
Research Proposal Due this date
10/5 History: Lewis, From Newgate to Dannemora, chapters 4-7
10/12 History: Lewis, From Newgate to Dannemora, chapters 8-10
10/19 History: Lewis, From Newgate to Dannemora, rest of book
10/26 No class: study week for take-home; due midnight 10/31
11/2 Blackmon: Internet reading # 4; Introduction and Part One; Shelden, chap. 4
11/9 Blackmon: Part Two
11/16 No Class: ASC Conference, San Francisco
11/23 Blackmon: Part Three & Epilog
11/30 Make-up day - this is reserved for Q & A about research papers and any other unfinished business
Research Papers Due by mid-night December 3.
12/7 End of semester celebration; a tradition begun several years ago where we all meet around 5PM at Metro Pizza for food, drink and celebration.
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Research Proposal: Some Guidelines
The “initial statement of the problem” entails presenting to the reader the nature of the problem to be explored; this should be about a page or two.
The “research proposal” is a brief summary of a particular “problem” or one or more “key questions/issues” that will require some research to explore and will involve some literature review. The “problem” could be the relationship between two or more variables. This will be a more detailed elaboration of the “initial statement of the problem.” A minimum of five pages is required, along with at least five references.
Much later (when you start your thesis/professional paper) would come a brief summary of the methods you will use to conduct this study (e.g., field research, existing/secondary data research, survey research via a questionnaire or interview, etc.) and, finally, what do you expect to find (i.e., what are your major hypotheses) and how will you present these findings.
You can use this as a general guide for the thesis you will eventually write for this graduate program. This exercise might help you at least get a head start on writing your thesis, even if you have already started.
The structure of a research paper:
Format of Research Paper: Fonts, pagination, etc.
There are many different formats used by writers these days. I would prefer you use either Verdana size 10 Times New Roman font 12. Put page numbers at the bottom, either in the center or on the right (title page should not have a page number, so start pagination on the second page). There is a standard recommended by the UNLV Graduate College, which you can get from the UNLV web site (I don’t like this one at all!). There are plenty of other examples and formats available by just reviewing some standard academic journals. Examples can also be found on my web site, under the heading “Research Articles.” You may use the style found in many academic journals or in one of the books assigned for this class.
A word on “notes” and “references”
In many research papers/books/articles there is a section at the very end, just before or after the references section, known as “endnotes” since they appear at the end, in contrast to “footnotes,” which are found at the bottom of the page.[1] References are put at the very end of the paper/report, after the endnotes (except whenever I write a paper the “notes” are literally at the end, after the references), usually following some standard practice (e.g., APA style). Sometimes the endnotes contain all the references in addition to “explanatory notes.”
Note
[1]. Some have called this an “explanatory note” where you want to make a point or provide some additional information (e.g., a suggested book to read) that does not really need to be in the body of the text.