CJ 220 - Race and Class in Criminal Justice

Credits: 5
Provides an in-depth examination of the historical challenges on race, class, and gender in the American criminal justice system, including the relationship with law enforcement, courts, and corrections. This course examines diversity that exists in the communities and the theoretical and practical information to respond effectively to diversity issues. This course addresses the marginalized groups including African Americans, LatinX Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, women, and the LBGTQIA+ community issues faced in the criminal justice system.

Enrollment Requirement: CJ& 101 and ENGL& 101 or higher; or instructor consent.

Satisfies Requirement: Diversity
Course Fee: $5.00

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Identify and discuss the challenges of racism, systemic racism and their impact on law, crime, and justice in marginalized communities.
Articulate the concepts and differences of race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic class, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation in the criminal justice system.
Analyze the impact of cultural biases in the three pillars of criminal justice: law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
Recognize the disparity rates within the criminal justice system that have been historically present and currently exist.
Enhance critical thinking, research, and communication skills with regard to cultural diversity issues through a multicultural lens.

Program Outcomes

Give reasons for conclusions, assumptions, beliefs and hypotheses.
Meet obligations necessary to complete individual and group tasks.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Diversity and Equity - In order to advance equity and social justice, students will be able to examine their own and others’ identities, behaviors, and/or cultural perspectives as they connect to power, privilege, and/or resistance.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.