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2019_SP_SO217A - U.S. Criminal Justice System
Course Objectives: This course will provide an overview of the criminal justice system in the United States, how it functions, the ideals it seeks to achieve, and where it falls short. We begin the class by discussing various theories of justice and whether those theories are present in our own system. We then trace a court case from the moment of arrest through to sentencing. In doing so, we discuss the pros and cons of the police system, the court system and its actors, and the corrections system. By the time this course is over, you will be able to describe the process of what happens to someone once they are suspected of committing a crime and understand the role of various criminal justice actors throughout that process. You should also be able to think more critically about the US criminal justice system.