POWER, PERCEPTION AND PUNISHMENT

Catalog description

This graduate-level course in criminology explores the complex relationships attendant with crime, and the criminal justice system, with a primary focus on the United States. It critically examines the manifold outcomes of criminalization, victimization, and differential treatment at all stages of the justice process - from policing and prosecution to sentencing and corrections. The course emphasizes the variable structural and institutional dimensions of crime and justice, engaging with key criminological theories, empirical research, and historical context. Topics include policing practices, the school-to-prison pipeline, court processing, punishment and mass incarceration. Students will also analyze contemporary debates surrounding the evolution of criminal justice reform Through applied research and data analysis, students will develop the skills to critically evaluate variable criminal justice outcomes and contribute to evidence-based discussions in criminological scholarship and practice.