You will be held accountable for purposes of grading for the readings and exercises listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition, you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.

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Week 15: Week of December 7, 2003

• Topic: Corrections: Theory, Policy, Practice Revisited

• Preparatory Readings and Other Materials:
  --- Haas and Alpert. Dilemmas of Corrections. chapters 39-42.
  --- Sachar. Holes.
  --- Hassine. Life Without Parole.
  

• Lectures/Discussions: in class

• Concepts:

  • retribution
  • deterrence
  • restorative justice
  • rehabilitation

• Discussion Questions:
  
  
  1. Based on the materials covered in this course, what "works?" What does not work? Why.
  2. Do you agree or disagree with Hassine's assessment of corrections - "a runaway train"? Why.
  3. What was the most interesting creative measure that you worked on this semester? Why.
  4. What is the most important thing you learned in this course? Why.
  5. What advice would you give to students new to this teaching/learning approach? Why.
  6. What ideas and suggestions do you have to improve on this teaching/learning approach? Why.

Ideas and Suggestions for Creative Measures

Recommended Readings:

• If you liked Holes:
  --- Carl Hiaasen. Hoot.
  --- Will Hobbs. Downriver. (highly recommended by my kid but i haven't read it yet).
  --- Christopher Curtis. Bud, Not Buddy.
  --- Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl .
  --- Kimberly Holt. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.
  --- Paul Beatty The White Boy Shuffle. [not children's literature]
  
  
  
• Alfie Kohn. Beyond Discipline.
• James Austin and John Irwin. It's About Time: America's Imprisonment Binge.
• Jeffery Reiman. The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison.

Interesting Links:

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Jail Cam Link found by Mary Frances Chachula.
Wisconsin Department of Corrections
Virtual Prison Tour




• Minimum Requirements for Week 15:
  • Know whar works and what does not work in corrections, and why.
  • Be an active discussant in class demonstrating competence in answering this week's discussion questions.
  • Be able to assess the learning/teaching model used in this course.