50:202:449 Ethics and Policy in Criminal Justice (3 credits, open to senior criminal justice majors)

This course will examine the life course of criminal justice policy—from conception, development, and implementation—to the eventual evaluation and rethinking of policy. This is the capstone course for criminal justice majors. As such, it is designed to explore diverse and contemporary issues in criminal justice from multiple perspectives, including theoretical, empirical, ethics-based, and policy analytic lenses. The bulk of this course will focus on the relationship between policy and its development and ethical issues in law enforcement, court processes, and corrections.

50:202:370 Mass Incarceration, Reentry, and Justice (3 credits, open to juniors and seniors)

This course examines three components related to mass incarceration in the United States: (1) the social, political, and economic forces behind the rise in mass imprisonment; (2) the processes of incarceration and returning home—or “prisoner reentry”—with a focus on the collateral health and social consequences for former prisoners, their families, and communities; and (3) the promising, multi-level reform initiatives geared toward addressing the issue of mass incarceration and the difficulties faced by prisoners when re-entering their communities. As this is an Engaged Civic Learning course, students will also be equipped with practical training and will participate in a community outreach effort to educate Camden residents about the process of getting their criminal records expunged. This is a great opportunity to experience and contribute to the community in a significant way. Some students may be invited to participate in a law school class in the spring where they will actually advocate for clients seeking to have their records expunged.