Criminal System: Theory and Practice

This seminar will combine an externship field placement for each student with critical analysis of selected issues in the practice of American criminal justice. Students will combine reading and research on the American system of criminalization with their own careful reflections on their experiences in their crime-related externships. Crime related externships may include: Suffolk County DA's Office, Superior Court Units; CPCS, Superior Court Units; Prisoners Legal Services; Boston Police Department; and any other setting that provides legal experience in a crime-related setting. The weekly subject matter of the seminar may depend in part on the precise externship placements of the students but will likely include a selection from the following list: the practice of misdemeanor courts; the practice realities of indigent defense; the salience of race, gender, and class in the criminal system; family and community impact of criminal justice policies and practices; police violence and culture; plea bargaining; prosecutorial discretion; police discretion; the experience of incarceration (including prisoners' rights, solitary confinement, prison violence, and other matters); alternatives to prison; the theory and practice of reentry into the community; and other topics. We will also look at comparisons with criminal systems in other countries and avenues for reform. Students will make presentations to the group and execute substantial written assignments. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students will be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with this seminar after consultation with the instructor. NOTE: This class may be used for credits toward Experiential Learning requirement or the upper-class writing requirement. This class may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who waitlist for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.