Categories: Criminal Law

Instructor(s)

Smith, Michael

Course Data

Room 5246
W 11:30am-1:15am

Pass/Fail: No

Course Description


What purposes should the state's sentencing power over the
individual serve?  What are the most effective means of achieving those
purposes?  How well do various criminal justice administration systems
serve those purposes now?  What alternatives might be employed to serve
those purposes better?    Attempting to answer these questions
will lead us to examine purposes such as public safety, punishment, vengeance,
and the expression of social values; means such as death, incarceration,
supervision, restitution and shaming; systems such as truth-in-sentencing,
sentencing guidelines, 'supermax' prisons, and community supervision; and a
host of possible alternatives.  Students will be assigned weekly readings
for discussion, and may choose to write a number of short papers or one long
paper.  Topics must be approved by the instructor.


 

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