FRS 001HH — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 73910— T 3:10-4:00 PM — 1291 SSH
Sense and Nonsense About Crime and Drugs

Instructor: Brian Paciotti, Department of Sociology, College of Letters and Science

Description: To control crime, societies develop rules and various types of enforcers such as police and courts. Modern industrial nations such as the United States have complex institutions to monitor, apprehend, and punish (or rehabilitate) criminals or social deviants. Throughout the course, we will explore steps taken by the United States criminal justice system to control crime, and consider how successful these efforts have been or are likely to be in the future. In addition, we will discuss informal justice systems (vigilante organizations, “cultures of honor”) that are used by citizens themselves to protect their property and resolve disputes. Next, to understand criminal justice policies and programs, we will study political ideologies and how these lead to either retributive or rehabilitative criminal justice goals. Finally, we will discuss the costs and benefits of various policies aimed to control guns and drugs. This course will follow Samuel Walker’s influence text titled “Sense and Nonsense about Crime and Drugs.” This is a very clear text that provides a huge amount of information about crime and the criminal justice system. The text makes bold propositions, and then cites important studies in support of the claims. Some examples include:

1.) Most current crime control proposals are nonsense.
2.) Waging “war” on crime is the wrong way to fight crime.
3.) The death penalty does not deter crime.
4.) Repeal or modification of the Miranda warning will not result in more convictions.
5.) “Three strikes and you’re out laws” are a terrible crime policy.

The main goal of the course will be to introduce students to processes in which the American criminal justice system attempts to control crime. However, in one discussion, I will present some of my research concerning vigilante justice in Tanzania, East Africa. Most students have some interest in the topic of criminal behavior, and even more have opinions about the best way to deal with criminals in our society. This course will give them enough information about theories of crime, and processes associated with the criminal justice system to either back up their views or change them. For example, most criminologists recognize that “three strikes laws” are not very effective to control crime, but many citizens continue to favor these. In addition, most people have an opinion about capital punishment. Does the death penalty really deter? After the course, all of the students will have a much greater understanding of these important and contentious social issues. Overall, I believe that this will be a very popular seminar. Many students are interested in possible careers as lawyers, police officers, or corrections officials. This class will give them a nice introduction to the topic of crime and criminal justice.

Format: Each week we will read 1-2 chapters from Walkers book. In addition, I will assign additional assignments such as looking at web pages about crime statistics and other related issues. Overall, students will not be overburdened with readings. However, they will be encouraged to really think about the short readings assigned, and to be prepared to have something to say about the issues in class. Crime and criminal justice are very contentious topics, and I will encourage people to agree and disagree with the readings and each other. However, I will also stress the importance of communicating in a mature and respectful manner. Grading: Students will be required to complete the readings before each class period, and participate in the discussion about the weekly issues. I will ask students to be prepared to give a brief overview of their opinions of the topics, and will encourage people to show their true feelings and perceptions. I will give participation grades that will amount to 20% of the final grade. During the quarter, I will give them two 2-3 page writing assignments in which they choose a topic of particular interest, and then write a brief overview of the issue. For example, do they agree or disagree that presidents should “declare war on crime”? Why or why not? Each of these assignments will be worth 40% for a total of 80% of their grade.

About the Instructor: Brian Paciotti, a human ecologist, recently finished his PhD from an interdisciplinary social sciences program at the University of California, Davis. He is currently a lecturer with the department of Sociology at UC Davis where he has been teaching criminology and social psychology. In addition, he recently completed a post-doctoral fellow with the National Consortium on Violence Research. In the field of criminology, he is exploring patterns of violence related to Chinese tong organizations in Pre-WWII Seattle and San Francisco. In addition, he is a post-doctoral researcher working on a grant in which he was funded to understand how religious institutions influence altruistic behavior. In general, his teaching and research focuses on the interplay between psychological and decision-making processes within the context social institutions (visit www.brianpaciotti.com).