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Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

Approx. 19 hours to complete

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Course Summary

Explore hot topics in criminal justice with this course, including police use of force, race and policing, and wrongful convictions.

Key Learning Points

Learn about the challenges facing the criminal justice system today
Get insights into police use of force and racial disparities in policing
Examine the issue of wrongful convictions and how to prevent them

Learning Outcomes

Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the criminal justice system
Learn about current policy debates in criminal justice
Develop critical thinking skills and analytic tools for evaluating criminal justice issues

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

No prior knowledge of criminal justice is required
Willingness to engage with complex and sometimes controversial issues

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced
Video lectures
Quizzes
Assignments

Similar Courses

Race and Policing
Criminal Law
Social Justice

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Bryan Stevenson
Angela Davis
Michelle Alexander

Related Books

Description

The American criminal justice system is in need of reform. We incarcerate too many people. We pay insufficient attention to scientific advances that can help separate out the most and least culpable and dangerous. We grant the police far too much power to use force and technological surveillance.

As a way of thinking about dealing with these problems, this course examines two over-arching issues: What should we do with people who have committed crime, and how should we identify who they are? On the first issue, we will look closely at the nature and causes of mass incarceration, the death penalty, the lawfulness and usefulness of preventive detention and risk assessment, and the role of the insanity defense and neuroscience in assessing responsibility for crime. On the second issue, we will explore the laws regulating the police use of force, the growing role of technology and big data in facilitating police surveillance and detection and deterrence of crime, and the remedies for police malfeasance, including the exclusionary rule and damages actions. The overall goal is to help thinking individuals assess today’s criminal justice system and consider ways of making it better. After completing this course, participants should be able to: 1. Describe the mass incarceration problem in the United States and why it might exist; 2. Suggest ways of reducing incarceration; 3. Criticize risk assessment instruments and their use in preventive detention schemes; 4. Discuss the pros and cons of the death penalty, the exclusionary rule, and the insanity defense; 5. Analyze the relevance of neurological evidence in a criminal case; 6. Identify some of the reasons innocent people are wrongly convicted; 7. Elaborate on the role race plays at sentencing and in police use of force, stop and frisk and consent searches and 8. List the types of surveillance technology available to police and the constitutional principles that govern their use.

Outline

Mass Incarceration
Welcome and Course Introduction (4:34)
Incarceration Rates in the United States and Europe (7:29)
Legal Reasons for Differences Between U.S. and European Incarceration Rates (11:00)
Cultural Reasons for Differences Between U.S. and European Incarceration Rates (15:40)
Additional Cultural Reasons for Differences Between U.S. and European Incarceration Rates (19:08)
Can Incarceration Trends Be Reversed? (8:29)

Punishment & Prevention
Introduction: Reducing Reliance on Harsh Prison Terms (8:28)
Purposes of Punishment (11:36)
The Accuracy of Sentencing Determinations (11:09)
Treatment Programs (10:48)
The Autonomy Principle (11:32)
Pure Preventive Detention (14:50)

Insanity & Neuroscience
Cases in Which the Insanity Defense is Raised (10:14)
Legal Definitions of Defenses Based on Mental Disability (17:19)
The Outer Boundaries of Mental State Defenses (15:47)
Legal Claims Based on Neuroscience and Neurogenetics (17:31)
Mental Disability and Dispositions After Conviction (12:56)

The Death Penalty
History and Structure of the Death Penalty (11:05)
Economics of the Death Penalty & Interrogations (11:40)
Eyewitness Identifications (15:11)
Labs and Adversarialism (16:09)
The Influence of Elections, Jury Confusion, and Race on Death Sentences (13:23)

Police Use of Force
How Often do Police Use Force and Against Whom? (12:40)
The Law of Deadly Force and Stop and Frisk (12:07)
The Law of Car Stops and Searches (14:48)
The Exclusionary Rule and Damages Remedies (16:11)
Oversight Boards, Training, and Structural Reforms (21:47)

Police Surveillance
The Definition of Search Under the Fourth Amendment (12:09)
The Knowing Exposure, General Public Use and Contraband-Specific Doctrines (14:41)
The Assumption of Risk Doctrine (20:15)
Reasons to Regulate Police Surveillance (12:09)

End of Course Final Quiz

Summary of User Reviews

Discover the latest trends and issues in criminal justice with Coursera's Hot Topics in Criminal Justice course. Students praise the course for its engaging content and knowledgeable instructors. Many users also appreciate the flexibility of the course, which allows them to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Engaging content

Pros from User Reviews

Knowledgeable instructors
Flexible schedule
In-depth coverage of hot topics
Interactive quizzes and assignments
Opportunities to engage with other students

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course material too challenging
Coursework can be time-consuming
Limited interaction with instructors
No certificate of completion for audit learners
Some users experienced technical issues with the platform

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