Crime, Law, and Justice

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID: CJ 300
CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in a Criminology and Criminal Justice course for undergraduate or graduate students by Sylvia Valenzuela, Ph.D. at San Diego State University. The open textbook provides an overview of the three main components of the criminal justice system: the police, courts, and corrections.   The instructor develops PowerPoint slides directly from the textbook materials and she includes supplemental learning material such as readings, videos, and assignments.  The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to lessen the financial burden on students, but still provide them with a rigorous textbook.  Most students access the open textbook in pdf via a link provided on the course homepage and/or a link on the syllabus.

CJ 300 Crime, Law, and Justice 
Brief Description of course highlights:  CJ 300:  Crime, Law, and Justice is an introductory, upper division, course in criminology.  CJ 300 provides students with an overview of the four cornerstones of criminology:   the role of law in society, theoretical examinations of crime and behavior, the components and operation of the criminal justice system, and research methods or the empirical examination of crime and behavior.

The aim of this course is to give students a fundamental understanding of how crime comes to be defined to include certain behaviors and exclude others; how the law works to control and regulate the behavior of both citizens and justice system professionals; why some people violate the law and others do not; the mechanisms employed to control crime and deal with criminal offenders and victims of crime; why different individuals and communities view crime, law, and justice so differently; and the research techniques we use to discover what works and what does not work and how one era’s best practices can be viewed as failures at best from future perspectives.  In order to do this, we will take a sociological approach to the study of crime, law, and justice in the United States. 

Student population:  CJ 300 is the first course criminal justice majors take on the topic; there are no lower division criminal justice courses offered at San Diego State University. Students in this course are generally junior or senior level students who have completed all general education lower course requirements, and have been admitted into the criminal justice major.   Students who transfer to SDSU from community colleges may have taken introductory administration of justice courses, depending on their school.

Learning or student outcomes:  Student learning outcomes for CJ 300:  

• Obtain an understanding of the four cornerstones of criminology 
• Develop an informed appreciation of the complex problems of crime in society.
• Understand the need to approach the subject with a critical lens regarding issues from the nature and causes of crime to the purpose, operation, and effectiveness of the massive and often flawed organizations that society has formed to address the problem of crime.
• Understand that crime is caused by social factors as much as it is by behavioral factors.
• Understand that the operation of our criminal justice system is designed to control both the citizen and the organizations tasked to enforce societies rules. 
• Understand the structure and operation of the criminal justice system (i.e. police, courts and correctional agencies). 
• Understand the three main components of the CJ system do not always share same goals. 
• Realize that the agents and agencies of our criminal justice system are often ineffective. 
• Understand that even with its problems the system can be improved and reformed. 
• Identify the material elements of a crime.
• Understand how criminological theories are used to explain behavior.
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the four major components of the system. 
• Understand the problems and be able to evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice programs.
• Develop their critical thinking skills via class discussion and writing.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption:  CJ 300 -02 TR Sp 24 Syllabus FINAL.docx

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System.

Brief Description: SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System is an open source textbook that provides an overview of the American Criminal Justice System.  This book is well-suited for use in an introductory criminal justice course because it provides foundational knowledge on core criminal justice and criminological topics.   The book starts out with an introduction into crime, criminal justice, and criminology and explains how these topics interact.  There are ten chapters in the book on topics including the core components of the criminal justice system (the police, courts, and corrections), and broader issues such as criminal law, policy, community corrections, and juvenile justice.   The additional are beneficial to students in future foundational courses, as well as elective courses; for example: CJ 301 Law and Society, (which covers socio-legal issues), CJ 302 Crime and Behavior (theories of crime), CJ 321 Juvenile Justice, CJ Corrections, and CJ 540, a course on methods.

I found the book to be very detailed on several topics, so much so that I had the ability to pick and choose which topics I covered in class.  Chapter 3, criminal law, provided a wide breath of knowledge on the history of how criminal law was established to substantive and procedural law, defenses, and other legal issues. Each of these topics could be a stand-alone lecture.   I appreciated the wealth of information, but had to condense some of the details for the sake of time.  An instructor who is short on time may prefer a more condensed edition of the textbook.

Please provide a link to the resource:   https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/ccj230/

Authors:  Burke, A.S., Carter, D., Fedorek, B., Morey, T., Rutz-Burri, L., and Sanchez, S. Open Oregon Educational Resources.

Student access:  Students access the textbook via the link on the syllabus, the link on Canvas, or via an internet search.

Supplemental resources: List resources including online homework systems, interactive study guides for students, and faculty-only resources such as solutions and slides that are available.

Provide the cost savings from that of a traditional textbook.  Using an open source textbook saves students approximately $100 - $150 per course (slightly less if they purchase a used textbook). An average full time student takes four to five classes per semester, so that can save them $600-$750 per semester (slightly less if they are able to resell their book at the end of the semester).

License:  SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System is an openly licensed textbook. 

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. I wanted to support the goals of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and extend the principals to financial support by offering students an open source textbook. At the same time, I wanted to ensure that I could provide them with a well written, and well-rounded textbook. Furthermore, the history of the development of the American Criminal Justice system is well established; I do not believe students should have to pay for knowledge that is readily available and unchanging.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? I found this textbook by doing a simple internet search of open source material, I reviewed open source material available via the SDSU library. I wanted a textbook that was easy to understand and provided an overview of the criminal justice system.

Sharing Best Practices:  There were two time consuming issues that I encountered with using an OER source: 1. the time spent searching for and reviewing available material and 2. the lack of supplemental materials available for the OER source.   

One of the most time consuming parts of getting started with OER is finding a source that was suitable for the course, that was rigorous, and that had content that I liked. There was limited availability of material for my course so I spent a lot of time doing google searches and reviewing materials on-line.  I was fortunate to find a good source that fit well with my course.  However, that led to the next time consuming issue: lack of supplemental material.

The source I found was well written, thorough, and I liked the organization.  However, it did not come with supplemental materials such as powerpoint slides, class activities, test banks, or anything like that.  While I generally prefer to create my own powerpoint slides, I like to use the template provided by other sources and modify (in terms of design, content, etc.).  Additionally, I generally like to create my own class activities but it is nice (and time saving) to have ideas available.  Likewise with test banks, I like the option of reviewing questions already created.

In summary, I spent a lot of time upfront searching for a suitable OER source and preparing the initial course.  But my students really appreciated that I put in the effort to save them some money.

Describe any key challenges you experienced, how they were resolved  and lessons learned.  I did not experience challenges, per say, using this textbook.  There was slight confusion with the bookstore because I was unaware that I had to submit textbook information for open source material, but they contacted me and the issue was easily resolved.

I have used other textbooks in the past where ancillary materials (i.e. PowerPoint slides, group assignments, etc.) were provided.  I would not say that was a challenge because I generally prefer to create my own PowerPoint slides based on my reading on the materials.  

Instructor Name:  Sylvia Valenzuela, Ph.D.
I am an adjunct professor in the Criminology, and Criminal Justice Department at San Diego State University. 

Please describe the courses you teach. I teach upper division undergraduate criminal justice and criminology courses. In the past. I have taught:
CJ 300: Crime, Law & Justice-an introductory course which provides an overview of criminology and the criminal justice system. We learn about the three main components in the criminal justice system (the police, courts, corrections) as well as
CJ 302: Crime and Behavior-this course examines theoretical explanations for crime and behavior.
CJ 321: Juvenile Delinquency- this course examines the problems of juvenile delinquency, including risk factors, racial disparity, labeling, and gender differences.
CJ 540: Research Methods- this course focuses on measuring and defining crime, how research is conducted, and how research is used to develop policy and best practices.

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  I believe that teaching is most effective when it is combined with mentoring. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that each student is unique, each student has a voice, and each brings with them a unique set of experiences, strengths, and limitations.  As such, I need to let my teaching be guided by the needs of the students that means recognizing their differing needs, understanding different learning styles, being aware that their lives outside of school influence their performance, and making mentoring an important part of my teaching.  This philosophy was instilled in me by two professors who mentored me through my Master’s (Libby Deschenes at CSULB) and Ph.D. programs (Elliott Currie at UCI).  Libby and Elliott saw me and understood that as a first-generation college student I needed more support. They used “unconventional’ techniques like calling me to check in (because I was not good at using email), meeting off campus outside the university, inviting me to their home to work on research, etc.  These are all examples of carino (Spanish for kindness); something that I incorporate into my mentoring. 

I’ve had the privilege of teaching at institutions with diverse student bodies: CSULB, SDSU, Torah High School (Orthodox Jewish Girls), EC3 Civic High School, and Chula Vista Charter Learning School.  All of my students enter the classroom with differing experiences, abilities and perspectives.  I plan my lectures around the reality that I will be teaching a varied group of students who have varying learning styles, who may lack equity in social and other forms of capital, who may carry trauma with them to the classroom, and also that the intersectionality of gender, race, class, and sexuality can affect learning.  

My interest in educational equity stems from my own experiences, as a first generation Latinx college student.  From my personal experience, and my ethnographic research, marginalized students do not get the ‘full’ college experience rather they remain on the periphery and often do not feel like part of the college community.   To increase feelings of inclusion I have come up with creative ways to engage students.  I have created undergraduate teaching assistant positions where students work closely with me and learn how to grade, create assignments, and other educational assignments.  When I worked for the Federal Public Defender’s office, I included students the federal habeas appeal by having them decode prison letters.  I have mentored countless students, met with them on and off campus, held focus groups, and other things throughout the years.   I bring in real world examples and material from my dissertation, to discuss the pathways through college of disadvantaged students.  I also use humor surrounding my own struggles and experiences in college, and within my culture.  For example, I mentioned in class how I still buy my ‘pelon pero pico’ (a Mexican spicy tamarind candy) despite knowing it has lead in it—the Mexican students in class were cracking up.  I have had students approach me in class, or come to office hours, because they felt that I was someone they could talk to about their struggles.The goals for my students are not just for them to learn the material, but also for them to develop critical thinking and writing skills.  That is reflected in the number of short, but thought provoking assignments I give my students throughout the semester.  In my criminological theories course, one assignment is “creative” where students can do anything (I give a list of suggestions) as long as they explain at least one criminological theory.  Students have submitted original artwork, content analyses of songs, collages, short stories, poems, paintings, and other very artistic creations.  These assignments allow students to practice their writing, allow me to get to know them through their stories, and replace the rote memorization of tests with reflective and creative thinking.  I’m constantly learning and finding new ways to improve my teaching methods, findings relevant materials/examples that engage students, and to maintain the joy I have for teaching while also balancing the awareness of the challenges faced by faculty of color. My goal is for all students to feel like they matter and are part of the University.