This course develops a critical understanding of crime and justice.
In the field of criminal justice, the course’s critical stance is
called “Radical Criminology.”
The main emphasis of this course is to critically examine concepts
and practices related to crime and justice. We will consider an
alternative way of defining crime that includes “the crimes of
imperialism, the crimes of capitalism, the crimes of racism, the
crimes of sexism, and crimes by the state” (Krisberg 1974). We also
will explore alternative ways of controlling crime that do not
involve punitive, oppressive, and violent responses. These
alternatives include nonviolent interventions such as mediation,
peacemaking, and community reconciliation. In order to figure out
which alternatives might be most effective in preventing crime, we
will examine societal contexts in which crime arises by looking at
what crime is through the lenses of poverty, class, gender,
capitalism, imperialism, terrorism and racism.
In this course we also will explore new ways of understanding crime
and justice from the viewpoint of “new criminology”, which includes
Peacemaking Criminology, Green Criminology, Postcolonial
Criminology, Black Criminology, and Buddhist Criminology.
This course speaks to both majors and non-majors in criminal
justice. The main requirements for the course are attendance and
weekly journals. The course draws on teaching methods that combine
workshops, lectures, and discussions with the viewing of films and
video documentaries.

Readings:
Prison Profiteers: Who Makes Money from Mass Incarceration edited by
Tara Herivel and Paul Wright.
Primer in Radical Criminology: Critical Perspectives on Crime,
Power, and Identity by Michael J. Lynch, Raymond J. Michalowski.
(Fourth Edition)

Class Meeting:  Daily, 1:30-2:20, SY 001

Instructor:  Christopher Magno, criminal justice department