Course Detail

CJ 444 Law of Corrections

CJ 444 IS Sec 2, University of Mississippi
[See UM Catalog for Description]

3 credit hours

Instructor Information:

Instructor name:
Dr. Linda Keena

Dr. Linda Keena obtained her Bachelor's (1984) and Master's (1991) degrees in Criminal Justice from Southeast Missouri State University and her Doctorate (2006) from the University of Missouri. She is a former State of Missouri Adult Probation and Parole officer and for the last twenty years has taught various corrections courses, community and institutional based.

She has established a record of scholarly publications which reflects a variety of criminal justice, restorative justice, religion, corrections, and community-based research topics. In addition, she is co author and project director for MEDFELS, a nationally recognized methamphetamine program for elementary schools.

Finally, Dr. Keena is the co-director of the Violence Prevention Office, a program funded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, aimed at educating students and staff about realities of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking.

Contact Information:

If you have questions concerning the content of the course, you may contact the instructor directly using the Email Your Instructor link in the Lessons or Content page. NOTE: Whenever sending email, please be sure to indicate your course title and number in the subject line. You can expect a response within 72 hours, although it may be longer on weekends. Many instructors reply within 24 hours.

For lesson or test administration issues, please contact the iStudy department:

Course Description

This is a fourteen lesson independent study course on the topic of Correctional Law. This course examines analyzes prisoner rights, state and federal prisoner litigation, and the constitutional basis of these areas. Course assignments, quizzes, and readings are reflected with each lesson.

Textbook Information:

Textbook information will be provided upon enrollment in your iStudy course.

Course Objectives:

Objectives include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Understand the general history of the law and how the legal system in the US works
• Know how the different components that make-up the field of corrections and how they fit into the bigger criminal justice picture.
• Recognize the specific legal provisions that are most often encountered in corrections litigation and the types of legal actions that are most often used by prisoners to complain about conditions and treatment.
• Know the legal steps that should be anticipated and experienced by a corrections worker in a corrections lawsuit.
• Understand the different areas of corrections in which different provisions of the Constitution have been examined to see whether they define or limit what may be done by corrections officials.

Course Outline:

This course is composed of fourteen instructional modules and three proctored examinations.

You MUST take the syllabus quiz within 2 weeks of enrolling or you will be dropped from the course. NOTE: you must pass the Syllabus and Orientation Quiz for the course materials to appear on the Lessons page.

LESSON

Reading Assignments

Due for Grades

Syllabus

*You MUST complete the syllabus quiz as soon as you have access to your Blackboard course. This is mandatory to verify your attendance.* NOTE: you must pass the Syllabus and Orientation Quiz for the course materials to appear on the Lessons page.

Syllabus Quiz

1

Chapters 1 and 2: Intro to Law, Corrections and the CJ System

Quiz

2

Chapter 3 and 4: Habeas, Torts, Section 1983 and Going to Court

Quiz

3

Chapter 5: General View of Prisoners' Rights

Quiz

4

Chapter 6: Access to Courts

Quiz

EXAM 1

Chapters 1-6

To be scheduled
and completed
before proceeding

5

Chapter 7: Inmate Mail

Quiz

6

Chapter 8: Inmate Visiting

Quiz

7

Chapter 9: Religion

Quiz

MIDPOINT OF COURSE

If you are a semester student, you must reach the midpoint of your course by the date specified in your information.
If you are a Flex UM student, you CANNOT WITHDRAW from this course after the lesson has been submitted.

All lesson assignments or exams needed to reach the midpoint of the course.
The exact date semester students are required to reach the midpoint is specified in your information.

8

Chapter 10: Search and Seizure

Quiz

9

Chapters 11 and 12: Inmate Discipline, Classification, Transfers, Personal Injuries and Property Loss

Quiz

EXAM 2

Chapters 7-12

To be scheduled
and completed
before proceeding

10

Chapter 13: Female Offenders and Others

Quiz

11

Chapter 14: The Death Penalty

Quiz

12

Chapter 15: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Quiz

13

Chapter 16: Health Care

Quiz

14

Chapter 17: Probation and Parole

Quiz

Final Exam

Chapters 13-17 - To take the final exam all course work must be submitted and graded.

To be scheduled
and completed
to finalize credit

Grading:

GRADING SCALE
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
Below 59% = F

FAILURE TO TAKE THE FINAL EXAM WILL RESULT IN FAILURE OF THE COURSE.

You must submit the lessons required to take the course exam(s). Lessons required but not submitted will receive a grade of zero. For the final exam, all coursework must be submitted and graded.