The class serves as an introduction to the Crime, Law and Justice Studies minor through an interdisciplinary approach. The course uses approaches from history, sociology, ethnography, critical theory and literature to examine the sequence of events that occur in the criminal legal system to address the following questions and topics: Is our system just? What is crime, and what are some theories that claim to explain "criminality"? How did the US criminal legal process and procedures emerge, and how do they function today? What is the history of policing and the police, and what are current issues that shape policing today? What happens once a person is caught up in the criminal legal process, and what role do judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and forensics play in that process? In the small percentage of cases that proceed to trial, what happens, and what are the options for the person? What happens after, and do prisons administer just punishment? What about after prison?

The driving question of the course is what it means to have and create a just system and for whom, and how does race, gender, sexuality and other categories of identity shape how a person experiences this sequence of often inevitable events. To understand complex issues like Crime, Law and Justice, we will use numerous case studies and stories such as Kalief Browder, a 16-year who spent years in Rikers Island Prison without a conviction, and whose case spurred the movement to close Rikers. We look at how judges and prosecutors make decisions in a Cleveland Courthouse, how one man experienced the death penalty, and read short stories that imagine societies with different ways of administering justice. This class will have multiple class visits including a Juvenile Prison superintendent, a police officer, people who have been in prison, a lawyer with the Clemency project and others.

What is the relationship between the university and the prison? How does college in prison raise questions of authority, power and privilege? This is an experiential learning class that combines involvement in a college program at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) and academic classes and readings. Students read texts on the history of prisons, theories of punishment, higher education in prison, and how the intersection of race, gender and sexuality impact the experience of incarceration and education in prison. Students also participate as research partners and study hall co-learners with students at the prison in collaboration with the Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS), a signature initiative of the University of Puget Sound. Through collaboration with FEPPS students, students in this class will gain knowledge about the challenges and benefits of the liberal arts in prison.

Prerequisites
Permission of the instructor.
Code
Experiential Learning Grad Req

This course uses the archival documents in the Washington State Archives to understand and document the histories of the incarceration of women, girls, trans and gender-non-binary people in WA state. Students work collaboratively with students in the FEPPS program in the prison to co-create an online history of incarceration for women and girls on StoryMapJS. Students gain an interdisciplinary and participatory approach to archival research, scholarly editing, and the praxis of recovery and public memory. The course exposes students to practical research methodologies and theoretical debates about archives; the history of incarceration; and how the archives connect to contemporary policy and issues for women in prison such as shackling, parenting, solitary confinement, education and other issues. Students think through the archival material with those most impacted by these issues by meeting with FEPPS students in the prison and alum of the program. The class will pay close attention to intersectionality, examining the fact that women of color and poor women are disproportionately likely to be incarcerated. Women's imprisonment exacerbates women's economic marginality, and women in prison struggle to receive meaningful job training and education. The course usually includes at least one visit to the archives to see the documents in person.

Prerequisites
CLJ 220
Code
Experiential Learning Grad Req

The purpose of this .5 seminar is to provide students with guidance and a supportive environment in which to pursue an independent research project that will serve as the culmination of their minor in Crime, Law and Justice Studies. The course allows students, in consultation with the CLJ director, to reflect upon, evaluate, and apply the knowledge they have gained in their course work with an institution, group or organization related to crime, law and justice. Students conduct research for or about the organization, which might include archival research, interviews or participant observation. Students identify themes, as well as particular questions and/or methodological comparisons to create connections between their coursework and the organization. The culmination of the seminar is project in a paper or non-paper format that they present to the class. For example, a student who focused on carceral systems might choose to work with an organization or with a legislator involved in prison reform and write about that experience. A student focusing on forensics and policing could examine how the Tacoma police utilize forensic science through a video, zine or slide presentation. A student focused on law and race in the US could shadow a lawyer at the Defenders Association or Civil Survival and create a video about it or write a paper, short story or art installation.

Prerequisites
Admission to the CLJ minor or instructor permission.