Race, Crime, and Public Policy

This course will provide students with an in-depth analysis of the social and political connections between criminal justice policies and race. The first section of the course will cover the concepts of race and ethnicity and the social construction of target populations. Secondly, students will learn what public policy is, how it is made, and methods of analysis. Next, we will cover the history of the criminal justice system and the creation of mass incarceration. Lastly, we will cover specific criminal justice policies and practices and their ramifications for the civil liberties and rights of racial minorities.