Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

The criminal justice system in the United States has to be overhauled. They imprison far too many individuals. They pay insufficient attention to scientific advancements that can assist distinguish between those who are most accountable and dangerous and those who are least culpable and harmful. They give the cops far too much control over the use of force and surveillance technology.

This course covers two overarching topics as a method of thinking about how to deal with these concerns: What should they do with persons who have committed crimes, and how should they determine who they are? On the first topic, they'll examine the nature and reasons of mass incarceration, as well as the death sentence, the legality and use of preventive detention and risk assessment, and the role of the insanity defense and neuroscience in determining criminal guilt. On the second topic, they'll look at the laws that govern police use of force, the expanding importance of technology and big data in assisting police surveillance, detection, and deterrence of crime, as well as the remedies for police misconduct, such as the exclusionary rule and damages actions.

The overall goal is to help thinking individuals assess today’s criminal justice system and consider ways of making it better. After completing this course, participants should be able to:

• Describe the mass incarceration problem in the United States and why it might exist;
• Suggest ways of reducing incarceration;
• Criticize risk assessment instruments and their use in preventive detention schemes;
• Discuss the pros and cons of the death penalty, the exclusionary rule, and the insanity defense;
• Analyze the relevance of neurological evidence in a criminal case;
• Identify some of the reasons innocent people are wrongly convicted;
• Elaborate on the role race plays at sentencing and in police use of force, stop and frisk and consent searches and
• List the types of surveillance technology available to police and the constitutional principles that govern their use.4

Details:

• Time to Complete: 4 weeks, 1- 2 hours per week
• Rating: 4.7/5.0
• Enroll here: coursera.org/learn/economic-growth-part-1