May 17, 2016

THE BASICSTopic: Reform of Criminal Justice System

Articles “Los Angeles County Restricts Solitary for Juveniles” (5/3) (The NY Times) “A Mockery of Justice for the Poor” (opinion) (4/29) (The NY Times) “Congress is closer than ever to easing sentences for drug offenders” (4/29) (The Washington Post) “Top Economists at White House Explain How Mass Incarceration Hurts the Economy” (4/25)

(Brennan Center for Justice) “Neuroscience is changing the debate over what role age should play in the courts” (4/18)

(Newsweek) “Paul Ryan seen as boost to criminal justice reform push” (11/8/15) (The Hill)

Questions to Consider What is the criminal justice system? How does the criminal justice system in the United States compare with criminal justice in other

democracies? What does the criminal justice system say about the values of a society? What are the key areas of the criminal justice system that need reform? What is the role of the federal government in criminal justice? What is the role of the states in

criminal justice? What effect did the 1994 Crime Bill have on prison population? What positives were part of this

bill? What have we learned about criminal justice reform? Why is there concern about solitary confinement as a means of prison population control? Why is

solitary confinement particularly damaging to juveniles? Is criminal justice reform a partisan or non-partisan issue? What penalties are appropriate for criminal behavior? What opportunities to reform are

appropriate? Do the large number of incarcerated persons reflect failures in policy? Are minorities over

represented in the prison population? Why?

What is the crucial role of the public defender in safeguarding constitutional rights? How does funding for public defenders impact justice for poor and minority offenders? http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/30/opinion/a-mockery-of-justice-for-the-poor.html

What do Americans expect from their criminal justice system?What is the objective of the criminal justice system?When the power of the government threatens your liberty, what legal protections do you have? When your safety is threatened, what legal protections do you have? http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/page/fifth-amendment

Does America incarcerate too many people? How do long prison terms affect families and communities? How have mandatory minimum sentences contributed to higher incarceration rates? Do policing methods unfairly determine who goes to jail or runs into trouble with the law? Should juveniles receive special protection in the legal system? Should the death penalty be outlawed? Should America’s justice system ever show forgiveness toward people convicted of a violent

crime? Does the United States Constitution guarantee people the right to a competent lawyer when they

get arrested? http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/justice-for-all-teaching-about-crime-and-

punishment-in-america/?

THE EXTRASPre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading

“California’s Prison Experiment” (11/14/15) (The NY Times) “The Complex History of the Controversial 1994 Crime Bill” (4/14) (Brennan Center for Justice) “Criminal Justice Reform: Breaking the Cycle of Drug Use and Crime” (White House)

Lesson Plans

“Justice for All? Teaching About Crime and Punishment in America” (The Learning Network) “What to Do: The State of the Criminal Justice System” (Independent Television Service)

What’s the Connection? Constitutional

“Felons and the right to vote” (5/2) (Constitution Daily)Oregon

“Conservatives Hoping to Reduce Prison Terms Say Oregon Ranchers are a Reason Why” (1/8) (The Daily Signal)

Students “Students spend spring break lobbying for criminal justice reform” (3/15) (The Hill)

Oregon State Social Science Standards8.20. Analyze the changing definition of citizenship and the expansion of rights.8.21. Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Untied States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. HS.27. Examine functions and process of United States government. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender, and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change. HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.HS.60. Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon form varied or opposing perspectives or points of view.

CCSS Anchor Standards

2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

We the People Lesson ConnectionsMiddle School, Level 2

Unit 5, Lesson 26: How does the Constitution safeguard the right to equal protection of the law?

Unit 5, Lesson 27: How does the Constitution protect the right to due process of law? High School, Level 3

Unit 3, Lesson 18: How has the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment changed the Constitution?

Unit 5, Lesson 31: How do the Fourth and Fifth Amendments protect against unreasonable law enforcement procedures?

Unit 5, Lesson 32: How do the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect rights within the Judicial System?

Unit 6, Lesson 37: What key challenges does the United States face in the future?