CRIM 242 - The Death Penalty

PREREQUISITES: Demonstrated competency through appropriate assessment or earning a grade of “C” or better in ENGL 083 - Reading Strategies for College and ENGL 093 - Introduction to College Writing; or ENGL 095 - Integrated Reading and Writing, or ENGL 075 - Co-Requisite Integrated Reading & Writing.
PROGRAM: Criminal Justice
CREDIT HOURS MIN: 3
LECTURE HOURS MIN: 2
DATE OF LAST REVISION: Fall, 2020

This course provides an overview of the death penalty in the United States. This includes examining the origins, history, methods, and U.S. Supreme Court cases that have formed the modern death penalty. Emphasis is placed on the purpose of punishment, demographic characteristics of those most likely to receive capital punishment and social and financial costs of such punishment.

MAJOR COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course the student will be expected to:

Understand the origins and purposes of punishment, including capital punishment.
Describe the history and the U.S.S.C. cases that shaped the death penalty.
Compare the methods of execution throughout the history of the U.S.
Explain the demographic characteristics of the executed offender.
Recognize how modern science affects the death penalty.
Understand the errors that lead to wrongful convictions.
Recognize the financial burdens of the death penalty of the state and federal governments.

COURSE CONTENT: Topical areas of study include -

Origins and purposes of punishment
History of the death penalty
Case law related capital punishment
Methods of executions
Demographics of capital offender’s
Modern science
Wrongful convictions
Financial burden of the death penalty

Course Addendum - Syllabus (Click to expand)

Costs

Payments

CRIM 242 - The Death Penalty