Prison: Law and Policy

Prison: Law and Policy - Professor Aliza Kaplan

• Course Number: LAW-247
• Course Type: Highly Specialized
• Credits: 3
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description:   Courses in criminal law tend to focus on the “front end” of the criminal legal process: investigation, prosecution, and verdict. But for those people sentenced to prison, the pre-trial and trial process is only the preamble to an extended period in state custody. This class focuses in depth on a key component of the “back end” of the criminal legal system: the law, policy and reality of incarceration. These issues are particularly important given the number of people being held in American prisons and jails (close to 2 million at last count) and the over representation in this group of poor people and people of color. Topics to be covered include the history of prisons, prisoners’ rights, how prisons operate, and opportunities (or the lack thereof) for prisoners while incarcerated. The class will also address the ways many of the above issues are handled in Oregon. And finally, the class will learn directly from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people about what life is like in prison, what opportunities exist for rehabilitation, and what re-entering society is like post prison.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method: Grading will be based on 3 assignments (including a short writing assignment, end of semester paper, short presentation) and class participation
• Capstone: yes
• WIE: yes