Prisons & Criminal Justice Systems

Balance Rights and Power: What determines who goes to prison and for how long, and how do legal systems shape justice—or fail to? In this course, you will gain a practical understanding of legal systems while confronting mass incarceration as a pressing legal, ethical, and societal challenge. You will also explore the various stages of the U.S. criminal justice system—arrest, prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and imprisonment—and dive into key topics like policing practices, prosecutor reform, sentencing guidelines, and the role of AI in justice.

Why Take This Course? Through research, legal reasoning, and advocacy, you’ll engage in meaningful projects that ask you to communicate with specialized audiences, such as juries, and investigate local legal systems. This course will challenge you to critically analyze justice systems and contribute to real-world solutions. Ideal for students interested in law, ethics, or social justice, this course will equip you with the tools to analyze and advocate for meaningful reforms in justice systems worldwide.

Students in GOA courses will need reliable access to a computer with webcam/microphone connections, an email address (preferably school-based), a Web-conferencing app (GOA courses use Zoom), and a Word processing app (GOA courses use Google’s G Suite). When necessary, alternative arrangements may be made. Some courses require additional materials which can be found here.

NCAA-approved course

UC-approved course

View Course Outline