3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course is meant to introduce students to the profound challenge of crime in American cities and to the opportunities and obstacles to address it. From gangs, gun violence, and the narcotics trade to crimes targeting vulnerable populations like children and the elderly, the course will survey the breadth and character of criminal enterprises in cities like Baltimore. Students will confront vexing questions raised by contemporary criminal justice practices relating to race, poverty, privacy, and policing. Students will also examine whether institutional reform in the areas of juvenile justice, conviction integrity, fairness in sentencing, and reentry reflect the Constitution’s promise of equal justice for all.