This course is designed to help you explore and better understand the purposes and structures of punishment in the U.S. criminal justice system. By the end of this course, you should be able to:
• Identify the traditional purposes of punishment, understand tensions between them, and explain how they manifest in today’s criminal justice system.
• Understand the kinds of sanctions imposed by American courts, and the uses and limitations of each.
• Know how to use interdisciplinary research to augment your legal understanding of sentencing and correctional issues, and better advocate for clients.