Roundtable: Humanizing Criminal Justice: Strategies for Encouraging Students to Think Beyond the Crime

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Students with limited exposure to people or circumstances different from their own background often struggle with understanding other viewpoints. This struggle often becomes evident during class discussions regarding what are appropriate punishments or potential reforms within the criminal justice system. Consequently, instructors attempting to encourage a more humanistic approach may then be criticized for being “too soft on crime” when advising students to think beyond the “us versus them” or “good guy versus bad guy” dichotomies. The purpose of this discussion is to share strategies for encouraging students to think beyond the criminal act, or the criminal label, in order to facilitate a more humanistic approach when studying the criminal justice system.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Jessica Hodge, University of St. Thomas

Discussants

• Deshonna Collier-Goubil, Azusa Pacific University

• Kristi Holsinger, University of Missouri-Kansas City

• Lori Sexton, University of Missouri-Kansas City

• Katalin Parti, Hungarian Institute of Criminology

• Megan Welsh, San Diego State University

• Allison Gorga, University of Iowa