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Race and the Criminal Justice System
Race and the Criminal Justice System
October 20, 2021

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd on May 25 2020, conversations about racial disparities in policing surged in the news and on social media. This resource collection helps sociology faculty take those conversations to the next level, going deeper by giving students the opportunity to engage with relevant data, and going broader by considering how racial disparities play out across the criminal justice system, from crime victimization, to policing, to incarceration and re-entry.

Police in riot gear with shields standing face-to-face with protestors, of whom one is holding a sign saying "At some point silence is betrayal. MLK"
Black square with white lettering saying "Representations of crime victims: A content analysis activity." image, black background.
Rena Zito
Representations of Crime Victims: A Content Analysis Activity
May 13, 2021
Subject Area(s):
Criminology/Delinquency
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
This collaborative content analysis activity requires students to analyze the representation of crime victims in stock photos using Google image search. Students will identify patterns in victim characteristics (e.g., gender, race, age) in the images. They will...
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Scott T Grether, Aysha Bodenhamer
Analyzing Police Violence Against Men
February 26, 2019
Subject Area(s):
Criminology/Delinquency
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
College 100
Class Size(s):
Medium
Abstract:
This is an active learning activity where students analyze media reporting on police violence through a sociological lens. The purpose of this activity is twofold. First, students will engage in a type of sociological research in the classroom – qualitative content...
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Crosby Hipes, Molly Clever
Successful Ex-offender Re-entry: an Interactive Game
July 23, 2018
Subject Area(s):
Criminal Justice
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Any
Abstract:
Hundreds of thousands of individuals are released from prison every year in the United States, and their reintegration into society has consistently been cited as an important social problem. The interactive game detailed here allows students to "roll" their way...
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Reginald A Byron
Teaching About Police Violence with Open Source Police Shootings Data and Census Data
December 28, 2017
Subject Area(s):
Criminology/Delinquency
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
College 200
Class Size(s):
Medium
Abstract:
Given a larger push for developing quantitative literacy among undergraduates, the field of sociology has recently advocated that professors integrate data analysis and mathematical skills into their substantive courses (Howry and Rodriguez 2006; Wilder 2009). This...
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Sarah D'Onofrio
Using "The House I Live In" to Understand Structural Strain Theory
February 18, 2016
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems
Resource Type(s):
Assignment
Class Level(s):
College 100
Class Size(s):
Medium
Abstract:
This assignment uses the documentary "The House I Live In" to help students understand the strain faced by impoverished communities of color. Students are encouraged to think critically about the War on Drugs and its role in the growth of mass incarceration. The...
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Nick Rochin
Social Inequality: Race and the Criminal Legal System
June 30, 2015
Subject Area(s):
Introduction to Sociology/Social Problems
Resource Type(s):
Class Activity
Class Level(s):
Any Level
Class Size(s):
Medium
Abstract:
Inequality is a broad concept that is central to the discipline of sociology and can be understood in a number of different contexts. Inequality is not simply a disparity in outcomes, such as educational attainment or income, but it is a systematic unequal...
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