This course will examine how the policy, law, science, and practice of criminal justice address human rights in the context of sentencing and corrections.  Discussion will center on the use of evidence-based policies and practices in Europe, Canada, and the United States to reduce recidivism in criminal justice systems.  Grounded in therapeutic jurisprudence, the recognition of rights of the convicted, and efforts to improve community safety, evidence-based criminal justice systems are replacing non-rehabilitative corrections practices, which often have the adverse effect of contributing to criminality.  Evidence-based systems are responsive to criticisms of mass incarceration and “revolving door” justice.  By considering these new approaches, students will appreciate how empirical social science influences the design of sentencing and corrections policies, and how courts assist high-risk individuals to reenter the community successfully following imprisonment.   

Instructor: Dr. Melissa Aubin