The Introduction to the Criminal Justice System textbook was adapted from three main sources. The first, and most major source, was the the Introduction to Criminal Justice textbook from the Washington Open ProfTech project. Much of the content of this textbook comes from this source. The current project also pulled from the Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System from the Open Oregon Educational Resources for content on Criminological Theory, Criminal Justice Policy, and Juvenile Justice. Finally, the current project utilized chapters from Introduction to Criminal Justice from LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Networks on Current Issues in U.S. Criminal Justice. The culmination of these resources resulted in the current text adapted for use at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) to be used as a reference for its CRMJ 1100 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System course. 

Adaptation Notes

While much of the content (i.e., body of the text) is pulled from these three main sources, adaptations were made throughout to insure that this text is aligned with the learning objectives for CRMJ 1100 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System at UTC. For instance, review checks were added into each chapter that align with learning outcomes and work to insure reading and comprehension. Additionally, components were added particularly in the Criminal Justice Policy and Beyond the Basics chapters to apply specifically to the state of Tennessee or the criminal justice system at large. Outside resources including weblinks and videos were also added into the Beyond the Basics chapter, in particular, to increase understanding of these topics that are not typically discussed in introductory level classes. The ordering of chapters were also changed to align with the needs of CRMJ 1100.

Acknowledgements

This adaptation was a team effort. Many resources at UTC were utilized. In particular, the hard work of Rachel Fleming, the Scholarly Communications Librarian and OER expert, and Troy Carroll, the Lead Online Systems Administrator for the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, must be acknowledged. Without their skill set and help, this project would not have been possible. Additionally, I would like to thank the College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost Sciences who supported these efforts through allowing Professional Development Leave for this project. Finally, this would not have been possible without the support of my colleagues from the Department of Criminal Justice, and my department chair, Dr. Rick Dierenfeldt.

Terms of Use

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