Overview

CRJS 492 - Criminal Organizations provides a comprehensive overview relevant to Organized Crime which is a dynamic, ever-changing social phenomenon. Much debate exists regarding what it is, how it should be defined, and which social policies are best to control it. The purpose of this course will be to introduce students to organized crime around the world by demystifying the world of organized crime, by analyzing it closely and critically from a social perspective. Groups such as Street Gangs and Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs, as well as Latino, Asian and Russian, criminal groups will be examined. The student will examine the structure and activities of organized criminal enterprises, considers different models that have been employed to describe organized crime groups, and explores theories that have been advanced to explain the phenomenon. Major investigations of organized crime and legal strategies that have been developed to combat it are also considered. This will enable students to be exposed to what is known about organized crime, which can make a tangible difference in developing a frame work for understanding and addressing it, because organized crime is growing in importance as the world economy expands, and is shadowed by a criminal economy.

Outline

Criminal Justice 492: Criminal Organizations comprises the following eleven units which can be organized into three sections:

Section 1: Units 1 to 3

Section 1 focuses on how academics and law enforcement agencies attempt to define organized groups from their particular viewpoints. It discusses the difficulties in arriving at a common definition that is useful to everyone. Section 1 presents the theories that address the question of why people and groups engage in criminal behaviour.

Section 2: Units 4 to 10

Section 2 outlines a number of criminal organizations in operation today. The goal is to understand these groups better and to gain deeper insights into the primary activities in which they are engaged.

Section 3: Unit 11

Section 3, which consists of Unit 11, describes how communities are responding to and dealing with these criminal organizations.

Evaluation

Your final grade in Criminal Justice 492: Criminal Organizations will be based on the grades you achieve on three written assignments and a final exam. To receive credit for the course, you must achieve a mark of at least 50% on each submitted assignment for credit and on the final exam. You must complete the course with an overall course grade of at least “D” 50 per cent.

Your mark on each credit assignment and the final exam will be based on the following criteria. Keep these in mind as you prepare each assignment:

• clarity and depth of your arguments
• demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the subject matter
• ability to articulate and present your thoughts

The following table summarizes the assignments for credit, their weighting toward your final grade, and the date at which they are due according to the study schedule provided in this course.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

The course materials for Criminal Justice 492: Criminal Organizations are mostly found on the course website.

Textbook

Abadinsky, H. (2007). Organized crime (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Readings

Additional assigned readings for this course are contained in the Digital Reading Room, (DRR) or through a print reading file. You will be directed to these readings at the appropriate points in the course.