This document is a syllabus for a criminal justice course on civil liability and ethics. It provides information on the course including learning outcomes, required textbook, assignments, grading, and policies. The main assignments are 9 tests over course chapters, worth 40% of the grade, and a term paper involving an interview with a criminal justice professional about liability issues, worth 40% of the grade. Classroom attendance is also required and makes up the remaining 20% of the grade.

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Syllabus for Campus Class/Hybrid Online
Portland Community College ­ Cascade Campus
PSEB 133, 705 N. Killingsworth, Portland, OR 97217
Course Title: CJA 211, Civil Liability and Ethics in Criminal Justice
Term: Winter 2017, CRN: 11243, 3 Credits
Campus Session: Tuesdays, 9:00 AM to 11:50 AM
Classroom 111, PSEB, PCC Cascade Campus
Instructor: Aaron T. Olson, M.Ed. (ATO)
Refer to Instructor Introduction
Office Location: Room 133, PSEB, PCC Cascade Campus
Availability: By appointment
Email: Use the link to "Mail" within Desire 2 Learn or aolson@pcc.edu
Phone: 971­409­8135 Website: www.atolson.com
Course Description
This accredited course provides a practical approach to the civil liability ramifications and ethical standards of
actions by criminal justice practitioners in management and non­managements positions applicable to police,
corrections, parole and probation, juvenile and adult caseworkers, private security, loss prevention, private
investigators 911 communications, and closely related occupations. The course will focus not only on the
potential liability of criminal justice practitioners for deprivation of a person's U.S. Constitutional rights under
state and federal law, but will also address the employee's day to day dealings with civil law issues while
performing their duties mandated under criminal law. Refer to the Course Content Outcome Guide for more
information.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
1. Analyze situations that may create potential liability for criminal justice employees and their agencies.
2. Evaluate ethical situations and trends in risk management.
3. Consider and examine consequences that could be imposed by the federal government on state agencies
failing to adhere to constitutional and civil rights laws.
Course Prerequisites
CJA 111 and WR 121.
Instructional Approach
This course is arranged chronologically and employs a modular design. Each week, students should complete all
coursework listed in that week's lesson module. These modules are located in the "Content" page and there are
10 "Learning Modules" in the course.
Due dates for each week's coursework will be listed within the Course Calendar and Course Home Page
"Announcements" section. Coursework within the modules may direct students to use many of the tools

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contained in Desire 2 Learn, including Assignments (Term paper) and Quizzes (Tests). These tools will be
accessible within the weekly learning modules, as well as from the top row of each page.
Activities, Assignments and Assessments
Course work will include: completing all tasks in each module; reading the assigned textbook chapters,
identifying the chapter learning objectives for each module; viewing other literature and slides as needed;
completing a test after each module (combination multiple choice and true/false test); attending and participating
in weekly classroom activities and sessions; and completing a term paper assignment. More information on the
tests, weekly classroom sessions and the term paper assignment will be examined in their individual sections of
this syllabus.
As a courtesy, your instructor has inserted the chapter power points to make the learning process more visual
friendly and stimulating for students in each module. The power points don't cover all of the details and
information that the textbook provides. You will still need to read the weekly chapters. When it comes to test
time, you will be able to locate the answers in the textbook and not in the power points.
Participation Expectations
Students in this course are expected to attend and participate in the weekly classroom sessions. Students are
encouraged to enter the course daily in Desire 2 Learn to work on the modules, check email and
Announcements, and complete all weekly coursework.
To Avoid Being Dropped From The Class
Students who do not complete any course work (Intro Quiz or attend the first week of the campus classroom
session) within the first week of the term, may be marked as a No Show (NS) by the instructor, which will
automatically remove the student from the course.
Course Grade: Evaluation of Assignments and Assessments
The course grade will be determined by nine tests (40 percent of grade), one term paper assignment (40 percent
of grade), and ten classroom attendance/participation sessions (20 percent of grade). Tests will be graded
immediately after submission and the term paper assignment will be graded no later than seven days from the
due date. You can access your scores on tests, attendance and term paper in "Grades" for the course.
Grading Criteria
Activity Points Per Activity Percentage of Grade
Attendance (10) 100 20 Percent
Exams (9) 100 40 Percent
Term Paper (1) 100 40 Percent
100 Percent
Grading Scale
Letter Grade Total Final Percentage
A 90 ­ 100
B 80 ­ 89
C 70 ­ 79
D 60 ­ 69

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F < 60
Course Grade Guidelines
Students should consult PCC's Academic Standards and Practices Handbook: Grading Guidelines regarding
Traditional Grades and Pass/No Pass Systems.
Academic Integrity (rules about cheating, plagiarism, or sharing work)
Cheating is against PCC policy. Cheating includes any attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead the instructor in
arriving at an honest grade assessment, and may include copying answers from other students or using
unauthorized notes during tests. Plagiarism is a particular form of cheating that involves presenting as one's own
the ideas or work of another, and may include using other people's ideas without proper attribution and
submitting another person's work as one's own. Violations of the cheating policy will result in a grade of '0' for
the assignment in question, and may result in a failing grade for the course at the instructor's discretion. For
further information review the institution's Academic Integrity Policy.
Required Text
The course textbook is Civil Liability In Criminal Justice, 6th or 7th Edition by Darrell L. Ross, Anderson
Publishing. The textbook is available at the PCC bookstore or from any online bookstore vendor.
Required Readings
Chapter 1 Overview of Civil Liability
Chapter 2 Foundations for Liability
Chapter 3 Civil Liability Under State and Federal Tort Law
Chapter 4 Civil Liability and Federal Law: Section 1983 Litigation
Chapter 5 Defenses to Civil Litigation and Risk Management
Chapter 6 Administrative and Supervisory Liability
Chapter 7 Liability for Failure to Train
Chapter 8 Operating Criminal Justice Agencies Under a Consent Decree
Chapter 9 Personnel Issues and Liability
Chapter 10 Use of Force in Law Enforcement and Corrections
Chapter 11 Section 1983 and Correctional Liability Issues
Chapter 12 Section 1983 Actions in Law Enforcement
Chapter 13 Liability and Wrongful Custodial Death
Chapter 14 Conclusions: Shifting Directions in Civil Litigation
Tests: 40 Percent of Course Grade

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There are nine tests and they all have scheduled times and dates reflected in Quizzes and the Course Calendar.
The tests are generated from the learning objectives and all content from each chapter reading assignment/and
added literature the instructor includes in the module. A test will be offered at the end of each learning module
and will consist of a combination of multiple choice and true/false questions. Tests will generally have 20
questions and each test has a maximum value of points (Possible of 100 = Letter Grade). Students are allowed
60 minutes to complete the tests and the use of their textbook and notes will be permitted. Students must
complete the individual tests by themselves and are not allowed to receive assistance from another person.
Further, saving or making a copy of any portion of the tests is strictly prohibited. Unless indicated otherwise
tests will be available from Tuesdays after the classroom sessions through Mondays the next week via D2L.
Students will be able to learn their test scores after submitting their tests but will not be able to access the
individual test questions after the test is completed. This is due to maintaining the academic integrity and
security of the test. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor for follow­up questions after each test.
Term Paper Interview Assignment: 40 Percent of Course Grade
The assignment involves conducting an interview with a supervisor/manager of a criminal justice agency on the
topic of liability issues. Criminal justice agency includes: police, corrections, parole and probation, juvenile and
adult caseworkers, private security, loss prevention, private investigators 911 communications, and closely
related occupations.
Students are required to notify their instructor at the second classroom session what criminal justice agency or
profession they will be doing their term paper interview on.
Multiple students should not interview the same person. Your interview is subject to instructor verification.
Below is the required information for the term paper and its expected each response have substantive supporting
data. Points will be deducted for missing content information for each question.
Interview Information and Term Paper Requirements = 100 Points
1. Date, start time, stop time and location of interview; name of person; their title/position; agency; website;
email; and contact phone number. = 10 points
2. Do employees receive training on ethics? If yes, how often and why? If no, why don't they? = 10 points
3. Do employees receive training on civil liability or risk management? If yes, how often and why? If not,
why don't they? = 10 points
4. What are some ethical issues or challenges in your profession? Why are they an issue or challenge? Any
solutions? = 10 points
5. What training topics are employees required to take each year? Why are they required to complete this
training? = 10 points
6. Do employees have yearly performance evaluations completed on them by their supervisors? If yes, why
and for what reason? If no, why? = 10 points
7. What is your agency's policy on the use of force? Is a report required to be completed by the employee if
they use force? Does a supervisor complete a report on the use of force? ­ What does an employee do if
they witness another employee use force? *If you work in a 9­1­1 Center, what is your policy if one of
your dispatched officers uses force? = 10 points
8. What is your agency's policy on sexual harassment? What is your agency's policy on a hostile work
environment? = 10 points
9. If there is a citizen, inmate, or co­worker complaint made against one of your employees, who does the
investigation? Is there a report made? What are the options if the complaint is founded to have occurred?
= 10 points
10. Identify one important lesson you learned or had reaffirmed from this assignment as it relates to the
course. Your response should be specific and fully developed with an example. You are expected to
provide at least one paragraph with a minimum of five complete sentences. = 10 points

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Typing Your Report
Your report needs to be type written on a word document, listing your name, each page should be numbered, a
12 point style of Times New Roman font, double spaced and follow the order of questions listed for required
information. See the CJA 211 Term Paper Template and your responses need to be in complete sentences and in
paragraph form underneath each caption. Each paragraph should contain a minimum of five complete
sentences. After you answer the question, proceed to the next question, following the same format.
To be fair, objective, and consistent, your report will be graded according to Writing 121 standards for content,
clarity and sentence structure. There will be a quarter of one point subtracted for each misspelled word,
composition error, and each instance where formatting requirements (e.g. no double spacing, no page number,
etc.) for your paper were not followed. Each question which is fully answered with substance will receive the
maximum value of points. Incomplete and undeveloped responses will lose points. The minimum length of the
paper is five pages and the maximum length of the paper is seven pages. Students are required to follow the CJA
211 Term Paper Template format for their term paper. Students needing tutoring for writing their papers are
encouraged to contact PCC Writing Centers for assistance.
Due Date Of Term Paper
The due date of the term paper is Tuesday of week ten, no later than 9:00 AM. Five bonus points will be added
to early term papers that are submitted on or before Tuesday of week nine. To submit your term paper go to
"Assignments" and follow the instructions by sending your paper as an attachment (word document or pdf).
Late term papers are subject to having points deducted and must be received by the instructor as an email
attachment no later than Monday at 11:59 PM of week 11. Late papers and course work will not be accepted
after this last deadline.
Attendance and Participation Requirements: 20 Percent of Course Grade
Students are expected to attend all classes as outlined in PCC's Academic Handbook. Attendance will be taken
at the beginning and second half of all classes. Students are responsible to sign the attendance sheet at each
classroom session and notify their instructor if they leave class early. Participation and completion of active
learning classroom activities, assignments and discussions is expected. Points will be deducted for tardiness,
leaving early and non­participation in classroom sessions.
Non­Registered Students or Guests in the Classroom
Instructor approval is required prior to any non­registered student or guest is authorized and permitted to be in
the classroom. Due to the subject matter, content, and intensity of this class, children 12 years old and younger
are discouraged from attendance in in the classroom sessions.
Electronic and Digital Devices
The following policy applies to electronic and digital devices during classroom sessions:
1. All cellular phones should be in the silent mode or turned off.
2. The use of games, music, and headphones are prohibited.
3. No text messaging.
4. The audio and/or video recording of classroom sessions is only permitted during classroom sessions and
instructor authorization is mandatory. Any such recording is for personal use only. It may not be shared,
copied, uploaded to the Internet, and/or distributed without written permission from the instructor as well
as any student who appears or is heard in the recording.
5. Keyboarding for taking course classroom notes is encouraged but not for tasks unrelated to the immediate
classroom session.

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6. Any digital, electronic or Internet activity which is disruptive and/o distracting to classroom learning and
teaching is prohibited.
Late Work, Make­up Policy and Extra Credit
The following course policy applies to late work, make­up work and extra credit.
1. All coursework must be completed on time in order to earn full credit.
2. There are no provisions to make­up more than one missed classroom session due to it involving
instructor/student interaction and feedback. Students wishing to make­up one classroom session should
communicate with the instructor no later than seven days after the missed class.
3. Make­up quizzes/tests are allowed for legitimate reasons that prevents a student from taking the online
test for the period of time the quiz/test was offered.
4. Late papers are subject to having points deducted and must be received as an email attachment to the
instructor no later than 11:59 PM, Monday on week 11 of the term. Papers will not be accepted after this
deadline.
5. There will be one opportunity to earn extra credit to help students before the term is finished. Students
who complete the PCC Course Evaluation near the end of the term will earn extra credit to benefit their
course grade.
Checklist for Assignments
The purpose of the Checklist for Assignments is to assist all students in their learning experience so they may be
able to maximize the amount of points for the weekly quizzes/tests and the term paper assignment. It is
recommended students read the syllabus for this course and then go through each section on this checklist and
check off the steps and questions that are applicable to the assignments for each week. The value of this
checklist is the benefit it serves to all students before and after they submit their assignments for evaluation
and assessment.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
I respect your opinion and I expect you to respect the diverse opinions of your fellow students and myself. It is
important that we have a student­centered and hostile­free learning environment in this classroom to foster
academic development. Our behavior in this campus and hybrid online course has equal importance in the
workforce and to our communities. We should strive to be considerate and courteous at all times in our emails,
public discussions, and verbal and nonverbal communication. You should be knowledgeable of the Portland
Community College Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Violations of the Code of Student Conduct
will not be tolerated and are subject to school sanctions. Documentation and record of the behavior will be noted
and corrective action will be taken. The website and link is http://www.pcc.edu/about/policy/student­rights/
Students with Disabilities
PCC is committed to supporting all students. Students who have a documented disability and require a
classroom adjustment or accommodation should contact Disability Services and provide the Approved
Academic Accommodations letter to your course instructor.
Title IX/Non­Discrimination Statement
Portland Community College is committed to creating and fostering a learning and working environment based
on open communication and mutual respect. if you believe you have encountered sexual harassment, sexual
misconduct, sexual assault, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, national origin, veteran status,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability please contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion at (971)
722­5840 or equity.inclusion@pcc.edu.

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Flexibility Statement
As your instructor, I reserve the right to modify course content and/or substitute assignments and learning
activities in response to institutional, weather or class situations.
Communication Guidelines
Feel free to communicate with me in person on the days of our classroom sessions. You can also communicate
with me by using the Desire 2 Learn e­mail system for this course or at aolson@pcc.edu if you choose. I will be
checking email in Desire 2 Learn and PCC's email system daily on weekdays. E­mail sent on weekdays will be
answered within 24 hours. E­mail sent over the weekend will be answered the following Monday, unless it is a
school holiday.
If your question or comment would be of interest to other students, please post it in the “Public Discussions”
area of the Discussion Board. This way other participants can help answer questions, and all participants will
benefit from the answers. Refer to the information on "netiquette" in the introductory module for guidelines
governing the content of written communications.
The “Public Discussions” area of the Discussion Board is optional and for the benefit of all students who want to
have a general discussion on any current event or topic related to this course. The “Public Discussions” is not a
forum for bashing any cultural group, emergency services profession or using any offensive/hate speech. Again,
individual inquiries to the instructor should be handled by email.
Students desiring feedback on a test or the term paper assignment should email their request to the instructor
within seven days of the posted grade date of the specific assignment. The instructor will provide feedback if
asked by the student.
Online Technical Problems
If you have any type of online technical problem contact the PCC Student Help Desk at 971­722­8222 |
Outside the Portland Area: 1­866­922­1010 ext. 8222 | shd@pcc.edu
Other Important PCC Links
Add/Drop/Withdraw Deadlines
Children on PCC Properties
Student Conduct
Grading Options
PCC Resources
Registration Policies
Student Help Desk
Words To Remember
Please contact me at any time if you have a question, concern, suggestion, idea, or request about the course work
of this class or the dynamics of this class. Also, feel free to ask questions related to your employment goals or
on any criminal justice, public safety, and social justice issue.
Your Instructor,

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Aaron T. Olson, (ATO) M.Ed.
Portland Community College ­ Criminal Justice Department