Group assignments
Ground rules

Readings/Websites:

1. Associated Press. 2011. Group pushes to end disparity in cocaine sentences. March 29, Bangor Daily News.
2. Ian Simpson. 2011. Lower sentences begin for crack cocaine crimes. Nov 1, Reuters.
3. Jennifer L. Eberhardt, Paul G. Davies, Valerie J. Purdie-Vaughns, and Sheri Lynn Johnson. 2006. Looking Deathworthy. Psychological Science 17(5):383-86.
4. Steven Hawkins. 2010. Education vs incarceration. Dec 6, The American Prospect.
5. Laura Sullivan. 2010. Prison economics helped drive Arizona immigration law. October 28, NPR.

Videos

1. Kevin Booth. 2007. American Drug War: The Last White Hope. (excerpt)
2. A day in the life of a CCA correction officer (on youtube) (CCA was formerly known as Wackenhut)

Resource

• You might want to check out the ALEC Exposed site (comes up in one of the readings)--legislative bills and analysis.

Assignment: 150 to 200 - word abstract (an abstract is basically a summary with some analysis)

Some things to think about: Wow. Lots to think about here. What organizations are involved? Major industries? What groups are benefiting from private prisons? How have companies influenced legislation? Are there racial issues associated with incarceration? What are the costs and benefits to society, and the opportunity costs?

The routine:

1. Put the citations for the articles you read.
2. Briefly summarize the articles/video materials (1-2 sentences for each).
3. Relate the readings/videos to the class (why do you think we're reading them?)
4. Basically, I want you to show me that: 1) you read the articles and viewed the videos, and; 2) you got something out of them. One way to think of it might be responding to the question, 'what did he want us to get out of this?'

In Zabel 256: Hot Coffee