By now the reader has no doubt surmised that plea-bargaining is the main focus of this curriculum unit. That is correct. But the unit’s focus is somewhat broader. We will be concerned with the administration of criminal justice from arrest to conviction and/or acquittal. The unit will be geared toward advanced students in either American history or sociology. The unit will try to develop inquiry and research skills, rather than to just stress the acquisition of information. To do this, students and teacher together should begin by posing the questions to be answered during the unit. These questions will include:
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1. What is plea-bargaining? What are the various types of plea-bargaining?
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2. How is plea-bargaining used in the investigative process?
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3. What differences are there between plea-bargaining and criminal trials? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method to society and to the accused?
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4. When did plea-bargaining begin in New Haven? When did it replace trials as the most common process of criminal justice? Why did this change occur? Why weren’t more courts built? How was the role of plea-bargaining in New Haven both alike and different from its role in other cities?
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5. How prevalent is plea-bargaining? What percentage of cases nationwide are settled through plea-bargaining?
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6. What are some other aspects of criminal justice administration?
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7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of various proposals to reform the criminal justice system?
To answer these questions, students will be requested to use several sources. Some sources, mostly books and articles, will be general and theoretical. These sources will not necessarily contain any specific references to New Haven. Specific information about New Haven’s criminal justice system will be obtained from microfilm of the New Haven
Register
and through interviews and documents available from personnel in both Superior Court and the State’s Attorney’s offices. This research will enable students to answer the fourth question. To answer the third question posed above, a mock trial and a filmstrip on plea-bargaining (
The Justice Game
) will be used.
