This course is a two-hour, fully online, and self-guided series that introduces the audience to the United States criminal legal system. The first module defines the term structural inequalities and provides examples of various disparate racial and ethnic outcomes in U.S. institutions. The second module describes the rise in U.S. conviction and incarceration rates from the mid-1970s through today. The third module examines a little known, but expansive punishment outcome related to most citations and convictions across the United States – this is the sentence of fines, fees and other costs. The final module examines policy and practice implications. We review incremental policy reforms happening across the United States in attempts to mitigate the negative outcomes related to criminal legal contact, particularly for people who are poor.
Law enforcement officers may login to the Acadis portal and find this training.