Reading and Writing Workshop

Theme: Justice, Ethics, and the Role of the Individual in Society

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to pursue justice?
• How do personal values and professional ethics influence decision-making in criminal justice careers?
• How can reading foundational texts inform our understanding of justice and reform today?

Session 1: What Is Justice?
Reading: The Republic by Plato (Book I excerpts)
Focus: Socratic questioning and definitions of justice
Activity:

• Students read Socrates’ dialogue with Cephalus and Thrasymachus in The Republic, Book I.
• In small groups, students annotate and discuss the competing views: justice as honesty and repayment vs. justice as the interest of the stronger.
• Students write a short response: “Which definition of justice do you agree with and why?”

Public Domain Source:
Plato, The Republic, Book I (translated by Benjamin Jowett)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497

Session 2: Civil Disobedience and Conscience
Reading: Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
Focus: The individual’s moral duty in unjust systems
Activity:

• Students read excerpts where Thoreau argues that individuals must not permit governments to override their consciences.
• Class debate: Should people working in criminal justice follow orders or follow their conscience when they conflict?
• Writing prompt: “Can disobedience be a form of justice in the criminal justice system?”

Public Domain Source:
Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/71

Session 3: On Crime and Punishment
Reading: On Crimes and Punishments by Cesare Beccaria
Focus: Enlightenment-era critique of torture, the death penalty, and arbitrary punishment
Activity:

• Students read selected chapters (e.g., “Of Torture,” “Of the Punishment of Death”).
• Partner work: create a chart contrasting Beccaria’s views with modern U.S. practices (solitary confinement, death row, sentencing).
• Students write a research-based response: “What reforms would Beccaria advocate for today?”

Public Domain Source:
Cesare Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments (translated by E. D. Ingraham)
https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/beccaria-an-essay-on-crimes-and-punishments

Session 4: Justice and Law in Practice
Reading: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (selected legal reflections)
Focus: The tension between law, morality, and justice in American history
Activity:

• Students read Douglass’s reflections on the Fugitive Slave Law and the use of law to uphold injustice.
• Class discussion: How do legal systems reflect or fail to reflect justice?
• Writing prompt: “What responsibilities do criminal justice professionals have when the law is unjust?”

Public Domain Source:
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23

Session 5: U.S. Legal Foundations
Reading: The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution (Preamble and Amendments)
Focus: Founding principles of justice and liberty
Activity:

• Close reading of the Declaration and Preamble: “all men are created equal,” “establish justice.”
• Students highlight and annotate how these documents define justice and rights.
• Argument writing task: “Has the U.S. fulfilled its founding promises of justice for all?”

Public Domain Sources:
Declaration of Independence
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
U.S. Constitution
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

Session 6: Writing Workshop – Connecting Past and Present
Focus: Use textual evidence from historical readings to support capstone projects or reform proposals.
Activity:

• Students bring a draft or outline of their capstone paper.
• In writing groups, students integrate quotes or ideas from one public domain reading into their project.
• Mini-lesson: How to introduce and cite historical sources in argument writing.

Deliverable:
A revised project excerpt that includes one citation or thematic connection from the reading workshop.

Session 7: Final Reflection and Portfolio Writing
​Focus: Synthesis and reflection
Activity:

• Prompt: “How have historic ideas of justice influenced your view of your role in the criminal justice system?”
• Students write a 1–2 page personal reflection essay that ties together course themes, career goals, and moral perspectives.
• Include this essay in the final portfolio.