Reflection - A great week of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING - Ms. Grosart

This week was true example of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING at its best. The Criminal Justice group started the week with one essential question: What are our preconceived notions of the criminal justice system and are these notions accurate?
We went full-on into exploring these notions. From seeing the local House of Corrections (Belknap), to experiencing a taste of life in maximum security at the Nashua St. Jail, to a court room arraignment, to a session with a defense attorney, this group left no stone unturned. We learned about things verbally, experienced them firsthand, asked our questions, heard answers and witnessed the answers. We experienced the smell of a jail, the feel of being yelled at by an inmate, the sound of the sally port door closing behind us, the feel of handcuffs being slapped around your wrist, and the sound of a prison guard yelling. We will never know what it's like to actually be locked up, to have your freedoms taken from you, to be scared to death of what could happen to you at the hands of other inmates, to have no privacy, to feel that your life is ruined and to see the dwindling hope of a better life. We learned about who might defend us if we ended up in a situation where we needed a court appointed lawyer. We feel confident in getting the best defense possible. Our lawyer will fight for us no matter what. That's a good feeling.
This has been a week of information, experiences, fun, laughs, surprises and education. We are a more informed group of citizens. Thank you to our students for being engaged and inquisitive and for truly delving into the project. #criminaljustice14 #greatweek

Alberto - Final Post

This week was a great week, full of new experiences and lessons. I learned a lot about how the judiciary system works in America and it was great to realize that some of my assumptions were wrong and others right. Not everything is like in the movies or tv shows, but they are kind of accurate in some aspects. The thing that impressed me most was visiting both Kelnap county Jail and Nashua St. Jail, I think it gave me a more realistic perspective of how jails are in real life and what are the relationships between inmates and guards, and inmates with each other.
We also had the opportunity to talk to Chris keating (public defender) from who I learned what my rights are as a civilian and also what are the limitations of the police.
 After all this experience I think I'm definitely more prepared in the criminal justice area.

Kristina- Final post

This project week is only my second, but certainly my favorite. Coming into this week I had a lot of preconceived ideas that proved me to be wrong. Seeing the Belknap House of Corrections and the Nashua St jail was especially interesting to me because I had thought all inmates in jail were treated the same. The house of corrections was a lot more laid back (but still safe and secure!)  while the jail seemed to be much stricter. I love talking about the jails because the jail visits were my absolute favorite part of the week. I had never before been inside a jail so I was very intrigued going into each one. Being able to actually talk to and ask the inmate, Mohammad, questions was very eye opening. Much of what I learned and got to experience this week is something I never would have gotten the opportunity to do outside of project week. A big thank you to Mr. Little and Ms. Grosart, our two amazing group leaders, for an amazing week!

Final Day - Teresa

When I first decided to do criminal justice I thought I had a clear idea of what the Justice system looked like. My idea of jail was a cement complex surrounded with barbed wire. I thought the prisoners were all terrible people under strict surveillance at all times. Though our investigation of the Belknap house of Corrections and the Nashua Street Jail I learned that there are different types of prisons with varying degrees of protection and procedure. The Belknap House of Corrections was relatively relaxed. The lower security prisoners were allowed to wander around a little, there were classes that the inmates could take and many were released on work detail during the day. At Belknap the guards and staff took a great interest in trying to improve the lives of the inmates so when they got out they would be able to be active contributing members of society. The Nashua Street Jail on the other hand was what I had originally imagined a jail would look like, minus the barbed wire fences. The Jail was very strict and there was constant violence and hatred between the inmates and to the gaurds. The main goal of the jail is to hold the inmates, there are no classes, work detail, or freedoms. The inmates never even saw the sun except through barred windows. The Nashua Street Jail was depressing. I would not want to be arrested after seeing what I have seen at the two jails. The court house was also different than I expected. I originally believed that lawyers would meet their clients right after they get arrested and that when they go to court the room is quiet for the arraignment. I learned that lawyers sometimes meet their clients right before the arraignment and have only a couple of minutes to prepare their case. The courtroom was also very noisy with many things going on at a time. The defense attorney Chris Keating, who we met with, was much as I originally thought a defense attorney would be. I learned a lot about how cases are tried and what citizens rights are under the fourth amendment. After the experiences of this week I have come to a greater understanding and appreciation of the criminal justice system.

Project Summary

 Aubrey Dawkins

Today is the last day of NHS project week! All in all it was a great experience, filled with tons of excitement the first 2 days, and wonderful insights and knowledge the second 2. Nothing is more rewarding and fun than gaining knowledge through structured positive experience with enthusiastic teachers. Visiting the police station, the Belknap House of Correction, and the Nashua St. Jail cleared so much gray area up for me. Yes, we all have an idea of what these places are like from watching shows like Cops, Beyond Scared Straight or movies like Shawshank Redemption but you'd be surprised how wrong, negatively and inaccurately depicted they are. This week, I will be talking about for years and years to come, excited to educate people on a topic were all interested in, but in reality know very little about.

Gracie Final Post

This week has been a great one full of tons of new knowledge and fun. Going into this week, I knew very little information about the criminal justice system. Over the week I had assumptions that changed into realizations for example, I never really knew the power that guards/officers had in jail, or that in court as a defender you may be meeting with your client for just hours before their arraignment. I also assumed that jail really was terrible and as a group we were able to find out this is true. It really is a place that myself and I'm sure no one else would like to ever be. I also assumed that jails were all relatively the same, however this is not the case. All jails are different whether it is the amount of inmates, the security of the jail, or the environment of the jail. Belknap County House of Corrections and the Nashua St. Jail are an example of this as they were completely different than each other. This is just some of the new information that I learned over this past week. It was really awesome and I loved the groupi that I was with. Thank you Ms.Grosart, Mr.Little, Mr.Joslin, and the rest involved in making this project possible! CRIMINAL JUSTICE 2014

Jackie Martel Final Post

Overall, I was impressed by the amount of professionalism that was prevalent this week. In media and on tv shows that we watch, we see corrupt and weighted systems to make the shows more interesting but during this week we didn't see that. What I saw were hardworking people whether it was a passionate judge, a lawyer content with his responsibilities, or a guard ready to take action to try and do the right thing. Each person we met with made an impact on my opinion and made me appreciate all of the jobs that are necessary to provide a fair and just legal system. The media also portrays trials and arrests as a quick and fairly simple process, but I later learned that it takes a lot even to just get a warrant to search somebody. Trials require many previous hearings, one being an arraignment which we got to witness. Those are quick meetings, but overall the entire process can be tedious and require focus and patience. I gained a lot more respect for correctional facilities after we visited because I didnt know how important their jobs were. My opinion about the entire legal system has shifted from seeing it as a corrupt and system that needs change, to now as a necessary tool to guide the nation into the right direction.

Thank you to Ms. G and Mr. Little for providing us with an amazing week!

Criminal justice reflection

Josh Repine 
Last day

This last week we learned about the criminal justice system. Our main goal was to evaluate the system and relate or compare it to the criminal justice system that the TV displays. The TV displays somethings exactly and others horribly. For example, TV shows the correct physical appearance of the jail system and the inmates living situation. It also confirmed my idea of a correctional officer because it showed that the officer was very passionate about his job and wanting the best for the prison but not necessarily the best for the inmates. But TV shows didn't show the correct idea of a defense lawyer. Shows portray these self appointed defense lawyers as not caring about each case. But after speaking to one it's obvious that he cares about each case and every situation. The lawyer is trying to win each case. This week was very eye opening and helpful in understanding a major part of the United States justice system.

Emily Cuthbertson - Final Post

This week was very informational and really fun to be apart of. Going into the week I had an assumption that all jails were the same. Over the week I learned that there are jails, prisons, and house of corrections facilities which are all different. My assumption was that in every jail there was a cell with two inmates and a rec area like the Nashua Street Jail, but I learned that a jail is just for pre trial inmates who have not been sentenced. I also learned that a house of corrections facility is for inmates sentenced under one year and a prison is for inmates with more than a one year sentence. It was also interesting to know that due to different reasons each prison is different. In the Nashua Street jail all inmates were on maximum security and could not leave their cell block without handcuffs, but in the Belknap Country House of Corrections the inmates could walk around free at the appropriate times. Overall this week I learned a lot and my assumptions were either proven to be true or they were completely wrong and I learned what actually happens. Visiting the jails and having a hands on experience seeing the inmates in there cells and the gross environment they lived in showed me that it is not a place I would want to live in.

Alisha Gilbert Day 5

This week was a very good week and it opened my eyes up to what criminal justice really is. This was a great project for me to do because I am going to College to study this subject. I really enjoyed going to the jails and getting to talk to the inmates and also observe how the guards interact with them. I also really enjoyed going to court and watching the arraignment. It showed me that I never want to be accused of anything or do anything to get me accused of something because jail is not a place where I'd like to end up. This was a very good experience for me and I'm looking forward to presuming the criminal justice job.  

Mock Arraignment #criminaljustice14

 The Honorable Emily Cuthbertson presided over 3 arraignments today.
Aubrey Dawkins was arraigned on charges of resisting arrest. He was let out on his own recognizance. Jackie Martel did a great job.
Josh Repine was arraigned on charges of possession of cocaine with intent to sell and illegal possession of a firearm. His bail was set at $10,000. His lawyer, Gracie Maganzini, asked to suppress the evidence because it was illegally obtained. She cited the 4th Amendment to lessen his bail from $25,000.
Kristina "Beyonce" Doucette was arraigned on charges of distributing an illegal substance (crack cocaine) and resisting arrest. With Teresa Trias as her lawyer, "Beyonce" was not able to be released on her own recognizance. The judge set her bail at $5,000.

                                  Aubrey is excited to be released on his own recognizance.

Reasonable Suspicion

Today the Criminal Justice group continued its work with Chris Keating, Executive Director of NH Public Defender Office.  Students prepared defense statements for arraignment, discussed the role of reasonable search and seizure in the justice process, and participated in mock arraignment hearings. Students played the roles of police and prosecution, judge, defense attorney, and defendant. Impressive how much they learned this week! Great group - awesome job! Looking forward to the Symposium presentation work tomorrow.

Day 4 Teresa

For the past two days Chris Keating, the Executive Director of NH Public Defender Office, has met with us to discuss the Criminal Justice system. The most interesting thing that I learned about through the discussions are a citizens rights under Federal and State laws in regard to search and seizures. Before the discussion I thought that an officer must have an official warrant to search your person and possessions and that when stopped by a police officer you are required to stay and listen to them. Keating explained to us that in general, in order for an officer to search someone or their property the officer must have probable cause and go through the process of requesting a warrant from a neutral and detached magistrate. In such cases the magistrate reserves the right to deny a request for a search warrant. An exception to the warrant requirement laws would be that an officer has reasonable suspicion based on articulable facts through rational interference that a person has been, is, or is about to be involved in a crime. An officer has the right at all times to go up to a person and ask them to speak with them and the citizen maintains the right to request to leave at any time. When an officer gives an order that you stop you must stop and if they deny your request to leave you must comply. In the case of the warrant exception the officer maintains the right to seize and search someone without a warrant, and if the suspect is found to be involved in a crime they will be arrested. If the officer can did not have enough reason to seize, search, and/or arrest someone then the evidence against the person may be supressed. It was interesting to learn that the federal laws regarding searches and seizures are not that specific and that it is through state laws and a multitude of cases that the procedures surrounding searches and seizures are decided.

Alberto Day 4

Yesterday, we had the oportunity to meet Chris Keating, Executive Director of NH Public Defender office. It was great to have him here with us, and be able to ask him questions about his job and experience as a public defender lawyer. I personally found it very interesting and I learned a lot about what are my rights as a civilian, and how the interpretation of the laws and regulations may be so different. It was such a great and interesting experience.

Day 4: Activity & Mr. Keating

Aubrey Dawkins

Today we continued our insightful talk with Mr. Keating, the defense attorney who kindly came and spoke with us. It's interesting how his interpretation of the laws are so different from the judge and prosecutors because his job entails that you get your client off the hook to be successful. He knows right from wrong, but that does not matter, his job is only too fight the charges at every turn possible.

Later in the day we did an activity as a group where we set up a court room, and acted out 3 different cases that we created. It was a great success all in all. Obviously it's not going to be as authentic as actual court cases, but it did have many characteristics of an actual court room. Such as the transfer of information from client to attorney, reasonable charges and sentencing and also correct term use, which sounds simple in this area of expertise that's a very big deal.

Gracie Day 4

Today as well as yesterday afternoon, we met with Chris Keating the Executive Director of  NH Public Defender Office. He spoke with us particularly about public defense along with the entirety of the Criminal Justice system. He had so much knowledge and experience that it made the information really interesting to learn about. After having met with him and the previous criminal justice members, I felt way more knowledgeable than I had been going into Project Week. This afternoon, as a group we were able to express this knowledge in a fun activity in which we were assigned to different parts of a case, and had a court arraignment. I had an enjoyable time participating as a lawyer, and I was able to demonstrate what I have learned over these days which was awesome.

Chloé, day 4

Mr. Keating is a public defender lawyer that came to talk to us. I thought it was really interesting to see from his point of view how he interprets the law. I was surprised on how he can manage 80 cases at a time and stay fully committed to every one of his clients. He cleared up a lot of questions of mine on how the criminal justice system works ( example: how the executive, judicial and legislative branches get along). It was interesting to hear that he prefers when his client is guilty of the charge so that if he loses, it's not entirely his fault.

Kristina- day 4

The role play activity we did today was a fun way to put everything we learned this week to use. I was excited when Ms. Grosart and Mr. Little asked me to be the drug dealer because I got to be the "bad guy" but wouldnt suffer from any REAL consequences. With my new name (Beyoncè) and "bad guy" identity, I dealt the coke to Josh in a rather stealthy way, but ultimately was caught. When in court I was a bit nervous because the prosecuters (who in this case were the police that caught me) wanted to put me on a $10,000 bail! I knew the judge would ask for a bail, but I was hoping for a much smaller one. My attourney fought and helped get me a lowered bail of $5,000. Although it was kind of cool to play the "bad guy" I don't have thousands of dollars I'm willing to put towards bailing myself out of jail, so I think I'll stick to being the "good guy."

Emily Cuthbertson - Day 4

Today we meet with Chris Keating who is the Executive Director of New Hampshire Public Defender Office and he taught us about some laws and he also shared some interesting stories about his work experiences. After meeting with him we did a role play and went through arraignments of different cases. The role play was interesting to me because it showed how difficult it was for the judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys to fight their side of the story and make a final decision. I was the judge and it was hard when amendments were brought in and were true which had to suppress evidence which made it harder for the prosecutors to prove the criminal should have a bail set and not walk free. The role play arraignments also showed how it sometimes can be a he said she said kind of matter, where the defendant and prosecutors have two different versions of the stories and you do not know which one is telling the truth.

Sam Liebert- Day 4

Listening to Chris Keeting about the judicial system and the objectives of all of the differents areas in the system has made my outlooks on the jobs of individuals much more appreciative.  His explanations of the thoughts going through different peoples heads during court cases, arrests, arraignments, and trials has shown me how important the judicial system really is.  Explaining that the Court system is protecting the freedoms of the people and creating a line with each case brought to trial whether something is right or wrong.  I believe he explained what a defense lawyers job really is and some of the emotions or thoughts going through ones head during court cases and has made me understand what they are working for and towards. His explanations about how a defense lawyer is working towards getting their client out of jail and explaining why they did not commit the crime, not just to guide them through the process.