NCJ Number
76220
Date Published
1980
Length
233 pages
Annotation
Designed for use at the college level, this game is a role playing simulation of the plea bargaining process. It encourages students to actively study the reasons for plea bargaining, examine alternatives to it, and learn how the system works.
Abstract
Plea bargaining represents a deal made among the accused, the lawyer, the prosecutor, and usually the judge. It is the criminal justice system's central method of processing persons accused of crime. However, few law students are familiar with the process. Thus, this game serves to fill the knowledge gap. Participants take the roles of the district attorney, judge, public defender, and accused. Each player is given a statement describing that player's particular role and the rules for the game. The actual guilt or innocence of the accused is known by no one except the accused and is not revealed to the other players until the end of the game. The sentences resulting from the plea bargaining process are eventually revealed, along with the actual innocence or guilt of the accused, and a debriefing discussion is held after the game is over. During the discussion, players can use 'real' examples of the effects of plea bargaining in the United States. If the players choose, the game can then be replayed with changes suggested during the discussion to see if hypothetical alteration of the system could produce the desired corrections. The game can be played in one 4-hour session (includes debriefing and discussion) or in four 50-minute sessions. The game will accommodate 11 to 35 players. Case notes, criminal codes, case reports, and a director's manual are provided. (Author abstract modified)