About this activity
Freedom or Safety? walks one real U.S. Supreme Court case — Miranda v. Arizona — through the stages of the adult criminal justice system, so you can see how a case actually moves from investigation all the way to release.
The big idea
This activity is built around the central theme of Criminal Justice Today: individual rights versus public order. At each step you'll weigh the rights of the accused against society's interest in safety and order — the same tension that runs through the whole justice system.
What you'll do
There are thirteen stages. At each one you take the seat of the person who actually makes the decision there — an investigating officer, a magistrate, a judge, a prosecutor, a parole board. You make the call that decision-maker faces, defend it in a few sentences, and then see what really happened in Miranda's case.
Meet Balance
A neutral guide named Balance responds to each decision you make. Balance is not grading you and is not on either side. Its job is to push back on whichever side of the rights-versus-order balance you gave less weight, so you consider the perspective you might have skipped. Take the challenge seriously — you can revise your answer.
How you're assessed
Your work is judged on four things: whether you use the facts, apply the rights–order framework, name the tradeoffs, and write clearly. The final capstone is the main graded piece. Your professor reviews and sets all scores — Balance's challenges are there to help you think, not to grade you. See How this is graded for more.
Where it leads
At the end you reach a capstone, where you step back and judge the whole case: was this "crime control through due process"? There's no single right answer — a strong response argues its position and takes both sides seriously.
Sign in to begin the walkthrough with a short summary of the Miranda case.
Companion to Criminal Justice Today by Frank Schmalleger. Process framework based on Chapter 1.
Questions about your grade or the assignment? Contact your instructor. Technical problems with the app? Email schmall@justicestudies.com.