Criminal Justice

This course covers the components of the justice system in American society. Although civil law will be discussed, the emphasis will be on the criminal justice system. The influence and pressures of changing social, political, technological, and economic factors on the agencies of justice will be studied. Much of the focus will compare ideals with realities of the system. Law enforcement, the courts, and correctional aspects will be examined.

This course provides an in-depth review of substantive criminal law in the federal and state systems including analysis of the essential elements of all major crimes, the concepts of constitutional review and judicial scrutiny and the principles governing legal challenges to the constitutionality of laws.

This course covers the principles of police organization and administration, and community policing, as well as the selection, training, promotion and socialization of officers. It also examines issues involving the influence of research, police deviance, minorities, the use of force, and the general hazards of police work.

This course is designed to introduce students to the rights of crime victims and their advocacy in the criminal justice system. The course examines police, courts, advocates, and the media and their relationships with the crime victim. The course will examine the role of victims in the criminal justice process, understand the complexities of victim-offender relationships and understand how we respond to victims. Specific categories of crime victims are studied, including sexual assault victims, domestic violence, stalking victims, hate crime victims, workplace and school violence victims, and child and elderly victims.

An examination of causative factors in the development of youthful offenders and the development and philosophy behind treatment and rehabilitative practices are covered. The course also covers legal, procedural, and substantive issues pertaining to the juvenile justice system.

This course is a study of correctional processes and services, standards, personnel and principles of management, allocation of resources, training and staffing, the role of sentencing and work release programs, special programs, and the use of outside contracts.

In the first part of this course, the historical use of the major drug groups (including alcohol) will be reviewed. In the second part, the reaction of the criminal justice system to illegal involvement with drugs and alcohol and methods of treating substance abusers will be reviewed.

This course deals with the interaction of the various components of the justice system with the community. It involves an analysis of how the work of police departments, courts, correctional institutions, and community corrections agencies appear to the public. The image of the justice system in the media is examined; specific attention is paid to the issues of the young, minorities, and community organizations.

Meeting the needs of criminal investigations is one of the largest priorities for law enforcement agencies throughout the world. This course prepares graduates for investigations into multiple violations of law and procedures in many applications. The strong foundation provided by this course enables students to develop skills in the areas of incident investigation and case development for future prosecutorial needs of law enforcement and other enforcement entities.

This course prepares students entering the field of criminal justice by applying theoretical knowledge to practical experience. Students will complete a minimum of 120 hours at an agency provided by the internship coordinator and assist in activities deemed appropriate by the agency. The agency will also evaluate the student. Students are required to maintain an internship log and prepare an extensive paper which relates previous criminal justice coursework to the internship experience. Approval from the Department Chair is required prior to registration.

This course presents an opportunity for students to focus on a specific issue or topic in Criminal Justice, with a primary emphasis on completing a major independent research project and topic paper analyzing an agency or significant concept/issue in Criminal Justice. Students MUST see their Program Coordinator to discuss their goals for the course and to register for this class.