Criminal Justice

This course introduces students to the components and operations of the criminal justice system. It examines the three main components of that system: law enforcement, the courts and corrections. Issues and challenges within the criminal justice system and the system's future are also explored.

This course covers the historical development of social and behavioral explanations of adult crime, as well as juvenile crime and new evolutions in crime, including cybercrimes. Crime causation theories are explained in relation to policies developed from these theories and the real and intended impact of these policies are discussed to demonstrate their impact on society concerning crime prevention and criminal rehabilitation.

Report writing is an essential workplace skill in the criminal justice field. Judges and other professionals in the field will read these reports, sometimes under a very close lens, and depend on them for accurate information. Therefore, it’s critical these reports contain the information justice administrators need and follow state requirements. This course introduces a report writing process and uses templates to teach how to prepare concise, complete, and correct reports common in the criminal justice field. Hands-on activities will provide step-by-step guided practice for students to improve their report writing skills, and technological trends related to criminal justice reporting will be examined.

This course examines the criminal activity of juveniles and includes the study of gangs, status offenses and the problems facing juveniles today. An overview of American juvenile justice is also provided, in terms of both system and practice. The causes of juvenile crime; the juvenile court system; and the institutionalization, rehabilitation and treatment of juveniles are explored.

This course exposes students to the various philosophical approaches for developing appropriate ethical decision-making tools for the criminal justice professional. Ethical decision-making tools are illustrated in actual application in police, courts, corrections, criminal justice policy and criminal justice research scenarios. Emphasis is placed on professional integrity and leadership skills that support laws, policies and procedures in criminal justice.

This course gives students an overview of the police and their mission in contemporary society. It examines typical police operations, the management of police organizations, and some of the challenges facing policing today. The course also looks at technology in the service of law enforcement and explores the future of policing.

This course enables students to explore Artificial Intelligence for innovative solutions in the criminal justice system. The course will provide an understanding of AI, its history, and applications across the criminal justice system, while respecting democratic values, human rights, the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The course examines the significant influence on crime monitoring and prevention, judicial and correctional systems, and many other criminal justice practices.

This course provides an overview of how information technology (IT) is used in the criminal justice field, including but not limited to report writing, other paperwork processing, maintaining different police databases, records, and the use of the Internet for duty related matters. Students will learn how to turn information into knowledge, define who can use the knowledge, and for what purposes. Students will also examine what the current state of IT is in various components of the criminal justice system, and what challenges lie ahead. Topics include: Acquiring, Implementing and Evaluating Information Technology; How Criminal Justice Agencies use the Internet; and Offender-Based Information Sharing to include SORN systems.

The course introduces students to the fundamentals of criminal investigation by examining processes involved in identifying and arresting criminal suspects, identifying types of crimes and offenses and in preparing for the in-court presentation of evidence through testimony. In addition, techniques and preservation for evidence collection and examination are discussed. Developing high technologies useful to the criminal investigator are explored.

This course provides a broad range of topics relevant to criminal behavior and the development of the personality. Biological, psychological and social structural factors that influence the possible origin of criminal behavior, as well as criminal justice and societal approaches for preventing crime are addressed.

The Criminal Procedure course traces the criminal process from arrest through trial, including topics of admissibility of evidence, confessions and civil rights decisions in relation to constitutional doctrines, police regulatory behavior and requirements associated with upholding and enforcing constitutional rights. The course provides students an in-depth study into balancing governmental and societal interests with an individual’s rights in a free society.

This course offers a comparative perspective on crime and on the practice of criminal justice. The role of increased globalization in transnational crime and justice are explored, including trafficking in persons, narcoterrorism, cybercrime and cyber scams, the relationships between international terrorist organizations and the functioning and organization of international crime fighting agencies.

This course links research methods, application and expertise in the field of psychology to the legal system. Students will be exposed to the field with a richer understanding in how forensic psychologists contribute to the legal system, including expert testimony, jury selection, insanity defenses, child custody hearings and release and reentry of violent offenders.

This course enables students to gain professional experience by working with a team to complete a project for a criminal justice agency or related organization. Students should be prepared to be active collaborators and contributors so their team can be successful in the course experience in a specific area of the criminal justice system. Students will have an opportunity to add key skills and workplace experience to their professional profile or résumé and expand their network. Students will also examine how their academic courses tie to their field of study and gain essential skills and competencies to prepare for future career opportunities. Required coursework includes audio/video presentations that will be recorded for grading purposes only.

This course examines various crime and delinquency prevention policies and programs. Topics covered include the historical development of crime and delinquency prevention methods, theoretical applications to prevention efforts and research findings on program effectiveness. Students are exposed to the importance of research design in evaluating effective prevention strategies as well as the relationship between fear of crime and victimization.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the field of corrections. It explores agencies, practices and policies relevant to prisons, jails and probation and parole. Students examine both historic and contemporary punishment policies in the United States; sentencing structures; sociopolitical economic conditions that influence disparate sentencing and confinement; facility designs and how they correlate with inmate management philosophies; the legal aspects of the care, custody and control of inmates; the constitutional rights and civil liberties of inmates; security operations; and inmate treatment services.

This course explores community corrections in the criminal justice field, with an emphasis on the critical need for programs to support community corrections efforts in today’s society. Students will examine the various roles of the community correctional practitioner. Students will also determine the appropriate criminological theory for rehabilitation efforts, and propose treatment plans for different types of offender populations. An emphasis is placed on the importance of distinguishing between the adult and juvenile systems.

This course provides an in-depth review of the concepts of emergency management work. The operational aspects are discussed in relation to the skills needed to do emergency management work, as well as the analytical and critical-thinking skills needed for incident command work. Emphasis is placed on the use of technologies, enhanced leadership skills and the challenges of communications in disaster work.

This course focuses on theoretical and practical applications to reactive and proactive measures of law enforcement, as well as addressing the organization and hierarchy of command with modern policing in the United States. Students will address the history, objectives and rules regarding investigation and evidence collection associated with policing, with a strong emphasis on field training.

This course addresses the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol, both legal and illegal; the etiology, social phenomena, psychological and physiological effects; and current relationship between gang activity and drugs, as well as organized crime and the drug epidemic in the United States and abroad. Students will also be exposed to the historical rise in popularity of gangs associated with the drug trade and the rise and fall of power of organized crime syndicates and drug distribution.

This course covers the various forms of terrorism. Explanations of terrorism from a theoretical and sociological perspective are reviewed as causal effects of past, current and new forms of terrorist behavior. Operational responses to terrorism are discussed, with special emphasis on the role of Homeland Security.

This course provides students with opportunities to apply what they’ve learned in previous courses by completing projects tailored to their career interests within the criminal justice occupational field. Students will have the opportunity to connect with professionals and practitioners in the field to support their learning and build professional networks. Students will also complete career development assignments that support their advancement goals.

The Criminal Justice Program Capstone serves as the culminating experience for students in the criminal justice program providing a comprehensive and integrative application of the core concepts, theories, and practical applications learned throughout the students’ academic journey. This course is designed to challenge students to think critically and apply their skills to real-world scenarios within the criminal justice system. In addition, the course will review technological advances, future trends, and issues faced by the courts and justice system today.
A grade of C or higher is required for satisfactory course completion.