Criminal Justice

The course offers a comprehensive overview and understanding of Homeland Security (HLS), emphasizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its relevance to policing.  In this course, the learner will explore case studies of past domestic and international terrorism attacks. The learner benefit from reviews the internal strengths and weaknesses for defensive and preventative management actions and disaster preparedness. The course will also expose the learner to an in-depth analysis of past and current HLS and relevant policing, models, practices, policies, and programs and an examination of the the overall restructuring of the federal government agencies that now makes up the DHS.

This course will support learners in developing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills in criminal justice. Learners will be introduced to fundamental academic research and writing, emphasizing professional writing in criminal justice. Other topics covered in the course will include when "why and how" of police report writing with exceptional guidance on how to write accurately and concisely at the same time. Learners will also gain experience in both writing and interpret literature in criminal justice. In addition to gaining skills in the basics of criminal justice research and use of the APA style, learners will be taught to take notes effectively write reports, social histories; learners will also gain skills in writing concisely, proper formatting, and specific report writing and approaches to include agency and court narratives. 

Learners in this course acquire an understanding of general police patrol functions emphasizing the uniformed officer's responsibilities, personnel distribution theories, community and problem-oriented policing strategies, police ethics and accountability, and the relationship between the officer and the community. The learners will broadly explore the history and foundations of policing in the United States, to include local, state, federal, and private law enforcement agencies. Other topics that will received coverage in this course will challenges involved in police work, including discretions, ethics, professionalism, and as well as the use of force.

Strong relationships of mutual trust between police agencies and the communities they serve are critical to maintaining public safety and effective policing. In this course learners will examine the critical consideration of the American criminal justice system's capacity to deal with crime and criminals, as well as its relationship to the citizenry. Other topics that learners will study include law enforcement goals is the maintenance of law and order, reduction of crime, and the protection of the community. Emphasis will be given to programs and their effectiveness in providing effective community relations.

This course is designed to provide students who are interested in a criminal justice career with a basis for ethical decision-making in the areas of law enforcement and the courts. The study of ethical decision-making will be approached through case studies to enable students to develop an awareness and understanding of the ethical dilemma faced in the police service, the judiciary, and the correctional system and the checks and balances established to preserve the integrity of the criminal justice system.

This course examines substantive criminal law and its implementation procedures. It will concentrate on the historical developments and contemporary forms of criminal definitions. This course will also deal with the more abstract concepts of responsibility and limitations on the prosecution. Also, the course will provide a review of criminal law. The administration of justice as it exists in the municipalities under state statutes. The rights and privileges of the accused and the jurisdiction of violators, in general, will also be covered.

An examination of constitutional case law decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The focus is on the criminal justice system and its relation to government powers and citizens' constitutional rights.

Components of the juvenile justice system and the juvenile's processing through the system; the juvenile's rights; criminological theories relevant to juvenile delinquency and criminal behaviors. This course provides competencies to meet the program outcome to understand each individual's basic rights by state and federal constitutions and laws.

A study of organized and white-collar crime strategies, including standard techniques used to combat them.

Comprehensive study of the analysis of contemporary victim-assistance and victim compensation programs and related research; victimization; review of the historical importance of victim restitution as a basis for punitive criminal law.

The course will provide the student with the fundamentals of the most common controlled substances a law enforcement officer will encounter. The student will learn classifications of, identification of, and effects of 'street drugs.'

The management of correctional systems, public and private. The course includes organizational theory supervision, planning, management styles, public relations, security issues, information systems, and liability of correctional agencies.

This course will examine the processes of crime scene investigations, including interviewing, evaluating, photographing, sketching, and processing a scene. The processes will include preserving, collecting, documenting, and preparing evidence for the courtroom. Identification of a suspect is emphasized in the course through the use of digital and genetic fingerprinting. Analysis of evidence will assist the student in developing conclusions of a crime scene. The hands-on application approach will be utilized to assist the student in understanding the crime scene investigation process.

The course explores the far-reaching impacts of prisons on the community and society. The course explores the consequences of mass incarceration in the United States, not only for convicts currently in jail but also for ex-prisoners and families and communities who have committed no crimes. The course further considers the impact of mass imprisonment on democracy and whether incarceration's social costs have produced society's benefits in quality of life, safety, or justice.

The overarching goal of this course is to provide the learners with an overview of the procedures for conducting civil litigation and criminal trials as well as the rule of evidence applicable to criminal cases. The learners will then specifically focus on evidence concepts including, but not limited to: procedures, constitutional rights witness competency and impeachment, relevance, presumption, hearsay, admissions & confessions, circumstantial evidence, testimonial, documentary & physical evidence and the exclusionary rule. An analysis of laws and court decisions relating to admissibility is emphasized

An analysis of terrorism and how the American criminal justice system deals with this problem at national and international arenas. Other areas included in the course are causes, definition, structure, methods, treatment/prevention of terrorism, and coping with hostage situations.

An examination of important and controversial criminal justice topics involving law enforcement agencies, primarily the police; clarifying, interpreting, and identifying the role of discretion in the system. This course provides competencies to meet the program outcome to understand the fundamental rights guaranteed to each individual by state and federal constitutions and laws.

The administration of criminal justice agencies. Includes organizational theory, planning, supervision, personnel policies, public relations, management styles, and budgeting in law enforcement, judicial and corrections agencies.

An critical examination of the common problems of sexual abuse and its treatment by the penal system /criminal justice system. Sexual abuse issues, including legal definition, causes, identification, prevention/treatment for victims and perpetrators, types, and how the criminal justice system responds.

This course will examine issues, concerns, and problems related to the death penalty in the United States, including important Supreme Court decisions as well as how the various jurisdictions that include state, federal and military, deal with the capital cases, the history of capital punishment. The will also examine comparative costs of incarceration and execution, miscarriages of justice in capital cases, and how the criminal justice responds to these issues.

A comparative study of selected criminal justice systems existing globally. The student gains skills to identify, analyze, and compare the U.S. criminal justice systems with other countries. The course gives coverage to the basic worldwide philosophies of law and justice, the methods of dealing with convicted offenders throughout the world, and the arrangements for crime prevention and law enforcement,

An intensive analysis of a selected problem related to criminal behavior and the commission of crime or another special topic in criminal justice. May be repeated with different topics for a total of 6 hours credit.

Criminal Justice majors may complete an approved internship during their junior or senior year at an approved agency. It is recommended that the internship be completed during the junior year. The primary purpose of the internship is to enhance the students academic experience through a planned and supervised program of observation, study, and work in a selected criminal justice agency or related agencies.

The leaner is responsible for seeking out and securing an internship position with a criminal justice or closely related agency or organization.  With the approval of the Department Chair, two criminal justice courses may substitute for the internship, if placement is not possible, or the learner is an in-service officer who already possesses the required job experience and, therefore, should take two criminal justice courses (of 3 credit hours each) in lieu of the internship. The internship experience attracts 6 credit hours.