Criminal Justice

American criminal justice system, its development, components, and processes. Includes consideration of crime and criminal justice as a formal area of study.

History and development of corrections. Current practices and problems of the correctional system. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Analyzes the reasons and techniques for developing communication and understanding between the criminal justice system and various segments of the community. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Study of the philosophy and function of the juvenile court including court procedures and law, theories of causation and intervention strategies for juvenile offenders. Includes police encounters with juveniles, the juvenile court process, juvenile dispositions, and after care. Discussions include dependent and neglected youth in the system, the death penalty for juveniles, and school crimes. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Forensic Science I - The Crime Scene to Follow Up. Fundamentals of investigation, crime scene search and recording, collection and presentation of physical evidence, scientific aids, sources of information, case preparation, interviews and interrogations, and follow-up. Recommend prerequisite: CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

History and development of security services function, interrelationship to the legal process, career roles, and operational processes in various types of security organizations. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Overall view of both sides and the roles in which women participate in the Criminal Justice System. The main concentration of the course will be in the following areas: theories of female criminality, extent of female crime, women as victims, women as offenders, women as defendants and prisoners, and women as practitioners and professionals, i.e., police, courts, and corrections. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

Course includes policy history and organization, the personal side of policing, police operations, critical issues in policing, specific police problems, women and minorities in policing, and becoming a police officer. Designed to help students develop their own philosophy of law enforcement. Critical thinking and discussion of ideas and opinions essential. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Identification of community problems which require prevention, suppression, or control through the basic methods and techniques of police patrol. The responsibilities of officers in patrol situations including foot beats, one-man cars and/or tactical units, techniques of observation and perception, recognition of hazards, evaluation, and proper police patrol action. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Survey of the probation and parole systems of the United States including different systems within the United States; executive clemency; parole; rights of prisoners, probationers, and parolees; treatment strategies; and administrative aspects. Includes correctional and professional aspects of the parole and probation officers: the role, preparation of a probation summary, a day in court with a probation officer, and time with a parole officer. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Origin, development, and rationale of the structural and procedural aspects of America's criminal justice system. Emphasis on arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and related legal issues. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

An introduction to major types of delinquent behavior, psychology of the delinquent, and factors contributing to the production of criminality or delinquency. Discussion of methods used by the criminal justice system to control delinquent behavior. Recommend: CRJ 104.

Substantive criminal law including elements of crime, intent, attempts, search and seizure, and the laws of arrest. Relation of criminal law to working police officer and rights and duties of both citizen and officer under criminal law. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

Intro to Emergency Communication Dispatching I builds the necessary skills and knowledge to work in an emergency communications center in a productive and professional manner. The course prepares each student for the basic roles, duties, and responsibilities of a public safety dispatcher.

Intro to Emergency Communication Dispatching II continues building the necessary skills and knowledge to work in an emergency communications center in a productive and professional manner. The course prepares each student for the basic roles, duties and responsibilities of a public safety dispatcher. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 262.

Forensic Science II - The Crime Lab to Courtroom. Surveys the forensic sciences to show their role in the use of physical evidence in matters of criminal and/or civil law. Focus on the value of modern scientific investigation. Recommended prerequisite: CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

Examines how society interacts with crime and delinquency through the use of the criminal justice system. Studies effective interaction and communication between the general public and members of the criminal justice system. Emphasizes the understanding of criminal behavior from a sociological and psychological perspective. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 104 or instructor permission.

Consideration of special topics and issues in criminal justice. Selection will depend upon current interests and needs. Unlimited repeatability.

Psychological perspective for understanding legal issues. Topics include police psychology, eyewitness accuracy, jury decision-making, competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, civil commitment, violence risk assessment, correctional psychology, criminal psychology profiling, and psychological impact of victimization. Prerequisite: Must have completed CRJ 104 and PSY 101, or instructor approval.