ICJ-Criminal Justice

GE-Social Science [GE-SocSci] This course will examine crime as a social phenomenon through an interdisciplinary investigation of the causes and patterns of criminal behavior. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of criminology, the scientific study of crime and related theories. This course is designed as an overview analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of current theories of crime and causation from perspective based on empirical research. 

This course is a survey of various institutions by which the criminal justice system is administered-police, the legal profession, the courts, and penal institutions-including an examination of the problems which the criminal justice system faces and an evaluation of the adequacy of the existing system.

This course will provide an overview of research design as applied to research on crime and justice. This course introduces the process of scientific research in the social and behavioral sciences and the central role research methodology has in our understanding of human conduct and societal matters. Students will explore the principles, ethics, and methods of social science research. Students will become familiar with the ways social scientists link their research to other scientists by writing a formal research paper. 

This course addresses techniques of communicating facts, information, and ideas in a logical, clear, and effective manner through various types of criminal justice system reports, including memoranda and administrative reports. This course stresses an emphasis on criminal justice terminology, the proper use of English, and logical organization of information to be implemented as part of our criminal justice system. Students gain practical experience in note taking, report writing, and presentation. 

This course examines an historical analysis of the development of corrections and penal institutions and the influence of social thought and philosophy on this development. The course also examines the procedures of correctional institutions and community jails as well as the problems encountered in the classification, care, and treatment of incarcerated offenders. 

This course provides an in-depth look at the relationship between law enforcement and American society. This course focuses on police-community relations, the police sub-culture, and the need for police objectives to conform to constitutional procedures. Through an examination of the operational components of contemporary police organizations, students will examine the development of operational goals and objectives. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, problem-oriented and community policing, police use of force, racial profiling, leadership in law enforcement, and police corruption. 

This course is a study of the law as it relates to arrest, search, and seizure with emphasis on present controlling legal decisions and historical development, philosophy, and problems underlying these decisions.

This course is a contemporary analysis of the operation of and problems encountered by jails and prisons. This course will also examine probation, parole, community service and restitution, electronic monitoring, and other innovative community correctional programs.

This course is an analysis of the purposes and sources of the criminal law. It includes an examination of the preliminary crimes of solicitation, conspiracy, and attempt. The specific elements of crimes against the person and crimes against property are addressed. A consideration of defenses to criminal liability is also undertaken.

This course is an examination of the origin, philosophy, and objectives of the juvenile justice system. Emphasis will be placed on the decision-making process of police, court, and probation officials relative to the apprehension, processing and treatment of juveniles. The ideology, politics, and controversies of the juvenile justice system are also addressed.

This course is a study of the law related to the arrest, search, and seizure of juvenile offenders. The rights of juveniles in the criminal justice and educational system will be examined and supported with a review of Supreme Court decisions. This course also examines jurisdictions of juvenile courts, role of law enforcement agents, judicial processes, fact-finding hearings, dispositions, waivers, appeals, philosophy of the juvenile court with attention to the legal rights of children, and comparative analyses of juvenile codes. 

This course is the study of juvenile delinquency as a multilayered incident. Students examine vital theories, societal views, and the myriad issues surrounding juvenile delinquency. Students will analyze various explanations on why youth commit crime, including theories of juvenile delinquency. Additionally, this course examine the roles schools, families, the media, and the juvenile justice system play in responding to juvenile delinquency. 

This course examines modern issues, problems, and practices facing the community corrections professionals. A special emphasis is placed on exploring the roles of community corrections professionals while evaluating the challenges of interacting with specific types of offender populations, including mental health, substance abuse, and domestic violence offenders, in community and treatment contexts. This course also includes studies into the Restorative Justice Community, group homes, work release programs, halfway houses, work-study projects, Drug Courts, and other community-based programs. 

This course is designed to familiarize students with victimology, a sub-discipline of criminology concerned with the scientific study of victims in contemporary society. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, understanding differential rates of victimization based on individual characteristics, the impact of institutions such as the media and criminal justice system, and critical analysis of social policies designed to address the plight of victims. Upon successfully completing this course, students will have not only an in-depth understanding of victimology and relevant research, but also gain the skills to think critically about victimization as it relates to the criminal justice system and bridge the gap between theory and practice. 

This course examines the responsibility of law enforcement in counter terrorism efforts in the United States. It explores law enforcement responses to terrorism from a critical, best-practices perspective and addresses debatable strategies utilized by enforcement agencies responding to terrorism in a democratic administration.

This course provides an exploration and analysis of structure, process, personnel, policy, and legal theory in the American judicial system; examination of specialized and pioneering courts helps the student evaluate the effectiveness of the American court system.

This course provides students with an in-depth examination of the various aspects associated with conducting a criminal investigation. This course is a comprehensive approach to the examination and treatment of physical evidence as it relates to the criminal justice system. Students will be involved in an interactive learning experience tied to the securing and preserving of crime scenes and maintaining the integrity of trace evidence for future court proceedings. 

This course addresses legal processes from pre-arrest through trial, sentencing, and correctional procedures. The focus is on the actions of law enforcement. In this course, we will review the history of case and common law, explore conceptual interpretations of law as reflected in court decisions, and study important court decisions that affect procedures of the U.S. criminal justice system. Students learn the process of examining, dichotomizing, and briefing criminal cases as well as explain how cases are adjudicated and more specifically how judges and jurors come to make their decisions on cases. The course also provides students with an understanding of how our system of legal precedent works. Critical reading and writing skills necessary in this course. 

This course will deal with a specialized topic in criminal justice. Subject areas will change from time to time to reflect relevant issues within the field of criminal justice. Possible topical fields may be drawn from such areas as comparative criminal justice, victimology, the history of criminal justice, white collar crime, ethics in criminal justice, the law of criminal evidence, criminal investigation, drugs and alcohol, and private security. The particular topic to be addressed will be announced and a course description provided at the time of registration.

This course is the study of the major communications processes and theories applied to criminal justice structures and situations. Simulated situations utilizing appropriate writing, interpersonal and group skills will be employed throughout the class. The focus will be on multicultural group communication issues.

This course is the study of the utilization of media and technology by criminal justice agencies and institutions as well as an examination of the portrayal of the criminal justice system by the popular media.

This course is an examination of contemporary alternative programs and processes being implemented domestically and internationally. The course may consider the effectiveness and consequences of programs such as community-based justice, community policing, restorative justice, and mediation centers.

This course provides an opportunity for students to explore and examine criminal justice systems around the world. A comparative studies purpose is to expand a student's knowledge of the legal influence on various culture. Students will compare the American legal system with various countries studied in the course.

This course focuses on the principles of computer crime investigation processes. Topics include crime scene/incident processing, information gathering techniques, data retrieval, collection and preservation of evidence, and preparation of reports and court presentations. Upon completion, students should be able to identify cybercrime activity and demonstrate proper investigative techniques to process the scene and assist in case prosecution.

This course will examine digital forensics as it relates to criminal investigations. Course content includes best practices in securing, processing, acquiring, examining and reporting on digital evidence. Students will be exposed to current technologies and methods as well as leading edge techniques with practical based projects and research opportunities.

This course will use Appellate and U.S. Supreme Court decisions to illustrate the effectiveness of current law and investigative procedures in the area of cybercrime. Students will study judicial thought in case analysis to gain a wider understanding of the law. The focal point for this class is the application of ethical decision making in judicial interpretation of current cyber law.

This course is an introduction to the basic ethical themes that run through the entire criminal justice system. This course will provide practical information and the opportunity to develop real-world skills for the analysis of ethical dilemmas-of which there is no shortage in the criminal justice field. This course will provide the opportunity to gain a basic knowledge of ethical systems in general, and will address the dilemmas of practitioners in real life criminal justice situations, including those that arise from the systems complex interaction of various police, prosecutor, court, and corrections agencies.

This course will examine the dynamics, intervention strategies, and treatment of crises and investigation of conflict and its resolutions. Through case studies and scenarios, students will engage in tabletop exercises mirroring real-life emergencies relative to the criminal justice environment.

This course examines how issues of crime and justice are played out in context of a diverse society. Diverse populaces include income, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and preference, age, immigration, and other disenfranchised groups in society. The course will focus on four major issues: 1) the social organization of diverse populations in American society; 2) the effects of the law on diverse populations in American society; 3) how various populations differ in their response to the criminal justice system; and 4) the impact of victimization on the diverse groups within American society. The course will compare the historical viewpoints in relation to current critical topics about diversity and the criminal justice system. 

The successful capstone project requires an in-depth analysis of a specific criminal justice issue with an emphasis on demonstrating an understanding, including its historical background and current impact to the criminal justice system. Students will identify strengths and weaknesses, and offer suggestions for future research and improvement of practices to the criminal justice profession. This course will be taken in the last quarter of coursework. The capstone research will consist of a statement of the problem, literature review, and methodology sections as well as collection, examination, and understanding of data. Finally, students deliver the conclusions and implications to the capstone research to criminal justice profession.