Criminal Justice

                                                                           

Criminal Justice I (3 credits per semester, 2 semester course)

• Principles of Criminal Justice- Principles of Criminal Justice covers the purposes, functions, and history of the three primary parts of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. This course further explores the interrelationships and responsibilities of these three primary elements of the criminal justice system.
• Law Enforcement Fundamentals- Law Enforcement Fundamentals Critically examines the history and nature of the major theoretical perspectives in criminology, and the theories found within those perspectives. Analyzes the research support for such theories and perspectives, and the connections between theory and criminal justice system practice within all the major components of the criminal justice system. Demonstrates the application of specific theories to explain violent and non-violent criminal behavior on both the micro and macro levels of analysis. Additionally, this course will introduce fundamental law enforcement operations and
  organization. This includes the evolution of law enforcement at federal, state, and local levels. 
• Corrections & Cultural Awareness- Corrections and Cultural Awareness emphasizes the study of American criminal justice problems and systems in historical and cultural perspectives, as well as discussing social and public policy factors affecting crime. Multidisciplinary and multicultural perspectives are stressed. Additionally, this course takes a further examination of the American correctional system; the study of administration of local, state, and federal correctional agencies. The examination also includes the history and development of correctional policies and practices, criminal sentencing, jails, prisons, alternative sentencing, prisoner rights, rehabilitation, and community corrections including probation and parole. Current philosophies of corrections and the debates surrounding the roles and effectiveness of criminal sentences, institutional procedures, technological developments, and special populations are discussed.