30 courses with the subject CJS, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
CJS 101Introduction to Criminal Justice Studies4
This course is designed as an introduction to the U.S. criminal justice system; including, but not limited to the history of the U.S. criminal justice system, foundational aspects of law, various components of law enforcement, the criminal court process and the practice of corrections. We will approach and discuss various issues related to crime, prosecution and corrections from a sociological perspective. The main goal of this course is to develop a general understanding of the history and current composition of the criminal justice system, as well as how it interfaces with individuals and societal intuitions.
CJS 200Studies in Criminology and Criminal Justice4
This course will deal with specific aspects of criminology and the criminal justice system not included in the regular curriculum. Topics will be announced prior to registration.
An exploration of juvenile misconduct and its legal consequences. Theories explaining juvenile delinquency from a variety of perspectives will be examined. The emergence and present state of the juvenile justice system will be covered as well. Meets Social Thought and Tradition Intellectual Perspective requirement (ST).
The growing field of Criminology is interdisciplinary. This course utilizes both structural and individualistic approaches to examine aspects of crime; including, but not limited to the social and physical characteristics of community networks and the influence of personal demographics like (perceived) age, gender, race, ethnicity and social class. We will begin by examining the prevalent definitions, applications and measurements of crime. We will also discuss some of the popular theoretical explanations for certain types of criminal behavior, as well as victimization. This analysis will culminate in a discussion centered on innovative approaches to reducing crime. Throughout the semester this course will explore the following three questions: 1. Why do crime rates differ across social and geographic locations, and over time?, 2. Why do crime rates differ according to the key dimensions of structured social inequality (i.e. race, ethnicity, social class and gender)?, 3. How and why is the legal response to crime shaped by personal characteristics of the individual offender?
This course provides an introduction to the study of criminal victimization. We will investigate patterns of criminal victimization using empirical data, apply theoretical concepts to empirical patterns, analyze specific forms of victimization (e.g. intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, property victimization), consider the impact of crime on victims and society (e.g. fear of crime), the role of victims within the criminal justice system, specific remedies, and victim rights and services.
This course explores the history, development, current practices and future of the police at the local, state, federal and, at times, global level. Students will receive a basic introduction to the role of the police in a diverse and democratic society, with a focus on police discretion, types of policing and use of force.
This course focuses on America’s criminal courts. We will discuss the major players in the criminal justice system-defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges-and the ways in which their behavior is influenced by their roles, their experiences on the job and the small group environment. We will also discuss controversial policies in the criminal justice field, paying particular attention to the motivation behind the adoption of such policies and the degree to which the effects of such policies have fulfilled or conflicted with those motivations.
This course explores the history, development, current practices and future of correctional systems at the local, state, federal and, at times, global level. This course takes a multi-disciplinary view of selected areas and issues relevant to correctional goals (general/specific deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, restitution, retribution and restorative justice) for offenders in secure confinement (jails and prisons) and community-based alternatives to jails and prisons (probation, parole, restitution, community service, intensive probation/parole, electronic monitoring, boot camps and community-corrections programs).
This course explores the death penalty, the ultimate penalty meted out by the state. The class will address a series of important questions: Which societies have used capital punishment and in what circumstances? Which countries besides the US continue to use the penalty? What methods of execution do states use? What legal standards are applied to the death penalty in the US? Does the death penalty deter crime? What do Americans think about the death penalty? What impact does being on death row have for inmates and their families? What issues of injustice and reform are raised by the use of capital punishment?
In this class we objectively examine drug-related issues, as informed by historical context, medical research, social scientific theory and data, policy analysis and, briefly, cross-national comparisons. We pay special attention to law enforcement and the corrections systems’ policies and actions around drug use and abuse. Drug controversies around the War on Drugs, legalization of recreational marijuana and use of psychedelic drugs to treat addiction, as well as the opioid epidemic, are given significant attention.
In this course, we will explore how crime is defined and how crime rates vary across a range of countries, both democratic and authoritarian. We will also investigate the individuals and institutions that are tasked with responding to crime, processing criminal cases, and punishing criminal offenders. By studying these subjects from a cross-national perspective, students should develop a deeper appreciation of how culture influences crime and the workings of criminal justice institutions.
Crime Investigation has been written to provide students with the fundamental principles and procedures employed in the investigation of crime. Although students will have the opportunity to consider crime from a number of perspectives, emphasis is placed upon the investigation of specific crimes. Students will have the opportunity to learn information gathering and evidence handling in a number of contexts and settings. The course is designed to provide a working knowledge of the investigation process, from commission to prosecution.
This course tests several common assumptions about the law-that it embodies morality; that it ensures justice; that it serves everyone’s interests; that it constrains behavior; that it can be used to bring about social change. We will compare the law to other forms of social control and consider the utility of law in countries making transitions from violence and repression.
This course analyzes the organization, management, and administration of local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies with emphasis on how the structure and functions of such agencies, as well as culture, affect the administration of justice.
4 semester hours of CJS coursework or permission of instructor.
CJS 304Crime and Law Enforcement in Rural Communities4
This course explores the specific ways that crime and law enforcement work in the rural context. Rural areas are often seen as peaceful, orderly places, but they present a range of geographic, cultural and economic opportunities for crime. This course will explore a range of crimes (like poaching and meth production) that have particular ties to rural areas. The course will also explore the particular challenges of providing police protection to rural areas that are different from those faced by officers in urban and suburban jurisdictions.
Crime Scene Photography offers students the opportunity to further develop their skills in observation, identification of key information and evidence at the crime scene. Building upon skills introduced in CJS 295 Crime Investigation, students will learn how to document, record, and capture the context of the crime scene with visual medium of digital photography.
CJS 295 , CJS 101 , and permission of the instructor
CJS 315Crime Scene Management2
Crime Scene Management offers students the opportunity to consider the importance of organization and leadership on the scene. Scene management is crucial to the preservation of the scene and its evidence, from report to clearance of the scene. However, scene management extends beyond this to include the collection of information and identification of victims, witnesses, and the suspect. Scene management can also include access to the scene, roles and responsibilities as well as scene ownership. Importantly, the course offers an insight into the management of information following the investigation, and up to the release of the scene.
CJS 295 , CJS 101 , and permission of the instructor
CJS 345Gangs and Organized Crime4
This course provides students the opportunity to study one of the most impactful areas of criminal justice today - Gangs & Organized Crime. Students will examine some of the major theoretical perspectives within the area and will review a number of critical areas of study. This will include an examination of national and international concerns around from youth gangs, to prison gangs, and organized criminal groups. As such the course is multi- disciplinary, borrowing much from the related social science disciplines such as Sociology, Social Policy, and Psychology.
This course is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to investigate crime and the individual in the social sphere. It uses as its basis the theoretical discussions grounded in psychology and sociology to investigate, debate and critique both individual and social events and experiences in criminal behavior. The course is designed to introduce students to the ideals of dangerousness and risk, associated with specific types of offender. It will challenge students to think critically about the similarities and differences between themselves and those involved in crime; addressing fear of crime, criminal behavior and social/psycho interventions used to address offending behavior.
This course offers an in-depth investigation of the evolution of law enforcement in the United States, leading into inquiry of a number of current, critical issues shaping policing locally, nationally and internationally. Critical issues examined include: the militarization of U.S. police forces, policing post-conflict cities, technological advances in policing, policing the drug trade in rural and urban America as well as abroad and the increased role of police forces in homeland security.
