This course will be an introduction to the criminal justice system in the United States. Crime, criminals, victims, explanations of criminal behavior, law and the criminal justice system, policing strategies, police and the law, courts and courtroom workgroups, proceedings before trial, conviction by trial and guilty pleas, sentencing, community corrections, prisons and jails, prison life and juvenile justice are the topics that will be covered.

The scope of victimology, gauging the extent of criminal victimization, the costs of being a victim, remedying the plight of victims, restorative justice, victimization at work and school, and victim rights will be studied. Criminology and crime theory, different perspectives— classical, biological, psychological, and sociological – and measuring crime will be examined.

This course will introduce students to the principles of policing in the United States from its inception to the present. Police ethics, discretion, stress, culture, work, patrol operations, criminal and internal investigations, promotions, professional development and community policing will be examined.

This course will explore the branch of forensic science that applies science to law and its milestone developments. It will also examine the key role recognition, analysis, and interpretation of physical evidence plays in the criminal investigation.

The fundamentals of effective and professional criminal investigations will be studied, through the lens of the elements of criminal law. Crime scene procedures, evidence collection and preservation, forensic science technology, interview and interrogation techniques, use of informants to obtain information and intelligence, surveillance methods, writing comprehensive reports, identifying and arresting suspects, legal searches and the Fourth Amendment, investigating violent crimes against persons as well as property will be covered within this course.

Students will develop an understanding of the basic principles of social research, grasp the importance of scientific research and comprehend research methodologies of others. Research ethics, questionnaire construction, data collection, inferential statistics, data processing and analysis, sampling, and techniques utilized to analyze criminal justice will be studied. Students will be required to produce a scholarly research paper. This course must be taken by the conclusion of Sophomore year.

The focus of this course is to provide an overview of women’s involvement in the criminal justice system as criminals, victims and professionals. Students will explore cultural forces, contemporary studies and historical influence which shaped theories, policy and treatment today. This course will also explore the importance of gender equality within the field of criminal justice. Areas of the study include: theoretical perspectives, drug addiction, prison environment, sexual assault, restorative justice, domestic violence, women in law enforcement, the legal profession and corrections.

Criminal Procedure will be examined with an emphasis on the varying, and sometimes conflicting, roles of professionals in law enforcement, including police, probation, parole, corrections, homeland security, and court administration. The course will cover police stop-and-frisks, probable cause, arrest, search and seizure, search warrants and affidavits, Miranda Rights, confessions and interrogations, line-ups and show-ups, investigations, informants, plain view doctrine, consent, exigent circumstances, right to counsel, due process, entrapment, and the exclusionary rule.

The basic organization and objectives of the American correctional system will be examined. Local, state, federal and private sector correctional systems and practices will be studied. Special categories of correctional clients – male, female, juvenile, sex offenders, mentally and physically disabled or challenged, geriatric, and HIV – will be considered.

Students will be exposed to a variety of tools and techniques to excel, as a woman, in the criminal justice arena. Topics such as stress management, nutrition, fitness, and strategies for success will be explored and discussed.

This course builds a bridge from students’ general education to the work they do in the field of criminal justice. With the aim of preparing students for both professional life and graduate work, this writing-intensive course introduces disciplinary strategies for investigating provocative issues and for communicating to others about them. In this way, the course offers students time to learn and to practice more advanced skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening; in using appropriate software support in presentations; and in mastering information literacy in the field of criminal justice. The course emphasizes fundamental principles of communication with time-on-task and real world, discipline-specific models for communication tasks.

Topics of study will include the burden of proof and burden of production for criminal trials, probation hearings, and parole violations; forms of criminal evidence; relevance; competency; direct and circumstantial evidence; exculpatory evidence; identification; authentication; expert testimony; admissions and confessions; the Hearsay Rule and its exceptions; character evidence; alibi evidence; and privileged communications. Criminal courtroom procedure, witness preparation, and both Grand Jury and courtroom testimony will be discussed. Multiple actual criminal case studies will be utilized throughout this course.

The student will be introduced to the system developed to coordinate federal, state, and local governments and agencies to educate the public and respond effectively to natural disasters. Students will be able to describe the scope and levels of preparedness necessary to prevent the loss of life caused by major disasters. Students will begin to apply the theories, principles, and approaches to emergency management in real world situations, and they investigate major response failures in such as those experienced after Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 disaster as well many recent successes.

This course familiarizes the student with the variety of handguns utilized in law enforcement today. Emphasis will be on the safe handling of firearms and an understanding of their operation. Students will be instructed in range procedures and participate in shooting exercises. Successful completion of the course will result in a handgun training certificate.

Students learn the science of inquiry and the fundamental techniques, skills, and limitations of modern criminal investigation. They apply practical approaches adn the newest theory to a variety of types of criminal investigations. Students develop an analytical and practical understanding of the investigative processes. Students explore crime solving technology and techniques from a law enforcement and criminal justice perspective. Students apply the fundamentals of the investigative process and learn a range of skills necessary for successful performance of investigations, including evidence gathering and analysis, witness assessment, field techniques, and linkage between investigative and prosecurial agencies.

This course will explore the different roles and responsibilities of the probation and parole officer in the criminal justice system. Emphasis will be placed on understanding an integrated model of supervision, developing of effective treatment plans, aftercare services, sanctions for non-compliance. The interplay between the police, prosecutors, judges, prison personnel, probation and parole officers will be examined.

This course will explore and compare the structure and characteristics of various criminal organizations. Common characteristics of criminal organizations, causes of organized crime, the businesses, the paradigms, the role of law enforcement, crime statutes, prosecution strategies, defenses, and sentencing. Different national and international groups—Asian, Russian, Latin American, Italian, Afrolineal, European, urban street gangs, prison gangs, and the evolving relationship between terrorism and organized crime will be studied.

The student will learn methods for implementation of hazard mitigation measures to reduce the impact of disasters when possible. This course will address HAZMAT incidents, the unified command structure of HAZMAT responses and the facets to considerations addressed in managing local, state and federal disasters. Students will engage in the basics of HAZMAT management as well as the control guidelines required by various governmental entities.

The student will examine the fundamental planning concepts utilized by local, state, and federal agencies to respond to natural and manmade disasters. Students will construct and incident Action Plan, which is the first planing document that identifies the roles and responsibilities of all responding agencies for a disaster situation. This course will address a variety of considerations that officials must address to facilitate an effective process.

The purpose of this course is to give the student dual insight into offender treatment and victim advocacy through a holistic approach to restorative justice. During this course, students will examine a variety of social issues that contribute to the rise in adult offenders, treatment of the criminal population, and opportunities for victims in terms of acknowledgement, acceptance, and recovery.

White collar crime in contemporary society will be explored. Explanations for white collar crimes, the principal focus of these crimes, prosecutorial and defense practices, and the response of the criminal justice system to these crimes will be studied. Emphasis will be placed on corporate fraud, environmental crimes, unsafe products, fiduciary fraud, corruption of public officials, securities fraud, and institutional corruption, mass media and religion. A case study approach will be utilized throughout the course.

This course will consist of an overview of the juvenile justice system in the U.S. The history and origins of juvenile court, causes of delinquency, the legal rights of juveniles, juveniles and the police, juvenile court trials and dispositions, juveniles in adult court, probation and dispositional alternatives, juvenile corrections, custodial sanctions and parole, and restorative justice will be considered.

Information obtained from victims, witnesses, and suspects is critical to solving most crimes. This course will examine the difference between interviewing and interrogating, and techniques used to conduct a complete, efficient, and effective interview. It will explore the varying interrogation methods, verbal and physical behavior, witness recall, false confessions, facilitation of memory, and methods for documenting statements.

This course seeks to theoretically and analytically examine the concept of terrorism. Students will analyze terrorist philosophies, motivations, and organizations. The course will explore the general tactics and concepts of terrorism. Students will study the law-enforcement response to terrorism, including the major implications of the “War on Terror,” the USA Patriot Act, and the impact on American civil liberties.

Students in this course investigate and identify problems and activities necessary to create a comprehensive yet flexible plan of response to a major life and property threatening emergency at the local level. Students identify a recent regional or local disaster; investigate the response of professionals in multiple areas of emergency management such as fire, human services, healthcare, police, insurance, non-profit organizations, and political structures such as the mayor and town council. Students then identify the managerial responsibilities and multi-dimensional skills necessary to coordinate and control such a disaster situation, and develop techniques and approaches that can be used to handle similar emergencies in the future.

This course will examine criminal justice systems around the world. Students will explore the background, historical development, and societal influences that have affected the development of various criminal justice systems. The role of the Rule of Law and concepts of justice, punishment, and rehabilitation will be examined.

The complex human rights and social justice issue of Human Trafficking has risen to unprecedented levels with increased globalization and the use of the Internet. This course will examine issues related to commercial human exploitation and modern-day slavery from a national and international perspective. It will outline the historical, legal, economic and political contexts, as well as the factors affecting the supply and demand sides of human trafficking transactions. Students will analyze issues related to human trafficking for prostitution, forced labor, sale of children for adoption, transnational marriage, and other modern-day manifestations of slave-like practices.

The United States faces critical challenges and tasks in protecting it's land, maritime, and air space borders to ensure homeland security. This courses provides an overview of the actions taken by the United States Customes and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure security across borders, while facilitating the lawful movements of goods and persons. Students will explore a broad range of strategies and defenses that the CBP employees in it's protective and anit-terror mission; and they will examine how border security issues impact the economy, national security, and public safety.

This course will provide an overview of computer crime and its increasing prevalence in our society. The course will introduce students to the role digital devices play in computer crime investigations. Students will examine not only the device itself and why it is used to commit crime, but more importantly, will examine the critical evidence left behind on the device that may be useful to solve and prosecute the crime. Students will learn basic concepts involved in the digital crime scene, including the laws that guide investigations of this type. They will work with software tools designed to preview digital evidence and full digital evidence forensic processing tools. The course will cover internet technologies and how law enforcement deals with Internet Service Providers.

Ethical dilemmas frequently encountered by professionals--police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, parole officers, court officers, judges and correctional officers--within the criminal justice system will be thoughtfully explored within a discussion based classroom setting.

This course will provide students with an overview of the historical and contemporary context of domestic terrorism using a criminal justice framework. It will examine the threat of terrorism and survey the ideologies, motivations, tactics and use of media of various domestic terrorist organizations and individuals. Students will explore the psychological processes that create a terrorist and the psychological impact of terrorist activities on our society. Through the analysis of cultural, economic, and religious influences on terrorist groups, students will explore esisting and potential terrorist threats. Students will use creative problem-solvign strategies to refine their knowledge of terrorism prevention, detection, response and investigation.

An intensive seminar that studies cross-cultural issues of violence against women and children around the world. Students will be required to read books, to participate fully in all in-class discussions, to write a number of short papers, and to give a scholarly presentation to the class.

This course will explore expanded theories of victimology and criminology, offering a more holistic and probative approach to the residual effects of crime upon both offenders and victims alike. Topics to be covered include: the effects of the cycle of violence on future generations, the various effects of crime against victims through a case study approach methodology, and a historical overview of intervention strategies for both the offender and the victim. Students will develop a more victim-centered approach through the development of training scenarios used by contemporary victim advocates and rehabilitation experts to effectively employ methodologies for creating empathy of victims.

This course focuses on generalized understanding and appreciation of various types of hazards. Central to the course is an understanding of operations that assist in developing hazard and vulnerability assessments. The student will learn the models of hazard mitigation measures used in the formulation of assessments, the use of geographical information systems for mapping and analysis, and planning for hazard management.

Students participate in simulations and research to identify and investigate new and growing threats such as biologic and environmental terrorism, terrorist recruitment methods and disaffection initiatives, genomic terrorism, and new and developing threats to critical and vulnerable infrastructure and human resources inside and outside the United States. Students then create a well-supported proposal for developing and deploying effective countermeasures using local, state, and national and international counterterrorism forces. Special attention is paid to the strategic use of well prepared, criminal justice women and the critical nature of their contribution to the effective plan.

Students will investigate and apply the concepts and principles of the national response framework to a simulated threat. They will examine how the organizations would respond and how multi-agency coordination would need to take place at the local, state, and federal level. They will assume the key planning responsibilities as well as the role of a governmental and private agency representative in the response system. Students will learn and practice participating as a member of a national response team to a specific threat and present it to a professional team in the field for review.

Students receive supervised training from practicing professionals, normally during their senior year. Learning is achieved through observation and/or direct participation. Students are placed appropriately in settings that apply to their individual career and educational objectives. Sites may include, for example: federal and state law enforcement agencies; the District Attorney’s Office, Attorney General’s Office, or U.S. Attorney’s Office; state and federal Public Defender’s Offices; state and federal courts; municipal and state police departments; victim/witness assistance units; correctional facilities; state and federal probation and parole offices; and corporate security departments.

Students receive supervised training from practicing professionals, normally during their senior year. Learning is achieved through observation and/or direct participation. Students are placed appropriately in settings that apply to their individual career and educational objectives. Sites may include, for example: federal and state law enforcement agencies; the District Attorney’s Office, Attorney General’s Office, or U.S. Attorney’s Office; state and federal Public Defender’s Offices; state and federal courts; municipal and state police departments; victim/witness assistance units; correctional facilities; state and federal probation and parole offices; and corporate security departments.