Criminal Justice

This course introduces students to the social reality of crime, criminal behavior, and law as each of these relates to the criminal justice system. Students examine the role of law enforcement, prosecution, defense, court system, corrections, and juvenile justice at various levels. Students are challenged to expand both their knowledge and appreciation of the criminal justice system through arranged visits to courts, detention facilities and working law enforcement agencies.

This course will focus on the recovery, documentation and laboratory analysis of physical evidence found at the scene of a crime. The course covers the principles of effective crime scene management as well as what information can be obtained from particular pieces of physical evidence as a result of laboratory study. The laboratory analysis of the following will be covered: glass, soil, organic and inorganic substances, hairs, fibers, paint, drugs, poison, arson and explosive evidence, serology, DNA, fingerprints, firearms, tool impressions, miscellaneous impressions, photography, document and voice examinations.

This course introduces the major theories of crime causation developed over the past two centuries. Explores the scope and nature of the current crime problem in the United States. Examines the characteristics of specific criminal behavior such as violent crime, property crime, organized crime, white-collar crime, and public order crime. Additionally, the course focuses on breaking down myths and stereotypes students may have formed about crime, and has them critically examine their own beliefs about crime.

This course is intended to introduce and review the basic law enforcement skills of self defense and control. Specifically, students will learn and practice the important elements of establishing control of situations using verbal, nonverbal and physical techniques as complementary intervention options. Strategies to manage the initial encounter will be discussed in regard to proper stance, appropriate social distance, authoritative body language and the use of verbal diffusion. The physical element of encounters will be reviewed and practiced to provide the student with a practical knowledge of techniques including, but not limited to: deflection, strikes and counters, takedowns and ground control of a combative individual. The above skills will be expanded upon to provide the necessary understanding of other control systems such as proper use of handcuffs, baton and chemical products to establish control. The focus on practical skills will be reviewed within the context of the use of force continuum ranging from verbal redirection to deadly force.

This course is intended to introduce and review motor vehicle law as relates to the enforcement of those statutes concerned with moving violations. The student will also be introduced to the principles and procedures of identification and investigation of motor vehicle infractions. Specifically, topics will be presented ranging from vehicle stops and pursuit driving to operating under the influence and traffic-related fatalities, including homicide. Students will gain in in-depth understanding of accident and hit-and-run investigation, as well as an overview of providing testimony in the courtroom. Each aspect of enforcement and investigation will thereby contribute to an appreciation of the complexities of police responsibilities regarding the monitoring and control of traffic movement.

This course will explore the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution through reading of case law and real life examples. Students will understand the arguments that exist for persons involved in civil and criminal matters from the Constitution.

This course covers the institutional response to the problems of juvenile delinquency, juvenile misconduct and dependent/neglected and abused children. It emphasizes the police, court, and correctional agencies that process young people. In addition, it devotes attention to an understanding of the history of the system, recent legal developments, and an assessment of current proposals for reform.

This course will focus on the investigative use of computer technologies and electronic records. Students will be exposed to "digital evidence" and the valuable information it can provide to investigators. The course will have a two-tier approach. (1) Students will be shown how to extract readily decipherable information from someone's computer such as looking for at their files or their browser history of web sites visited. Even if the information is password protected or has been deleted it might still be recoverable. (2) The course will examine criminals who use computers and the Internet to commit various crimes ranging from trying to lure children into chat rooms or face-to-face meetings to every sort of financial fraud. This course is intended to address a growing need in law enforcement.

This course will focus on interviewing skills and techniques, both from a practical and legal perspective. Primary attention will be given to what needs to be done to satisfy the legal standards of voluntariness of admissions and confessions. Fifth and Sixth Amendment law will be thoroughly reviewed and discussed. The course will prepare students to conduct effective interrogations, and document the interrogation in a manner that will withstand later legal challenges.

This course is used to recognize prior work and educational experience translatable through a portfolio preparation process for college credit. The standardized process identifies those areas where the student's learnings are adequate and where additional learnings are needed. Learnings documented in the portfolio are measurable, both theoretical and applied, and generalized for future applicability. Students who have acquired a minimum of two years of professional work experience within a criminal justice agency are eligible to seek award of college credits. Eligible individuals may choose a maximum of five courses within an Associate Degree program and ten courses within a Bachelor's Degree program which seem to equate to work responsibilities and corollary learnings.