Criminal Justice

CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice 3 Credits

A general survey of the principles, system, and process of criminal justice. Introduction to conceptions and definitions of crime, criminal law, and due process. Examination of the organization and operation of the three basic components of the criminal justice system -- the police, the courts, and corrections -- individually and in relationship to one another. Offered in fall semesters.

CJ 102 Substantive Criminal Law 3 Credits

This course presents the development of criminal law in the United States and discusses its principles, sources, distinctions, and limitations. The following topics are covered in detail: criminal liability; offenses against persons, property, public peace and public justice; preparatory activity crimes; and defenses available to those charged with criminal activity. Offered spring semester.

CJ 201 Criminology 3 Credits

This course covers the various biological, psychological, and sociological types of theory that have been offered to explain the incidence of crime in society. Various types of crime, including violent, property, corporate, political and victimless crime, methods of studying crime, and characteristics of criminals are also examined. Offered spring semesters.

CJ 209 Methods of Social Science Research 4 Credits

An examination of the methodological foundations of the social sciences; the logic and technique of empirical inquiry; the nature of social facts, the operationalization of concepts, and the construction of hypotheses; research designs including surveys, interviews, experiments, observation, and evaluation; the organization and analysis of data; graph and table construction and interpretation; the common problems of empirical social research; and research ethics. Emphasis given to criminal justice applications. The lab part of the course instructs students how to use and apply SPSS and other relevant software. Cross-listed with SO 209. Offered fall semester. Classroom and Laboratory 4 hours.

CJ 300 Topics in Criminal Justice 3 Credits

Selected topics offered on occasion.

CJ 301 Criminal Procedure 3 Credits

This course addresses the legal procedure connected with arrest, search and seizure, identification and questioning, bail setting, indictments, and plea bargaining. Offered fall semesters.

CJ 304 Juvenile Delinquency 3 Credits

An examinatoin of the social and psychological dimensions of juvenile delinquency, its nature, extent, distribution, and patterns. Evaluation of theories and explanations of delinquent causation, and the investigation of delinquent subcultures. Consideration of labeling and conflict factors in the processing, prevention, and treatment of delinquents.

CJ 305 Juvenile Justice 3 Credits

A general survey of the philosophy, system and process of juvenile justice. Examination of the social and legal control of juvenile delinquency by the police, courts and corrections, as well as by private agencies. Emphasis on the distinctions in philosophy, law, jurisdiction, organization and terminology between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. Offered every other year.

CJ 306 Victimology 3 Credits

An examination of the role of the victim in crime and the treatment of the victim by the criminal justice system. Instruction in the use of victimization data in determining crime rates and in developing prevention programs. Review of victim assistance, restitution and compensation programs. Offered every other year.

CJ 307 Social Control and Crime Prevention 3 Credits

The course will focus on crime prevention as a method of social control and will examine processes of social control as social and institutional sources of crime prevention. Examination of personal defense, environmental, situational, community, and social models of crime prevention. Offered every other year.

CJ 308 The Police 3 Credits

A general survey of American policing and police organizations. Examination of the history of the police and the police idea, as well as structural, cultural, and social psychological analyses of police organizations. Coverage of the topics of police socialization, behavior, and discretion; routine and specialized operations; community policing; and police misconduct, accountability and change in policing.

CJ 310 The Courts 3 Credits

An analysis of America's courts, and the courtroom work group with particular attention given to the dual role of the courts in adjudicating cases and interpreting the U.S. and state constitutions.

CJ 312 Corrections 3 Credits

An analysis of the development and present structure of the correctional process in America, including detailed examinations of the operational problems of correctional institutions, probation and parole practices and other community-based correctional alternatives. Offered spring semesters.

CJ 314 Restorative Justice 3 Credits

This course presents a new paradigm of community justice as an alternative to the retributive model. The course examines and contrasts restorative approaches and traditional punitive responses to crime. Topics include mediation, victim-offender reconciliation, reparation for harm done to victims and the community and offender re-integration into the community. Offered every other year. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor. 3 credits.

CJ 320 Drugs and Society 3 Credits

This course focuses on the interrelationships between drugs and the social order. Issues considered include: the nature and effects of legal and illegal drugs; the determinants of drug effects, especially the social determinants; the history of drug prohibition; drug addiction and drug treatment; and drug policy. Cross-listed with SO 320. Offered every other year.

CJ 330 Terrorism 3 Credits

In this course, students examine the critical issues of domestic and international terrorism. The phenomenon of terrorism is analyzed from varying theoretical and empirical perspectives. Topics include terror organizations/networks, ideology, motives, tactics, and propaganda. Attention is also given to terrorism research trends, current events, and future implications. Offered annually. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor.

CJ 341 Cyber Law and Cyber Crime 3 Credits

This course includes extensive discussion of the legal constraints, both civil and criminal, that underlie acceptable behavior using computers and networks today. Cross-listed as IA241. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or instructor permission.

CJ 350 The Death Penalty 3 Credits

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the death penalty in America, including detailed examination of capital punishment from 1608-modern day, the legal and ethical history of the death penalty, and the administration of the death penalty in America. Topics include issues based on offender and victim race, age, class or sex. Attention is also given to death penalty research trends, current events and future implications. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor. Offered annually.

CJ 400 Independent Study 3 Credits

An opportunity for qualified upperclass students to engage in an intensive research program in fields of interest not satisfactorily covered by regular course offerings. Periodic conferences will be required. Prerequisite: written consent of the instructor to a specific project presented by the applicant. Open only to criminal justice majors with a cumulative quality point average of 2.5 or better and who have grades averaging 3.0 or better in prior course work in criminal justice. Offered on occasion.

CJ 402 Law and Society 3 Credits

An analysis of various theoretical perspectives on the nature, courses, organization and operation of law and legal systems. Emphasis will be placed on law creation, conflict resolution, the legal profession, and the role of law in social change. Cross listed with SO 402. Offered every other year.

CJ 403 Criminal Justice Administration 3 Credits

An introduction to the principles of public administration as they are applied in the operation of criminal justice agencies. This course will emphasize how such topics as organization, decision making, leadership style, personnel policy, planning, and budgeting are specifically adapted by criminal justice administrators to meet the needs of their agencies. Simulations will be used extensively as a tool for mastering administrative principles. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.

CJ 405 Internship 3 Credits

This elective course permits an upper-level student to participate directly in the criminal justice process by serving as an aide to agencies involved in the process. This offering is subject to the availability of such internships. Open only to junior and senior criminal justice majors, and to senior criminal justice minors on availability. Offered fall, spring and summers.

CJ 410 Senior Seminar 3 Credits

A course dedicated to intensive research and analysis of major issues in criminal justice. Emphasis will be placed on critical thinking and evaluation of topics previously discussed during the student's academic career in the criminal justice program. Attention will also be given to professional development topics, ethics and criminal justice policy. Prerequisite: criminal justice major and senior standing. CJ 410 meets capstone requirement. Offered spring semesters.

CJ 421 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems 3 Credits

This course examines how countries other than the United States deal with the problem of crime and its control. It begins from the classic approach of a critical analysis of the history and development of the world's great legal traditions, and the role and structure of the crimina justice systems inside those traditions. Prerequisite: CJ 101. Offered every other year.

CJ 422 Civil Liability in the Criminal Justice System 3 Credits

This course examines the civil law that governs criminal justice agencies. As representatives of the government, Criminal Justice agencies must adhere to the Constitution and other State and Federal laws. When they fail to do so, the aggrieved party has the right to sue. This course explores the major state and federal liability theories that govern the management and daily operations of the police and correctional facilities. In addition, this course draws on your previous police, corrections and law courses to explore management issues related to civil liability. Prerequisite: CJ 101, CJ 102, CJ 301. Offered every other year. Open only to juniors and seniors.

CJ 423 Evidence 3 Credits

The course is an in-depth examination of the rules governing the admissibility or exclusion of evidence at trail. Subjects include competency of witness, direct and cross-examination of witnesses, the rule against hearsay and its exceptions, expert and lay opinion testimony, privileged communications, relevancy, procedural considerations, judicial notice, burden of proof, presumptions, form and type of objections, authentication, the best evidence rule and the use of demonstrative and scientific evidence. Prerequisites: CJ 101 and CJ 102. Offered every other year. Open only to juniors and seniors.

CJ 424 Murder: Our Killing Culture 3 Credits

This course provides a comprehensive examination of the nature and extent of both the common and unusual forms of murder in the United States. The class examines characteristics, trends, and the theoretical explanations of homicide as well as the prediction and prevention of various kiinds of murder. The impact of murder on homicide survivors is also examined as well as the use of murder as entertainment in our culture. The course is designed to give students greater insight into serial, spree and mass murder, intrafamilial homicide, murder in the workplace, profiling and stalking. Although emphasis is placed on the sociological determinants of murder, psychological and biological factors are also examined. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor. Offered every other year. Open only to juniors and seniors.

CJ 425 Domestic Violence 3 Credits

This course provides a comprehensive examination of the nature and extent of domestic violence in the United States. Theoretical perspectives used to explain intimate violence are examined as well as the social factors that are related to patterns of intimate and family abuse. The course discusses domestic violence from a historical and global perspecctive and is designed to provide students with a greater understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on victims/survivors and society as a whole. Topics including child and elder abuse; the criminal justice system's response to domestic abuse; intervention, well as related crimes such as sexual assault and intrafamilial homicides. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or permission of instructor. Open only to juniors and seniors. Course is offered every other year.

CJ 442 Introduction to Computer Forensics 4 Credits

This course provides the student with an ability to perform basic forensic techniques and use appropriate media analysis software. Knowledge of the security, structure and protocols of network operating systems and devices will be covered as students learn to gather evidence in a networked environment and to image and restore evidence properly without destroying its value. The student will learn and practice gaining evidence from a computer system while maintaining its integrity and a solid chain of custody. Within the laboratory, the student will gain hands-on experience in the use of current investigative tools. Classroom 3 hours, laboratory 2 hours. Prerequisites IS 228 and CJ 341. Offered in spring semesters.