This course is designed to improve the technical writing skills of criminal justice graduate students. Emphasis will be on the fundamentals of written (and oral) report preparation.
An examination of the administration of federal, state and local criminal justice agencies in the United States, including a focus on criminal law and procedure.
This course will provide a broad introduction to the critical challenges of disaster management. The course will address past and present strategies for reducing and responding to hazards posed by both manmade and natural disasters. Emphasis will be placed on what we can learn from the history of disasters, and on how we can apply those lessons to the management of future events.
A detailed examination of the best known and most influential theories of crime causation. Topics include: (1) theory construction, (2) hypothesis testing, (3) theory integration, and (4) the links among theory, research, and policy.
An examination of the characteristics and life styles of crime victims and the impact of their victimization. The treatment of victims by the criminal justice system is examined along with possible reforms in approach.
This course examines bigotry and hate and how they are manifested in criminal behavior. Various groups who have been labeled as supporting or engaging in domestic terrorism are studied. Focus is placed on federal and state statutory laws and the dynamics of police, court, and corrections based responses to hate crimes and domestic terrorism.
The response of criminal justice to technological changes in science, engineering and medicine as they affect both the criminal justice system and the criminal justice professional.
This course seeks to examine the evolution of policing over the last several decades and how the objectives, priorities and working ideologies have shifted. There will also be a focus on the reality of change that has occurred in police organizations and the tension between the publicly stated mandate and actual practice.
This course provides an overview of the development and characteristics of violent offenders, some of whom will evolve to be criminal psychopaths. The class will provide an analytical understanding of the unique characteristics of serial type criminals and the methodologies utilized to perpetrate their crimes.
This course applies psychological theories, principles, and research to issues of concern to the criminal justice system. Specific attention is paid to the intersection of the mental health and criminal justice systems.
This course explores the growth of crime prevention as an alternative to criminal justice responses to crime and examines current theories of, and research on, different approaches to preventing crime, including developmental, situational, and community prevention.
This course is designed to address a broad range of topics relevant to criminal behavior and the development of the so called criminal personality. Factors that are considered to influence the evolution of criminal mentality are examined and the laws and the past and current response of the criminal justice system to repeat offenders are explored.
The course focuses on how and why individuals with serious mental illness become involved in the criminal justice system, and on how the criminal ustice and public mental health systems respond to that involvement. Topics include law enforcement responses, court-based strategies, mental health & corrections, community supervision of individuals with mental illness, violence and mental disorder, and unique challenges associated with female and juvenile populations.
In order to combat "terrorism" one must be aware of what it is and is not. This course will explore "terrorism" in its totality as it occurred in the past, is occurring in the present, and how it will occur in the future. Various dominant International Terrorist groups are examined relative to their ideology, organizational behavior, and method(s) of operation. There is a heavy emphasis on the impact terrorism has and will have upon the Criminal Justice system relative to investigative processes.
Specific analysis of the management of correctional institutions, including custody, classification, reception, programming, release, staffing, scheduling, collective bargaining, prisoners' rights, and other related issues.
The goal of this course is to enhance the understanding by students and professionals and increase their level of expertise regarding risk management and the impact of terrorism on economic and other critical infrastructures in the United States. The course will provide them the tools (operational and statistical) and technology required to mitigate these risks. The secondary purpose of this course is to examine and critically discuss current and future methods to create an effective overarching look at best practices in security management.
The implications of criminal laws, criminal justice practices and programs. Focus on inequalities based on gender, race and class.
This course examines the dynamics of substance abuse, the interrelationship between substance abuse and crime, and the use of both criminal and civil law to deal with the problems posed by substance abuse.
Examination of the interplay between gender, crime, and criminal justice. Since much of the information about crime and the criminal ustice system is presented in relation to men, a course focused on women and crime fills a tremendous gap in the criminal justice discourse. The goal of this course is to provide an understanding o the unique ways that gender may affect crime and criminal justice experiences. Graduate Students only.
The U.S. has embraced the homeland security monolith without a full understanding of what it encompasses. This course provides a comprehensive overview of homeland security and homeland defense as underaken in the United States since 9/11. The course critically examines the current body of knowledge with a specific focus on understanding security threats, the sources of these threats, and the reasons for these threats. The roles of the key players at the federal, state and local levels, the policies and procedures enacted since 9/11, and the homeland security system in practice are also examined.
A range of criminal justice management issues are addressed, including organizational structure, purpose, rewards and relationships, leadership and management styles, and the development of effective change strategies by criminal justice agencies. The complex role of the criminal justice manager in both the adult and juvenile justice system is emphasized.
This course is designed to provide an in-depth investigation of the interrelationship between law and public policy and the role that values play in establishing law and public policy. An examination is conducted of the function of both criminal and civil law in achieving societal objectives.
Students are introduced to a variety of statistical techniques applicable to problem solving in the criminal justice system. This course is designed for both producers and consumers of criminal justice research.
Students are introduced to the essential elements of criminal justice research, including criminal justice data sources, conceptualization and measurement, the use of experimental and quasi-experimental designs, survey research, document studies, and ethnographies. The use of computers as a research tool is covered.
This course examines the use of new technologies to analyze crime patterns and develop crime prevention strategies. Students study theories that explain the geographic distribution of crime and learn how to use Geographic Information Systems to study crime in ways that draw upon theory as well as how to apply GIS techniques in the law enforcement and corrections fields.
A detailed examination of methods of evaluating criminal justice programs. Focuses on both process and outcome evaluation.
A primary function of law enforcement is the gathering of information. However, information by itself does little to support the law enforcement mission. Intelligence, in the context of law enforcement, is the outcome of rigorous analysis of information, and often generates key decisions and/or guides tactical strategies that help facilitate the enforcement mission. This course examines the role of information and intelligence in defining and achieving the law enforcement mission. Problem solving tools such as SARA, and management tools like COMPSTAT, which rely heavily on both information and intelligence, are discussed. Finally, in a world now defined by the threat of terrorism, the course examines the sharing (and sometimes lack of sharing) of information and intelligence among local law enforcement and federal agencies and the impact of this sometimes contentious relationship.
Examination of current theory and research on crimes in schools, libraries, museums, mass transit, parks, and other public places. Crime prevention and security programs appropriate for these public places are emphasized.
Examines the causes and consequences of intimate partner violence as well as the latest research regarding the criminal justice response.
Introduction to empirical findings and theoretical perspectives concerned with the maltreatment of children and youth. Includes an examination of prevalence rates, risk factors, consequences, and system responses.
This course provides students with an in-depth analysis of the causes, context, and control of a wide range of violent crimes .
An examination of constitutional rights through the most recent court decisions. This includes an analysis of the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 14th amendments ( i.e., search and seizure, arrest, bail, juries, trials, cruel and unusual punishment, etc.)
This course examines the nature of sex offenses as well as the mind of the sex offender, and focuses on motives, possible victims, and rehabilitation. The responses of the mental health and criminal justice systems are examined and the effectiveness of those responses is assessed.
A comprehensive examination of a current issue in criminal justice.
The application of advanced statistical techniques to research problems in criminal justice. A variety of multivariate statistical techniques will be examined, including OLS regression, discriminant analysis, and LOGIT and PROBIT models.
This course is designed as an independent study of a subject not offered in the standard curriculum.
