CRJ - Criminal Justice Course Descriptions
This course covers the essential elements of a justice system and model common to the American experience, namely the police and law enforcement, legal, courts, correctional and other specialized functions. The coverage targets federal, state and local CRJ components and points out their interdependency and complimentary purpose and design. The course features both the substantive and procedural parts of a much larger system and highlights the typical features found in justice models. Finally, the course provides a basic understanding and overview of these many components and fosters further intensive study into particular aspects of the system.
Course outlines the most crucial and fundamental issues relevant to contemporary police practice in the American experience. Course commences with an historical overview of police, its evolution and changing mission over the life of the nation and how policing deals with the challenges of crime, social disorder and social problems. Other topics include the impact of police culture has upon police perception and operational command, efforts to integrate the police role into community life and how critical public support and cooperation is to a successful police command.
Among the primary functions of a civilized society is the protection of its members from criminal victimization. While this is fundamental, a broader notion of justice to victims is equally fundamental in such a society. The Criminal Justice apparatus is made up of several agencies and actors who all, to one degree or another, work to find those guilty and punish them. But the process used to do that must also be just in the victims’ eyes in order for confidence in the system to be achieved. This course examines the philosophies underpinning victims’ rights, what has and has not been promulgated and done to achieve victims’ satisfaction, and to explore the moral and ethical issues involved.
Deals with the philosophy and history of society's ideas about crime and what should be done about it. Sociology has uncovered many facets through the use of concepts developed in general sociology as well as in the field of criminology itself. Based on this new knowledge, a number of new theories and new policies are advocated.
The course explores the history of forensic science, and an overview of the multitude of forensic disciplines. Through this format the student is provided exposure to the variety of professions that exist within the field of forensic science -to include the field, investigations, laboratory analysis and data analysis. Criminal justice majors need introduced to how all of these integral roles come together for the common goal of truth, justice and allowing the evidence to speak. Concentration will be placed on the standard forensic guidelines for the scientific community, the value of a quality management system as it lends to credibility for court testimony, and the essential importance of ethical and moral integrity.
Course will provide an introduction to the field of criminalistics, with a focus on the recognition, collection, preservation, and analysis of physical evidence. Students will be introduced to fingerprints, digital photography, forensic document examination, firearms, toxicology, serology, explosives and arson. Course also evaluates the critical issues in crime scene preservation and processing through the application of forensic science to assist legal authorities in apprehending and prosecuting those involved in a crime. A central theme of this course involves the applying of industry standard and legal processes in the collection and preservation of items of evidentiary value through forensic science.
Notes
Additional course fee.
Course assesses and evaluates the fundamental core concepts essential to any effective justice model—namely the concept and idea of justice as well as discernment of a legal or human right. Course invites students to tackle the many nuances of justice, its definition and meaning, its application and use, and to examine injustice as its contrary meaning. At the other end of the course sequence, the idea of right is fully critiqued, asking perennial questions relating to the origin of a right, the power or permanency of any right, the distinction between legal rights and human rights and the metaphysical grounding rights in Catholic tradition and the grant of any right based on human dignity
Course covers foundational issues relative to the criminal side of the justice system, namely the definition, its interplay with morality, the codified structure of crime and criminality, the criminal law review of major felonies and misdemeanors, as well as morals offenses and the recent efforts to decriminalize once negatively viewed human behavior. In the second portion of the course, the process side of the criminal system is fully analyzed including steps to adjudication, constitutional rights and obligations and pre and post-conviction remedies.
Course covers foundational issues relative to criminal process, namely application of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution for the benefit of persons alleged to have committed criminal offenses. Course also covers the various criminal processes that every accused and defendant encounter from day of arrest through trial, sentencing and appeal. Special emphasis is dedicated to how criminal processes work; what are the best practices associated with each step in the mechanics of a criminal case and new and innovative approaches to how defendants flow through the justice system.
Course analyzes the typical administrative structures, processes and professional expectations for police managers and administrators. In addition, the course scrutinizes the diverse rationales for police in community settings, the question of police professionalization and education; the proper use of discretion; the nature of ethical policing as well as the current and future trends and issues confronting modern law enforcement agencies.
Course examines the basic functions, structure and organization of the federal and state court system, with special attention on the criminal and civil court systems. Levels of courts, from magisterial to high-level appellate divisions are fully analyzed. Roles and occupations essential to court operation and the management of case flow, are given significant attention. Finally, the course focuses on the influence of judicial behavior by examining judges’ policy preferences, legal considerations, group processes within courts and courts’ political and social environments.
This course introduces cybercrime as a multifaceted subject from a criminal justice perspective, with an emphasis on a philosophical and practical understanding of the phenomenon. In light of technological innovations, the course invites students to debate moral implications and social norms in the context of cybercrime, while analyzing illicit and deviant behavior in cyberspace, as well as offenders and their strategies to execute global cybercrime schemes. The course fosters awareness on cybercrime concerns and examines police practices and private sector prevention techniques.
This course addresses the various components of homeland security in the United States. The mission, organizational structure, capabilities, functional components, and selected policies of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be examined. The legal and regulatory foundation of U.S. homeland security will be explored. The course focuses on homeland security from a broader concept than one Federal agency by examining the supporting roles of state and local governments and their contributions to providing homeland security for the U.S. against international and domestic threats to domestic preparedness. The course addresses the role of FEMA in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Course raises awareness of financial crime, including methods, schemes, motives, risks, laws, regulations and the organizational conditions that facilitate such crime. Course provides an overview of the most prevalent types of financial crime, including accounting schemes, bribery, corruption, cybercrime/electronic crimes, embezzlement, fraud, legal violations, market manipulation, money laundering, mortgage fraud, ponzi schemes and terrorist financing. Course provides case studies of each offense and considers ethical and moral issues in the context of these crimes.
This course explores the history, structure, and function of probation and parole and a critical analysis of the substance and procedural requirements of probation and parole. Topics include the theoretical foundations of probation and parole, the importance of pre-sentence investigations, and the role of probation and parole officers in supervising offenders and how these practice interplay with sentencing and judicial entities. The course always emphasizes the distinctive differences between the probationers/parolees, the services available to each group, and to critically assess and measure program efficacy,
This course analyzes the typical administrative and practical applications within use of force involving lethal and less lethal systems that are currently being used as the industry standard within law enforcement. Training structures, processes and professional expectations for police use of force trainers are analyzed. In addition, the course scrutinizes the diverse rationales for police use of force in community settings, the question of police professionalization and education in properly applying force; the proper use of discretion; the nature of ethical policing as well as the current and future trends and issues confronting modern law enforcement agencies based upon case law and constitutional law
This seminar in police and law enforcement problems applies the theories and common methods in policing to practical street-based law enforcement. Students critique police policy and evidence-based best practices relevant to urban policing and crime prevention, police culture, patrol methods, the war on drugs, corruption, “broken windows” theory, use of force, race, police/community relations and terrorism.
This course introduces students to the role and functions of private security in the American justice system. Private sector justice encompasses security entities in either individual or corporate/business form that deliver a wide array of services including crime prevention, asset and property protection, protection of persons, investigation, and disaster recovery services, and information security. Other security specialties covered are: risk analysis, expert and investigative services for litigation and technological advancements. Cooperative arrangements and protocols between public police entities and public agencies and the private security sector receive significant attention. Course assesses the wide range of career options in the fastest growing arm of the American Justice system.
Course introduces students to selected advanced concepts within the criminal investigations field. Beginning with death investigations, students will examine case studies involving the different manners of death, fatalities involving infants/children, and the recovery of buried human remains. The course continues with topics involving sexual assaults of adults to include rape typologies of offenders, linkage analysis involving serial rapists, and false allegations. The course examines the increasing role digital forensics plays with violent crimes, such as rape/murder. The course will culminate with the topic of criminal investigative failures, explaining how cognitive biases, groupthink, and tunnel vision negatively affect criminal investigations.
This course exposes students to various forms of corruption encountered by criminal justice professionals who labor in the legal and judicial professions. The course stresses the ethical and moral expectations of the legal and judicial professions and law enforcement intersects with these functions. Course more specifically highlight types of corruption encountered by law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court officials, judges, and corrections personnel. Each occupational category is examined, and various forms of corruption are analyzed and assessed.
This course addresses the critical issue of police ethics from a Catholic- Christian perspective. A central theme of this course involves the applying traditional moral reasoning to police practice, from police officers on the street to the chief executives of the law enforcement agencies. Police officers adopt a “noble cause” perspective of policing but can fall victim to the ends justify the means mentality. Because of this moral laxity, corruption often overtakes the police personality and the respective department. A major focus of the course will be examining how Catholic teaching based on the natural law can be a method for police officers to avoid corruption and develop a moral and ethical vision of policing that is consistent with moral tradition as well as the legal and constitutional expectations of American policing.
Evidentiary proof and rules are the prime aims of the course coverage. Other considerations at center in this course offering are proof of facts in civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts; the integrity of evidence in litigation; the functions of the judge and jury; qualification and examination of witnesses; proof required in documentary evidence; judicial notice; competence and credibility of witnesses; opinion evidence whether lay or expert in nature; hearsay; burdens of proof; presumptions and inferences; real evidence; demonstrative, expert and scientific evidence, are all fully covered.
An overview of how forensic science and legal study intersect in justice entities like courts, the Office of the Medical Examiner, police and investigative agencies and other justice functions. Course will stress the judicial response and oversight as to the use of forensic science in the analysis of physical evidence. In addition, the course will review how forensic, scientific results play out during crucial facets of justice system processing including investigation, prosecution, and defense of a crime. Course will emphasize legal case decision and the aligned evidentiary rules regarding admissibility. Ethical and professional principles regarding scientific evidence will also be covered.
Analyzes juvenile behavior that is beyond parental control and subject to legal action. This course will focus on the social circumstances that promote such behavior, particularly in family situations and peer groups. In addition, the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the juvenile justice system will be analyzed.
Course provides an experiential exposure to the various agencies of crime and justice, including but not limited to police and law enforcement, code and enforcement at the regulatory level, correctional and prison facilities, courts and legal agencies, as well as private sector entities dedicated to safety and security. Students may also enroll in order to conduct agency research on complex questions relating to crime and justice.
Course provides students with the tools needed to understand the concept of white-collar crime and the skills and techniques needed to prevent, detect and investigate fraud. It will also assist students in communicating investigative findings in cases of complex financial fraud.
Notes
Previous accounting course on auditing is recommended.
ACC 207 or a course on financial accounting.
Educates participants on the phenomenon of fraud, the methodologies of fraud examination, the fraud investigation process, the role of financial statements in capital markets and the nature of financial statement fraud. Course provides an overview of fraud, including reasons as to why and how fraud is committed, how it is fought, and the methods of fraud prevention, detection and investigation. Management fraud is also discussed, and its relationship to financial statement fraud.
Notes
Previous financial accounting course is recommended.
The culminating class for all majors in Criminal Justice calls for authorship of an advanced, esoteric and scholarly research product, whether in the form of a traditional research paper, a policy paper or analysis, authorship of an applied handbook or other project for use by practitioners. Capstone expectations are at senior level and with the understanding that the major has successfully mastered the content of the program at its many levels. Citations and sources for authority in the paper or project are mandatory.
This course assesses the interplay of law, morality, ethical reasoning and Western Legal tradition. The course exposes the tradition and foundations of the American legal system with special emphasis on its jurisprudential foundations. Questions of right, justice, equity, law as moral command and order, natural law reasoning and the dignity of the human person are central to the instruction. The course delivers a critical look at how our legal and justice institutions have come about and provides a method for dealing with, and delving into, perennial legal and moral problems that plague cultures. Overview of the major legal theories about the nature of law and its place in the political system. Among the issues considered is the origin of law, its relationship with divine law, obligations of obedience and disobedience, and the relationship between political sovereignty and law.
This course begins from the premise that any conception of justice necessarily has its foundation in a conception of morality and an understanding of what human begins are and what leads to their flourishing. Laws, then, are properly directed to promoting a conception of the human good. Students will examine a variety of foundational texts in Plato, Aristotle, and St. Thomas to develop a deep understanding of the interconnectivity of justice and morality and, when properly understood, their impact on an understanding of law and crime. The second part of the course will apply this classical understanding to modern approaches and dilemmas. Fundamentally, students will develop responses to the modern statement that “You cannot legislate morality” and examine whether this claim the very root of the social problems we see today. Students will be challenged to apply the classical approach to modern criminal justice issues.
This Course examines natural law theory as it relates to a just society, law and legislation and as a guide to systematic criminal and civil justice. Additionally, the course stresses its relevance to justice occupations by providing a measure for practice day to day whether police, lawyer and judge or other justice occupation. Just as importantly, students will assess the value and worth of natural law when compared with other schools of jurisprudence such as secular positivism, moral relativism and other modern approaches.
The course explores the role and importance of forensics in the investigation and prosecution of criminal events. Focus will be placed on the multitude of forensic science techniques utilized in criminal investigations, the significance of proper preservation and collection procedures, and the impact of failing to uphold quality practices. A concentration will be placed on the standard forensic guidelines for the scientific community, ethical and moral integrity and the importance of communication while remaining continually mindful of cognitive bias.
This course provides an in-depth study of the principles and techniques of criminal and civil investigations. Students will research the use of evidence in establishing proof, discuss moral/ethical considerations of the investigative process, and examine the various methodologies associated with standardized investigative techniques. Students will explore information-gathering strategies, forensic/digital evidence acquisition, and physical evidence collection as they relate to a variety of criminal/civil offenses, such as homicide, white-collar crime, and tort claims.
This course provides an overview of forensic accounting and fraud examination including the principles and techniques used by forensic accountants to investigate financial crimes. Students will learn about the role of forensic accountants and fraud examiners in detecting and preventing fraud, as well as the legal and ethical considerations involved in conducting a forensic accounting investigation. The course will cover topics such as types of fraud that forensic accountants investigate, the tools and methods used to detect and investigate fraud, and the role of forensic accounting in legal proceedings. Through case studies and hands-on exercises, students will gain practical understanding in applying forensic accounting principles to real-world scenarios. This course is suitable for students interested in pursuing a career in forensic accounting, fraud examination and/or risk management.
Course examines cybercrime, cybersecurity, and related implications in law, society, government, and business. Specific criminal conduct and infractions relating to the cyber world are fully covered. Cybersecurity is mostly about protecting from cybercrime, and now may be a legal duty for many organizations. This course introduces students to the technology, cybercrimes and illicit behavior in cyberspace, related laws (criminal, civil, regulatory, and international). How cyberspace is policed, how investigation and enforcement is conducted, and how offenders can be brought to justice are central to course delivery. Other topics include prevention, the future of cybersecurity and the ethical and moral implications relevant to cyberspace and cybercrime.
This course addresses the multidisciplinary team approach to the investigation of crimes committed against children through the collaborative efforts of police, child protection social workers, prosecutors, judges, child advocates, medical professionals, and child therapists. The use of child advocacy centers as a multidisciplinary approach is examined. This course focuses on the challenges involved in the investigation of crimes against children, including child physical abuse, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, and neglect. The range of crimes involves both intra-familial and extra-familial abuse. The course examines the human dynamics of these crimes against children, including offenders, child victims, family members, and people responsible for protecting children while in their care. This study of multidisciplinary approaches to child protection addresses the difficulties in the investigation process, including interviewing children and offenders, documenting the abuse, identifying the abuser, medical examinations, discovering forensic evidence, social services involvement, and prosecution.
This course addresses emerging innovative community-based strategies, tactics, programs, projects, and policy initiatives involving the collaborative efforts among police agencies, other governmental agencies, and a wide variety of non-governmental community partners, including non-profit organizations, community groups, and faith-based organizations to address community crime problems, disorder, fear of crime, and quality-of-life issues. This course focuses on recent pioneering efforts to address these community issues through the examination of recently published community policing demonstration projects supported through grants from federal, state, and non-governmental organizations. For an understanding of community-based collaboration for addressing community problems, the course will provide a foundational understanding of the principles of community policing, community partnerships, and problem-solving through multi-organization collaboration. In addition, the course addresses new evidence-based approaches to crime and disorder. The course culminates with students creating a proposal for a creative micro-grant community policing demonstration project involving community collaboration, with a faith-based component, to address a specific crime, disorder, fear of crime, or quality of life problem.
This course assesses the development, history and concept of “privatization” of once entrenched public services in the justice system including but not limited to courts, prisons and jails, and policing. After this introductory stress, the course evaluates the growing dynamic and overlap between the private sector security and public safety and law enforcement. Topics covered include security law and legal issues, risk management, physical security, human resources and personnel considerations, investigations, institutional and industry-specific security, crisis and emergency planning, computer, and information security. A running theme of this course will be highlighting—where appropriate—how security awareness, features, and applications have permeated all aspects of our modern lives.
This course affords graduate students allows individualized opportunity for scholarly research on a specific topic relevant to the justice system. The course is an independent inquiry because it offers students the chance to do interact and meet closely with a faculty mentor and instructor. A focused, esoteric examination of a specifically approved research topic is the course's chief purpose. Authorship of a scholarly research paper or applied project is required.
This course for advanced graduate students allows the opportunity for scholarly research in a specific topic relevant to the justice system. The course is a seminar because it offers students the chance to interact in small groups and meet closely with the instructor. A focused, esoteric examination of a specifically approved research topic is the course's chief purpose. Authorship of a large research paper shared with the class and instructor is required.
Authorship of a Thesis is optional towards the requirements of the graduate degree. The Thesis course is reserved for serious scholars in the last semester of the course of study. The Thesis course is encouraged for those seeking the terminal degree. The Thesis is an intense and sophisticated research work generally being larger than 100 pages in length and with copious citations. Permission to enroll must be reviewed by the Program Director.