This course (and the use of the ancillary items, research, and projects) will help students to become more informed about crime and the ways that our system deals with it by providing a balanced presentation of the major issues, trends, debates, and legal aspects in criminal justice through a wide variety of perspectives. It will enable students to gain insight into the laws and issues affecting society today through the use of current up-to-the-minute cases, and will demonstrate the application of criminal justice to contemporary issues, such as:

• terrorism attacks,
• cyberterrorism,
• the death penalty debate,
• the use of deadly force,
• how theory plays out in practice,
• the human implications of policies and procedures.

NOTE: This is an 8 week course.

Entry Level Competencies: There are no pre-requisites for this course.

If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

1. demonstrate critical thinking skills regarding the broad implications of criminal justice,
2. enumerate and elucidate basic research processes, concepts, and techniques,
3. expound upon the many ways in which new technologies are impacting the field of criminal justice,
4. describe the extent and type of crime in the United States.
5. describe the basic organization of each of the major elements of the Criminal Justice System.
6. describe the operation of the court system, from first appearance through trial.
7. recognize the challenges of the law enforcement, judiciary, and corrections elements in today's dynamic societal environment.
8. describe the variety of career opportunities available in the Criminal Justice System, the realities of these careers, and the methods for successfully obtaining employment within the system. It should also help an individual to decide whether they might desire to pursue a career in criminal justice.
9. demonstrate critical thinking skills regarding the broad implications of criminal justice,

Possible Assignments Include: (Subject to change each semester. The actual assignments are available in the Syllabus in the Blackboard course site on the first day of classes.)

Your final grade may be based on the following scale. Please note that you must also pass at least several exams in order to pass the course, regardless of your scores on the other assignments.

There are 2 exams in this course.

Last Updated: October 19, 2011