CSJS - Criminal Justice

This course provides an overview of the function, structure, and historical development of major institutions within the criminal justice system.  Theories about crime and victimization are presented, and the interrelationship between law enforcement practices, court processes, and correctional operations at the local, state and national level are examined.  Students consider the ways in which policing, courts, and correctional practices impact citizens' perception of the justice system, and how citizen participation, political and economic factors influence the policies and practices within criminal justice agencies.

Private security is a dynamic field that is growing at a tremendous rate. Problematic issues have varied over the years, new technologies have been developed, laws have changed, and new organizational strategies have evolved. This course provides students with an overview of private security organizations. Students will be familiarized with the most significant literature, theories and research findings in the field. Types of positions available, duties involved and the employment forecast are also be addressed.

This course examines the historical and contemporary impact of the judicial process as the forefathers envisioned. The United States court system and its relationship to the criminal justice system are explored, along with the current system of probation in the United States. The organization and jurisdictions of the federal and state court systems are studied.

An examination of services designed to meet the various needs of the population, this course emphasizes the purposes, structure, funding sources and effectiveness of the different programs.

This course provides historical and current analyses and a critique of foremost theories and "schools" of crime. The approach is multidimensional - psychological, sociological, genetic, geographic and political.

Students consider adult corrections and parole with a concentration on historical trends, administration, reception/diagnosis, incarceration, furlough work-release, parole, authority, recidivism.

Although various perils may be of concern in a given situation, the threat of fire is universal. Because fire is one of the most damaging and demoralizing hazards, fire prevention and control must be the cornerstone of any comprehensive loss prevention program. No facility protection program is complete without clear, concise policies and programs to prevent or confront fire and other man-made or natural disasters. Topics covered in this course include fire behavior, fire codes, emergency planning, safeguards, hardware, protection systems and inspections.

An examination of the historical evolution of the criminal investigative process, this course explains how a crime can be solved through a very thorough investigation, including preservation of evidence, report writing, crime scene equipment, processing of evidence and investigative procedure.

The juvenile justice system is viewed from both a historical and contemporary perspective with an emphasis on delinquency theories and prevention. Major topics include delinquency and community, arrest, pre-trial detention, court procedures and personnel, probation, training schools and camps, community-based networks, parole, release and recidivism.

This course provides an opportunity to study topics of current and historical interest in the fields of justice, law, and public safety.

This course considers how society protects itself against progressive dangers to its environment. Topics include effective law enforcement, legislation, effective preventive and corrective technologies, adherence to standards, sanctions and controls, informed community action and cooperation among agencies.

A study of the history and philosophy of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. with emphasis on the interdependence of law enforcement and other components of the criminal justice system. The course also examines the roles of the police in the administration of justice and the critical issues that affect law enforcement in contemporary society.

This course explores the relationship between social class and crime in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. Topics include: International law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, international relations, environmental racism, police community relations, and prejudice.

This class takes a broad look at domestic problems, including juvenile status offenders, runaways, child abuse, incest and social isolation. It also considers suicide-homicide, depression, sexual dysfunction, drug-abuse/alcoholism, rape, and institutional solutions like shelters, counseling and protective services.

This series of workshops in Justice, Law, and Public Safety Studies covers topics of interest and importance to both students and experienced professionals.   Workshops focus on both practical and theoretical issues and are open to all interested students at the University.

Security problems occur in every area of a company's daily routine. It is necessary to deal systematically and forcefully with these problems. Recently, commercial and industrial communities have taken steps to create a security effort as part of the corporate structure, rather than turning to outside services. This course focuses on how and where the security department operates within the organizational framework and the management and operations of private security in corporate America. Management styles, basic management principles applied to crime prevention and, budgetary preparation and concerns are discussed.

This course is designed as an introductory course for those students who are interested in a career in security, for those presently active in the field who are pursuing additional academic knowledge, and for those concentrating on business administration who wish to examine the basic principles of an organizational function that is rapidly becoming a vital part of virtually every business.

Participation in mediation helps undergraduate students understand the value of resolving disputes through mediation (peacemaking) so that they can apply these principles and methods to their personal and professional lives.  This course will teach students about mediation and advocacy, and how to use the various tools and skills through class simulations, practices, assignments, and exams.  Professional, ethical, and collegial behavior is expected at all times.

As a continuation of CSJS 32700 Mediation I, this class reinforces a variety of techniques, theories, and frameworks for analyzing and resolving conflict.  Students will understand the procedure from conflict analysis to exploring techniques, process models, and third-party roles to constructively intervene in conflict.  Because this class emphasizes building conflict resolution skills and abilities, a significant portion of the class will be experientially based.  Much of the pedagogical experience will involve engaging in simulated conflict scenarios and subsequent reflection.  Students will demonstrate proficiency in mediation through community engagement, specifically training and mentoring youth, and passing a certification examination.  Professional, ethical, and collegial behavior is always expected.

Court sentenced offenders are sometimes given alternatives to incarceration, generally to reduce social costs. The history and development of this movement are analyzed. Topics include court probation, extended furlough, work-release and conditional parole, halfway houses, group homes, metro-centers and regional zone systems.

Comparisons and contrasts are made among selected aspects of foreign criminal justice systems and those of the United States. Topics include structures of systems at various levels of government, questions of international jurisdiction, significant differences in basic criminal law and cardinal issues regarding the concept of justice.

Drug problems are considered in terms of chemical content, effect upon individuals and society, incidence and distribution. Trafficking and organized crime, cause and prevention theories, treatment, statute, sanctions and appraisal of current efforts to deal with the problems are also covered. This course meets the advanced writing proficiency requirement.

This course covers aspects of criminalistics. It focuses on standards, certification, genetic technology, drugs, chemicals, crime scene technology, prints, artifacts, and photography.

In the last few years, the topic of female crime and criminals has begun to attract much attention. Patterns of criminal behavior, the etiology of female crime and criminal justice system responses, with special emphasis on the correctional aspects of female offenders, are the main focus of this course in an effort to help students become sensitive to and aware of the relationships among women, crime and justice.

This course provides students with the opportunity to do advanced study in a variety of issues relating to contemporary or historical approaches to justice, law, public safety, fire science, forensic investigation, and the like. Topics will vary.

This course provides a study of sexual crimes as they relate to public health, venereal disease, organized crime, political alliances, military imperatives and legislation. Rape victim counseling and treatment, special police training and coordinated crisis intervention are considered, along with offender apprehension, sentencing and follow-up study.

This course explores professional ethics applied to Criminal Justice. Students examine the philosophical origins of ethics and the relationship of ethics to law and the concept of justice. General ethical propositions are established and applied to specific issues in criminal justice to educate students about ethical decision making and to assist students in becoming personally responsible in their professional careers.

This course provides a comprehensive review of crime victimization. Students examine the level of victimization, characteristics relating to the victims of crime, the dynamics of the victim/offender relationship in various types of crime, and the consequences of crime victimization. The response by criminal/social justice agencies to victimization and the services provided are also examined.

Students examine the leadership role of supervisors and their ability to influence subordinates and coordinate and direct personnel toward specified goals and objectives. Supervisors should be knowledgeable and sensitive to the needs of the community, personnel and management so that overall benefits may be maximized.

This course aims to contribute to the general enrichment of knowledge of students by developing insights and an understanding of social science and humanistic concepts applicable for criminal justice reconstruction and to analyze the historical development of criminal justice problems in America, and society's parallel efforts to alleviate these problems by creating institutions and vehicles to reinforce the ability of individuals, families and communities to cope with social pressures and change.

This course explores the historical foundations of intelligence gathering and the legal boundaries that define the operational field. Contemporary issues are examined and methods of intelligence gathering are studied. An overview of various intelligence gathering agencies will also be covered. Electronic monitoring, right to privacy, use of informants, and disclosure of information to other agencies are examined.

This course seeks to introduce and apply financial investigative techniques to the detection and resolution of criminal activity. Focus is on the financial investigative approach, an approach that identifies and documents the movement of money during the course of a crime, particularly financial crimes.

This class provides students with a broad knowledge of confidence crimes; identify and profile the con-artist and examine why certain victims are targeted.

This course is a basic study of laws, codes and jurisdictions relating to crime. Special attention is given to landmark court decisions, Illinois' criminal codes, relationships of social climate to enforcement of laws, historical trends and future directions.

This course will introduce, examine, and provide students the skills with which to analyze social justice policies. This course will emphasize a conceptual approach rather than a statistical focus to studying the creation, implementation, and evaluation of social justice policies. Although this will focus more on the steps involved in the evaluation of social justice policies, it will also address the existence of social justice policies and their relevance to the success of the social institution known as the social justice system (acknowledging the operations of each social justice component - law enforcement, courts, and corrections).

This course presents an overview of the constitutional rules governing the criminal investigation, detention, prosecution, and adjudication of persons in the United States with focus on the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and the Supreme Court decisions that have interpreted the meaning of these amendments.  In addition, the rules of evidence that are designed to allow or disallow evidence in court are explored.

This course deals with environmental architectural and aesthetic issues relating to the safety and security of the general public. Historical perspectives in design related to loss prevention, public safety and security will be examined. Landscape and perimeter design are also highlighted. Various protective strategies are discussed regarding architectural structures.

A verdict of guilty or innocent is frequently the result of evidence developed and reported by the crime lab. This capstone course, together with the 81-468 Laboratory course, brings together concepts from the other courses in the program in an applied learning environment. Students will be expected to demonstrate the relationship between and the application of concepts from Criminal/Social Justice-focused courses and the science-focused courses in discussions and situational environments.

This course provides a laboratory experience of the concepts and topics of the Forensic Criminal Investigations program.

A comprehensive study of the phenomena of serial murders and other serial crimes, this course provides students with a broad knowledge of obsessive-compulsive behavior exhibited by serial criminals in their episodic endeavors.

This course studies the role of organized crime in vice related activities. Issues relative to legalized gambling, prostitution and drugs are also discussed. Enforcement strategies on the federal and local level are also highlighted as well.

At all levels of democratic government, police departments are sworn to effectively enforce the law. This course covers public administration skills, interaction with politics, private interest groups and community relations, personnel recruitment and training, treatment of victims and offenders, and established linkage with related public service - medical, fire and transportation.

Meaningful staff-client relationships require special training in counseling and advising. This course studies counseling skills required in such settings as incarceration, police custody, parole, court probation, work release, hospitalization, halfway houses and drug abuse centers. Consideration is also given to counseling victims of crime, fire, accidents and disasters.

Multidiscipline theories are presented. Possible causes and resolutions are explored along with economic, ethnic, racial, educational, migratory, housing, religious and psycho-social vectors, practical dilemmas of high-rise housing, automobile mobility, rapid-transit expansion, school "drop-outs," and alcohol as well as drug abuse. Analysis of efforts to combat the problems are considered, including law enforcement, legislation, and community cooperation.

Students examine the rapid emergence of the public sector in the labor-management forum. Public safety students come to understand that they are more than participants in this forum; they are contributors to the beginnings of public safety.

Patterns of criminal behavior on the part of women, the etiology of female crime and criminal justice system responses, with special emphasis on the correctional aspects of female offenders are explored.

This course is designated to provide students with an overview of the methods and techniques of research in the behavioral sciences. Special emphasis is placed on methods and techniques for conducting research in justice, law, and public safety studies, including the relationship between theory and research, the nature of causation, research designs and techniques, conceptualization and measurement, operational, sampling, and ethical issues. Furthermore, students will be exposed to current research in the field.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the military and the unique laws governing it. Historical discussion of the armies of the USSR, United Kingdom and Japan is covered. Other aspects include combined operations in emergency martial law situations, refugee control and anticipated national mobilization against the war on drugs. Foreign affairs, geopolitics and history are highlighted as well.

This course is presented historically, transitionally, and in current status. Emphasis is placed on multi-ethnic and global aspects. Sub-topics include prohibition era white slavery and prostitution, gambling, worldwide law enforcement and legislative activity, money-laundering, corporate insider trading, sham of business, union-rackets, terrorism and subversive groups.

This course provides an analytical study of the phenomenon of domestic and international terrorism in contemporary society. An examination of political, religious and economic motives is also covered as well as group tactics.  The course will also examine various types of terror groups including single issue, right-wing, left-wing, separatist, and Jihadist groups.

Information needs and interfaces for different departments are summarized. This course also provides pertinent, contemporary material regarding the collection, storage and dissemination of criminal justice information.

The purposes of this course is to understand the liabilities that may attach to the police and their respective departments when officers engage in improper conduct, and to understand various lawsuits that may be filed against a police officer for misconduct. These suits include actions of officers that are intentional, as well as those that are negligent. Students learn why proper training, supervision and department rules and regulations are so important.

This internship gives students practical, related experience through placement in selected settings. Students attend scheduled seminars, confer with the Internship Coordinator, submit written reports and maintain a task log. Three credit hours (which require a minimum of 210 / maximum of 360 clock hours) or six semester credit hours (which require a minimum of 420 / maximum of 720 clock hours) may be earned.

Students get an opportunity to explore, in a structured manner, a special interest area of their choice. Students are expected to meet with their advisor throughout the semester while preparing their report. A prescribed stylized written report in duplicate must be submitted to the faculty advisor.