Course Description:
CRIMLJUS 7030 Criminal Justice Systems
| Course Number: | CRIMLJUS 7030 |
| Course Name: | Criminal Justice Systems |
| Course Description: | An extensive analysis of the functions, processes, and structures of the criminal justice system: interrelationships among the components of the system, with emphasis on law enforcement, courts, corrections, and juvenile justice are explored. |
| Prerequisites: | None |
| Level: | Graduate |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Format: | Online |
| Semesters Offered: |
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| Registration Instructions |
Additional Information
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course you should have an in-depth understanding of each component of the criminal justice system, one involving the interrelationships of individual components both to each other and to our larger society. Issues, challenges, and problems that confront the system today and will confront it in the future will be analyzed.
Unit Descriptions
Unit 1: Criminal Justice System Overview
After you complete this unit, you should be able to:
- Differentiate between the consensus and conflict models of the criminal justice process.
- Comprehend the various sources of crime data.
- Articulate the process that occurs in building a criminological theory.
- Understand the various criminological theories covered.
Unit 2: Law Enforcement
After you complete this unit, you should be able to:
- Understand the historical developments of law enforcement in England and the United States.
- Comprehend the various levels of law enforcement in the United States, differentiating between local, regional, state, and federal agencies.
- Analyze various efforts to professionalize the police.
- Understand the changing legal environment and its effect on police behavior.
Unit 3: The Courts
After you complete this unit, you should be able to:
- Understand the unique characteristics of American court history.
- Differentiate between federal and state court systems.
- Understand the roles of professional courtroom actors and nonprofessional courtroom participants.
- Understand the punishment rationales and the philosophical theories behind criminal sentencing.
- Understand the truth-in-sentencing movement.
Unit 4: Community-Based Corrections
After this unit you should be able to:
- Understand the history of penal philosophies.
- Assess the various causes of prison riots.
- Compare and contrast the various methods and practices of alternatives to incarceration.
- Comprehend the major problems and issues confronting corrections today.
Unit 5: Juvenile Justice System and the Future of Criminal Justice
After you complete this unit, you should be able to:
- Comprehend the history and evolution of the juvenile justice system in the United States.
- Analyze Supreme Court decisions and their impact on the juvenile justice system.
- Understand the role of technology in crime fighting.
- Analyze civil libertarians' concerns about government intrusions.
Number of Exams
There is 1 final exam for this course.
Number of Assignments
There are 10 abstracts and critiques, 2 internet exercises, assignment discussions, and a research paper for this course.
Number of Projects
There are 2 group projects for this course.
Grading Information
Task/Total Points/% of Final Grade
Outside Abstract and Critiques (5 @ 25 points each): 125 points -- 24% of final grade
Assigned Reading Critique (5 @ 15 points each): 75 points -- 14% of final grade
Group Projects (1 @ 40 points, 1 @ 20 points): 60 points -- 11% of final grade
Internet Exercises (2 @ 25 points each): 50 -- 9% of final grade
Research Paper: 100 points -- 19% of final grade
Final Exam: 100 points -- 19% of final grade
Participation on Discussion Board: 20 points -- 4% of final grade
TOTAL POINTS: 530
Grading Scale:
A = 477 - 530 points
B = 424 - 476 points
C = 371 - 423 points
This is a graduate-level course. Students must earn a "C" or better for the course to count toward graduation.