Criminal justice

Criminal justice is a multidisciplinary major consisting of a core of required courses in criminal justice combined with a foundation in the discipline of sociology. Hands-on learning is available through internships and field experiences in a variety of settings, such as prisons, juvenile services, courts and mediation centers. The criminal justice major emphasizes the philosophy of restorative justice in courses and applied work. This foundation, with the criminal justice courses and related electives, provides a unique and rigorous major of 56 hours.  
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Major

(57 hours)
Required courses: (48 hours)
CRJ 180 Law, Justice and Society (3)
CRJ 200 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (3)
CRJ 201 Introduction to the Juvenile Justice System (3)
CRJ 275 Criminology (3)
CRJ 303 Constitutional Law (3)
CRJ 325 Interventions in Corrections (3)
CRJ 340 Conflict Transformation and Mediation (3)
CRJ 345 Restorative Justice Theory and Practice (3)
CRJ 350 Law Enforcement: Theory and Practice (3)
CRJ 360 The Justice Professional Seminar I (3)
CRJ 410 The Justice Professional Seminar II (3)
    or Full Semester Cross-Cultural with appropriate service
PSY 110 Introduction to Psychology (3)
PSY 340 Abnormal Psychology (3)
SOC 152 Introduction to Sociology (3)
SOC 360 Basics of Social Research (3)
ECN 141 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)

Electives from the following: (9 hours)

Justice & justice related issues electives:
CRJ 310 Criminal Law and Procedure (3)
CRJ 320/SOC 320 Family Violence (3)
CRJ 380 Integrative Studies in the Criminal Justice System (3)
PLS 215 Introduction to Politics (3)
PSY 258 Social Psychology (3)
PSY 310 Personality (3)
SOC 225 Race and Ethnicity in American Society: History and Current Realities (3)
SWK 263 Human Behavior & Social Environment I (3)
SWK 141 Understanding Social Welfare (3)

Restorative electives:
REL 373 War, Peace and Nonviolence (3)
PCS 230 Theories of Peace & Conflict (3)
PLS 272 Global Politics (3)
PSY 412 Psychology, Faith & Ethics (3)

Minor

(21 hours)
Required:
CRJ 180 Law, Justice and Society (3)
CRJ 200 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (3)
CRJ 201 Introduction to the Juvenile Justice System (3)
CRJ 275 Criminology (3)
CRJ 340 Conflict Transformation and Mediation (3)
CRJ 345 Restorative Justice Theory and Practice (3)
One additional criminal justice course (3)

Courses

CRJ 180 Law, Justice and Society (3)
An examination of the different policy options for the criminal justice system, with particular attention to the connection between law and justice. The limits of law as a means of resolving disputes and maintaining social order are also examined. The course addresses the complex elements of "justice" and the difficulties of administering justice in a democratic society by examining the social construction of law throughout history. The course looks at one particular alternative to the present criminal justice system and administration of law called restorative justice. The third section of the course critically addresses a number of specified legal policies in the United States.

CRJ 200 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (3)
A study of the agencies, institutions and processes of the criminal justice system - legislature, police, attorney, courts and corrections; the definitions of crime, legal defenses and limits of the law; constitutional and procedural considerations affecting arrest, search and seizure; kinds and degrees of evidence; cases and materials affecting criminal law, prosecution, defense and the courts.

CRJ 201 Introduction to the Juvenile Justice System (3)
A study of the agencies, institutions and processes of the juvenile justice system; historical and social-scientific evaluation of judicial decisions affecting the development and operation of the juvenile justice system from the police investigation to adjudication and final disposition.

CRJ 275 Criminology (3)
A social-scientific, theoretical survey of the nature of crime, including causal factors and theories and procedures in prevention and treatment; evaluation of basic assumptions and philosophies of corrections. Prerequisite: SOC 152 or PSY 110. This course is also listed as SOC 275.

CRJ 303 Constitutional Law (3)
A specialized course of study focusing upon a significant theme or topic in political science. Topics may include Canadian or European politics, the American presidency, voting behavior, state and local government or international conflict resolution. May be taken more than once with different topics.

CRJ 310 Criminal Law and Procedure (3)
This course focuses on the study of substantive criminal law and criminal procedure in the courts of Ohio and the U.S. Federal system. A case study method is used to analyze criminal law in the United States, the manner in which cases are processed through the criminal system and the influences affecting their outcome. Prerequisites: CRJ 180 and CRJ 200.

CRJ 320 Family Violence (3)
Violent family life has largely been hidden from public analysis. In this class we critically examine the emergence of intimate violence as a social problem, are exposed to experiences of persons involved with family violence, explore various explanations for violence in families and analyze various prevention and policy measures. In each of these cases, attention is paid to the impact (or non-impact) of demographic factors, such as ethnicity, race and religion, on the occurrence and effect of intimate violence. This course is also listed as SOC 320. This course may be taken as part of the Women's Studies minor.

CRJ 325 Interventions in Corrections (3)
Survey of the theoretical basis for assessing the social and/or therapeutic approaches to the control and rehabilitation of criminal behavior in a correctional context.

CRJ 340 Conflict Transformation and Mediation (3)
This course has three primary goals: 1) to provide students with an overview of the conflict transformation movement; 2) to provide basic introductory training for students in the practice of interpersonal conflict resolution and mediation in a variety of settings; 3) to encourage students to consider the deeper issues that underlie conflict, violence and war in our society, including issues of culture, power and politics. The issues involved in this class concern matters ranging from interpersonal relationships to youth violence and international peace and reconciliation. This course may be taken as part of the Peace and Conflict Studies minor.

CRJ 345 Restorative Justice Theory and Practice (3)
An exploration of the philosophy and practice of restorative justice, a new paradigm for how we view and treat criminal events. The course is designed to encourage an in-depth understanding of the needs of victims, offenders and communities in the processing and comprehension of criminal events. The course takes a critical look at the current system of criminal justice and critically examines the alternatives that restorative justice offers. This course may be taken as part of the Peace and Conflict Studies minor. 

CRJ 350 Enforcement: Theory and Practice (3)
Survey of the police role in American life. Focus shared between the police as a formal organization in patrol and investigative operations and the police as a social, psychological or subcultural type. Primary attention given to the relationship of communal security and consent to governmental authority and to the role of the police in the maintenance of order.

CRJ 351 Corrections (3)
Survey of the correctional system from both a historical and analytical perspective. The course focuses on a variety of topics including sentencing strategies and punishment rationale in democratic societies, the philosophy and effectiveness of rehabilitation, individual adjustment and inmate organization in both male and female prisons, constitutional issues, access and remedies in addressing prisoner s rights, and emerging restorative alternatives to corrections.

CRJ 360 The Justice Professional Seminar I (3)
Students are introduced to the field of criminal justice using a strong field component and focusing on restorative themes. It intentionally considers justice in a broad context including distributive and criminal understandings. The course is intended to help students develop a better understanding of themselves and the field by offering an early field experience (20-25 hours out of class) focused on observation and reflection. The class is for students of criminal justice (major or minor) but is open to any student exploring a possible career in law or criminal justice who has taken the prerequisite courses.

CRJ 380 Integrative Studies in the Criminal Justice System (3)
An interdisciplinary study of management, institutional, philosophical or research concerns in selected system-wide problems and topics in criminal justice.

CRJ 385 Criminal Justice Practicum (3-6)
A supervised work/study placement in a setting consistent with the student's interests and career goals. Prerequisites: junior or senior status in the major (or related major) and permission of the faculty supervisor. May be repeated for a total of 6 hours; with 3 hours credited to general electives and/or a related major (with permission of major professor).

CRJ 390 Independent Study (1-3)
By arrangement.

  CRJ 410 The Justice Professional Seminar II (3)
The capstone course for the criminal justice major has a substantial field component which gives students the opportunity to experience the professional world and consider how it is related to restorative theory. The course has three themes: integration of restorative justice, professional self-care for emotional and mental health, and job market skills and resources development. The class is offered for upper class students studying criminal justice (major or minor) but is available for any student wishing to pursue a career in law or criminal justice who has successfully completed The Justice Professional Seminar I.

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