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Criminal Justice 101: Introduction to Criminal Justice
40 hours (12 weeks).
December 2013 - April 2022.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: describe the history of criminology and identify and distinguish the various criminology theories and schools of thought; define and compare different types of crime and understand the appropriate methods of punishment for each; explain the history, structure, and function of the United States criminal justice system; describe the litigation process and what it entails; recall the history of corrections and probation and describe prison culture and the evolution of the juvenile justice system; examine the present-day controversies related to criminal justice, including those regarding policing styles, Constitutional Law, and criminal sentencing (capital punishment); recognize the various levels of law enforcement (local, state, and federal) and the duties for each; compare the organization of federal and state court systems and the relationship between them; identify the function and jurisdiction of original, appellate, and Supreme Court systems; define the roles of courtroom participants and explain courtroom processes; recognize the various law types (criminal, civil, public, and private); and evaluate different criminal trials in the U.S. Justice System.
Major topics include: introduction to crime and criminology; theories of crime; types of crime; victims and victimization in criminal justice; the criminal justice field; the United States court system; constitutional law in the U.S.; criminal law in the U.S.; the criminal trial in the U.S. justice system; the sentencing process in criminal justice; criminal justice agencies in the U.S.; law enforcement in the U.S.; the role of the police department; corrections and correctional institutions; and the juvenile justice system.
In the lower division baccalaureate degree category, 3 semester hours in Criminal Justice, Principles of Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration, or Foundations in Criminal Justice (12/16).
