Sociology, Criminology and Criminal Justice

This course introduces the study of societal responses to crime and provides an explanation of why criminal justice should be thought of as a system. It covers the workings of law enforcement, the courts, and the correctional system, as well as juvenile justice. It reviews what constitutes crime and how crime is measured. Additionally, this course looks to the future and outlines some of the pressing issues that continue to challenge crime control in a democratic society.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest. 

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

This course examines the role of policing in society, exploring its history, functions, and impact on communities. Students will investigate the social, political, and cultural factors that shape law enforcement practices, including ethics, accountability, and public trust. The course covers contemporary topics such as community policing, police discretion, use of force, and interactions with diverse populations. Through online discussions, case studies, and interactive assignments, students learn to critically analyze policing strategies, understand their effects on social order and civil rights, and explore approaches to reform and effective community engagement.

This course examines fairness and inequality in the criminal justice system through the lens of law and the courts. Topics include racial and gender bias in policing and judicial decision-making, sentencing disparities, and the legal regulation of punitive practices such as drug courts and solitary confinement. Using critical legal theories and case studies, the course analyzes how criminal law, court procedures, and sentencing policies can perpetuate inequality, and explores legal reforms aimed at promoting fairness and more equitable outcomes for marginalized communities.

This online course explores the practical, day-to-day operations of policing and law enforcement in a flexible, accessible format. Students examine how officers respond to crime, maintain public safety, and interact with diverse communities, with attention to ethical decision-making and professional accountability. Topics include patrol strategies, investigations, traffic enforcement, report writing, and handling high-pressure situations. Through case studies, interactive discussions, and real-world scenarios, students gain a practical understanding of policing strategies and their impact on individuals and communities, while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills applicable to criminal justice practice.

This online course offers a comprehensive exploration of the practical functioning of criminal courts and the criminal justice system. Designed for students, legal professionals, and anyone interested in courtroom processes, the course combines theoretical understanding with hands-on applications through interactive modules, virtual case studies, and simulated courtroom exercises. Students will learn about the roles and responsibilities of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and court personnel, as well as courtroom procedures from arraignment to sentencing. Key topics include evidence handling, trial procedures, sentencing practices, ethical considerations, and case management.

This course examines policing and corrections as central components of the criminal justice system, emphasizing how everyday practices of surveillance, arrest, supervision, and punishment shape individuals’ lives. Using a holistic approach, the course explores how social, economic, and environmental factors—such as racial inequality, poverty, mental health, and addiction—contribute to contact with police and ongoing involvement in jails, prisons, probation, and parole. Rather than focusing primarily on legal doctrine, the course emphasizes system navigation, institutional decision-making, and client-centered strategies that address both immediate justice system consequences and the broader conditions that sustain criminalization.

This course examines the practical operations of correctional systems and institutions, focusing on the day-to-day realities of corrections work. Students will explore the structure and functions of correctional agencies, including jails, prisons, probation, parole, and community-based corrections. Emphasis is placed on inmate management, rehabilitation programs, security procedures, ethical and legal issues, and the challenges faced by correctional professionals. Through case studies, applied exercises, and real-world examples, students gain practical insight into correctional policies, offender supervision, and reentry processes. The course prepares learners for careers in corrections, criminal justice, and related fields by bridging theoretical concepts with operational practice.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest. 

Special topics offered in response to student and faculty interest. 

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

In this course, students will learn to use quantitative data through participation in an applied research project. Students will identify appropriate quantitative data to answer a research question and then use technological tools to organize, analyze and present that data. By the conclusion of the course students will generate a tangible product showcasing their participation in this project.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

Open to freshmen and sophomores who have an interest in sociology and who would like to work individually with a faculty member on a project involving research on an issue from a sociological perspective. The student will formulate and execute a research project at an intermediate level of complexity and present results to an appropriate public audience. A research proposal form completed by the student and the faculty mentor is required for registration.

The research literature on sexual interests, behaviors and relationships is reviewed through study of the changing practices and perceptions of sexuality in America. Topics include the cultural construction of sex, the process of learning to be sexual, sexual deviance, the influence of marriage, and the interplay between sex and power in our society. Recognition of both risks and rewards associated with sexuality provides the context for studying controversial policies in society.

Patterns of relationship among racial and ethnic groups in the United States are analyzed. This course explores inequalities of wealth, power, and status along with the persistence of racism, movements to advance civil rights and efforts by groups to maintain social boundaries. Current trends in intergroup relations are discussed to explore how changing demographic racial patterns may affect future definitions of race and ethnicity. 

A study of the criminal justice system; police, attorneys, courts, judges, jails, prisons, parole. Attention is given to conflicting punishment philosophies and practices. Studies of inmate society are highlighted in this survey of America's attempts to correct the crime problem.

This course will provide students with an overview of the family from a sociological perspective. Students in the course will examine transformation of the family across time as well as its position as both a private and public institution. Topics include defining the family, gender and power, courtship and marriage, parenting, divorce and remarriage, work, and family violence. Particular attention is placed on the roles of women in the family and the ways in which families impact the lived experiences of the women in them. 

As the elderly population increases what challenges do these individuals face and what impact will they have on society? Students in this course will examine the physical, psychological and sociological dimensions of the aging process in order to gain insight on these questions. Topics include retirement, poverty and old age, Social Security and Medicare debates, long term care and end of life decisions, and issues related to the growing elderly population in the United States. 

This course examines the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency, measurement issues and the various sociological and other relevant social science theories of the causes of this phenomenon. Policy implications of these theories and the current research in the field and historical trends in juvenile delinquency are discussed and evaluations of treatment and prevention programs in the local community as well as the larger society are examined. 

In this course we will explore how visual methods - mainly photography and film - are used to examine society and culture. At the core of our course is a focus on two themes: (1) how to use visual methods to capture and interpret sociological phenomena, and (2) the impact that visual images and representations have on individuals, groups, and society. Throughout the course, we will also consider how visual images construct, shape, and alter our reality. You will be introduced to a range of visual methodologies used by sociologists and other social scientists, including documentary photography, photo essay, photovoice, and documentary filmmaking. Some other themes of the course include: ethics and privacy in documentary work, using images for social change, participatory research, and changing visual media. 

This course blends classic criminology theories (Strain, Labeling, Conflict) with media analysis, exploring how media shapes our fascination with crime, its social construction, and the CJS's role, using podcasts, documentaries, and case studies (like Amanda Knox or the Mafia) to link micro-level stories to macro societal issues, inequality, and policy implications. Key themes include moral panics, race/gender in crime, the criminal justice system's function, and the sociology of investigation, often using real-world examples and multimedia.

This course focuses on the ways in which religion and human culture intersect. We will look at such themes as myth, symbol, magic and ritual and see how they contribute to the formation of human societies. Students will engage in a local field research project to learn how anthropologists study religion.

This course will examine the current popularity of TV shows and movies about Zombies. What social concerns does this popular culture phenomenon reflect--fears about the government response to pandemics, self-defense, or just our general nervousness about death? The course will analyze the first two seasons of the TV show, The Walking Dead in terms of the effect on society and group formation in the aftermath of a major pandemic. We will discuss issues about when violence is acceptable, the ways that group dynamics in survival situations is presented, and the gender, social class and race issues acted out among the primary case members. What happens in a crisis that is so dramatically social and what is acceptable behavior in order to survive?

What is 'the media' and how can it impact the ways in which we see the world and ourselves in it? This course will examine these questions as we examine the roles that various media forms play in our society, particularly in regards to issues of identity across lines of race, class, gender and sexuality. Students will examine historical and theoretical aspects of the media from both sociological and cultural studies perspectives, the ways in which mainstream and alternative media construct identities, and the impact that these images have on the society in which they circulate. 

This course will explore the logic of scientific inquiry. Throughout the course, students will explore the relationship between theory and methodology, the nature of causation, components of research design, and a variety of methods for social science research. Guidance in retrieving information, reviewing and evaluating research reports, and constructing a research proposal is provided. 

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of research and data analysis used in criminal justice and social science. Students learn how researchers collect, measure, and interpret information to better understand crime, social issues, and policy outcomes. Emphasis is placed on recognizing patterns in data, drawing informed conclusions, and critically evaluating research findings. Using real-world examples such as crime and social justice data, students gain hands-on experience with research tools and software to explore relationships, interpret results, and apply evidence-based reasoning to policy and practice.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

This course will examine the causes and consequences of women's incarceration. We will use sociological and criminological theorizing to understand why and how women's incarceration rates have increased over the last three decades. We will examine the impact this trend has on individuals, families and communities. Key topics within the course include: women's pathways to criminal involvement; the relationship between women's physical and sexual victimization and their incarceration; the impacts of women's incarceration on children and families; and current efforts to re-integrate women into society post-incarceration. Although we will focus mainly on incarcerated women in contemporary culture, we will also consider other historical contexts, such as the origins of women's "reformatories" and the evolution of women's incarceration over time. To deepen our understanding of these issues, we will also apply an intersectional analysis to focus on how marginalized women are impacted by the criminal justice system and mass incarceration.

This course will examine the intersections of gender and violence. We will use sociological theorizing to understand why, how, and when violence is gendered and assess the impact and consequences on individuals, communities, and society. Key topics within the course include: rape and sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, female genital mutilation, mass shootings, war, pornography, violence against LGBTQ people, and sex trafficking. To deepen our understanding of these issues, we will also apply an intersectional analysis to focus on how different marginalized groups are impacted by gender-based violence. Although we focus mainly on contemporary gender-based violence in the U.S., we will also consider other cultural and historical contexts.

Our ideas about gender - about women, men, masculinity, and femininity - as well as our ideas about sexuality - about sexual activities, whom should have sex with whom - organize our social life in important ways that we often do not even notice. These ideas are either invisible to us (such that we take them for granted as "normal") or are explained away (such that they seem like the "natural" way life works). In this course we investigate and expose those aspects of social life that often go unquestioned. We will critically examine the ways in which gender and sexuality inform and are informed by the social world in which we live. We will identify the gender and sexual hierarchies in US society. And, we will look at attempts to destabilize these hierarchies.

Trace the effects of births, deaths and migration on population size, composition and distribution around the world. Examine the effects of population changes on the environment, the world's resources, and on global security. Socioeconomic, political and religious institutions will be explored and the status of women around the world will be related to demographic change. Demographic trends in the United States are evaluated in the context of global influence. 

Explanations for social inequality are considered along with current research on class, status, power, and social mobility. Both national and international patterns of wealth and poverty are inspected to explain "who gets what and why." Inequalities of households, of population groups and of nations as they participate on the global stage receive specific treatment. 

This course examines the roles of minorities as offenders, victims, and employees in the criminal justice system. An assessment of statistics, research, and the literature as it relates to minorities and crime will be included. Public perceptions of race and crime and the interactions of police, courts and juries in terms of the race of victims and perpetrators will be examined. Research on racial bias in jury decisions, sentencing, and the death penalty will also be reviewed. 

This course focuses on the experiences of women in the criminal justice system. The study of crime throughout our history has focused overwhelmingly on males and this has often resulted in hiding the experiences of women. We will examine how gender shapes women's experiences as victims, as offenders and career professionals in law enforcement. The experiences of women in prison and the effect on their families will be examined. The intersections of race and social class will be examined as well. 

This course introduces the basic sociological concepts underpinning the study of social interaction. This content is grounded in the sociological subfield of social psychology and microsociology. After exploring the foundational questions, concepts and theories of social interaction, students will examine the role that socially constructed identities play in producing social interaction, looking at patterns of interaction through the lenses of gender, race, class, age and sexuality. The course will examine the interplay between various levels of social interaction, particularly between the individual and the institutional settings of social life.

The purpose of this course is to analyze the organization and consumption of drugs in the United States. Both legal and illegal drug use will be examined in terms of consumption and legal issues as well as social effects on individuals, families and communities. The politics and economics of both pharmacological and criminal justice institutions and drugs will be examined.

This course provides an overview of victimology to identify, describe, explain and discuss a wide range of victimizations and victimological debates. This course involves the study of crime victims. We will examine the physical, emotional, and financial harm people suffer at the hands of offenders, as well as the history, theories, research, legislation, and policy implications related to the social construction of a crime victim. Services and solutions for victims of crime will also be discussed.

This course focuses on the border between the US and Mexico, a border that is over 2,000 miles between two countries which are very different. The course will examine the push/pull factors that have led to immigration from Mexico, and some of the changes in that situation in recent years. The role of the border patrol in regulating the border and dealing with crime and the unique culture created along the border with the mix of cultures will be examined. Topics include the drug trade, violence against women, the economic realities of businesses on both sides of the border and finally the current politics of immigration in both the US and Mexico.

The internship is a learning experience involving work in a community, criminal justice or criminological setting. Interns are expected to gain valuable work experience as well as relevant knowledge which will add to their overall understanding of the field of sociology or criminology. Internship positions must center on learning new material over the course of the semester and interns are expected to participate in ongoing training and development.

This course is designed for Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Sociology majors, as well as Criminology & Sociology double majors.  The course integrates writing in criminal justice, criminology, and sociology, with an emphasis on developing critical analysis skills, examining the social construction of crime, and strengthening effective written communication through a range of writing assignments.

Special topics course offered in response to student and faculty interest.

From the origins of sociological thinking to the current controversies regarding social action and social structure, explanations developed by sociologists to describe and to demystify society are studied and applied. Ideas advanced by Durkheim, Marx and Weber are followed by extensions and alternatives up to and including the Frankfurt School, Feminism and Post Modernism.

This career/graduate school preparation course for the Sociology or Criminology major is an opportunity for students to make plans for their futures after graduation. Students will complete a variety of exercises and oral presentations meant to prepare them for graduate school or a job in public service, law enforcement, the non-profit sector or the private sector.

This capstone course for the Sociology or Criminology major is an opportunity for students to use their sociological imaginations to formulate solutions to the problems that face our world today. All students will utilize sociological or criminological theories, literature, methods and data to explore a macro-level social problem chosen by the sociology faculty. Findings of the semester long project will be presented to sociology faculty, students, and the broader Meredith Community. In addition, students will develop a resume and prepare for a career or graduate school after graduation.

In conjunction with a sociology faculty mentor, the student will formulate and execute a research project at an advanced level of complexity that will culminate in a paper and presentation. The project must meet Honors Program thesis requirements as well as the expectations of the sociology faculty. A research proposal form completed by the student, faculty mentor, and Honors Program director is required for registration.

In conjunction with a sociology faculty mentor, the student will formulate and execute a research project at an advanced level of complexity that will culminate in a paper and presentation. A research proposal form completed by the student and faculty mentor is required for registration.

This course provides an analysis of the United States criminal justice system; including the role of justice agencies in societal response to crime. An examination of the knowledge base of criminal justice; issues, problems, trends will be a focus as well.  Particular emphasis is placed on theory and research bearing upon the effectiveness of the policies and strategies of the principal institutions of the criminal justice system - the police, courts and corrections and in particular how race, social class and gender impact on these issues.  Additionally, philosophical and practical matters pertaining to "justice" and "fairness" in the administration of the criminal law are explored.

This course explores potential answers to complex and important questions about criminal behavior by drawing on the social science of criminology. The primary emphasis of this course will be discussing and evaluating major explanations or theories of crime. The course will include sociological, biological, political, psychological and economic explanations for crime. The course will include a focus on the historical development of the theories, their major assumptions and propositions, their relevance for public policy and practice. As we progress through each explanation for crime, we critically evaluate the validity of different explanations for crime as well as criminal justice policies and practices that they support.

This course introduces students to the use of quantitative data in analyzing the criminal justice system.  It serves as an introduction to the statistical methods used in applied social science research and furthers students' understanding of the role statistical analysis plays in planning and policy development.  The course will review fundamentals of research showing the interplay between the theory, the research, the statistical methods and the interpretation. Introduces the techniques of statistical analysis used for evaluation and policy purposes.  Pertinent examples will be discussed including such topics as probability, statistical inference, significance testing, descriptive statistics, and multivariate analysis. 

This course introduces students to the practice, theory and philosophy of social science research, with a special focus on criminal justice.  It not only broadens students' knowledge of the ethical issues associated with research, but also introduces them to a variety of research techniques such as surveys, field research and experimental designs. Research Methods will lay the foundation for  students to become informed "consumers" of research, as well as "producers" of this information.

This course will focus on the mechanics of writing for criminal justice settings. HR Reports, investigation reports, incident/scene documentation, general reports, memos, emails, letters, responsive correspondence, program proposals, report writing, grant proposal fundamentals and program assessments will be included. Overall comprehension of the various methods and writing needs required in Criminal Justice settings will be discussed.

This course focuses on the experiences of men and women in the criminal justice system. It will cover the history of criminological theory on gender, application of mainstream criminological theory to gender, and  differences for men and women as offenders, victims, and professionals in the criminal justice system. This includes exploring the role of gender in offending, victimization, and criminal justice processing. This course also evaluates the influence of gender on working in criminal justice professions. Criminological and victimological theories are assessed in light of gender and the relationship between gender and criminal justice.

This course will explore the correlation between crime and addiction as experienced by the various branches of the Criminal Justice System in the United States and the role of these agencies as a part of prevention, treatment, social responsibility and punishment. The exploration of alternative justice methods as well as traditional justice responses will be discussed.

This course tries to find an answer to why people commit crimes by considering personality factors of the offender in response to situational variables.  The focus will be on theories of crime, biological and psychological models of criminal behavior, crime and mental disorders, human aggression and violent crime, delinquent behavior from criminal behavior, how to profile an offender based on their actions, risk factors in human development and policies of crime prevention.  The psychological implications of criminal behavior, criminal justice decision-making, jury selection, witness recall, sentencing,  prisonization, and correctional treatment.  Considering physiological, psychological and  pharmacological factors, we explore the influence of family, peers and the effects of alcohol and drugs on the incidence of criminal behavior.  And we examine how the urban and social environment  encourages (or inhibits) opportunities to commit crime.  Recent research finding will be incorporated in the readings.

This course emphasizes a sociological understanding of drug use and abuse and drug policy.  In order to understand drug use and abuse it is necessary to understand the chemical properties of the substances at issue, the attributes of the people who use and abuse drugs and the norms and characteristics of the society in which the substance use occurs.  There will be an examination of the nature and scope of the relationship between drugs (including alcohol) and crime and violence, and the effect of drug legislation on the criminal justice system.  We will examine literature on the drugs-crime relationship and explore various approaches to collecting data on drug use and abuse in society.

This course will focus on understanding how mental health varies over the lifespan. This course introduces students to the physical, cognitive and psychological aspects of human  development from birth through advanced old age and how mental illness and trauma affect behavior which may lead to contact with the criminal justice system.  Content in this course will focus on a practical understanding of trauma and mental illness in general criminal justice settings.  There will be a focus on Crisis Intervention Training/Team (CIT) where there is a holistic approach in addressing the role of addiction and behavioral health concerns in the management of people, including offenders and detainees.  The course will cover material on how to improve communication skills, learn how to make an initial assessment and determine an appropriate response, and how to identify a crisis and response.  The course will utilize case studies or real situations for discussion.

This course provides students in the 3+2 Program with mentoring and support as they take graduate courses in their last year of undergraduate work. Students will meet weekly to discuss writing, reading and data analysis required in graduate courses. Strategies in terms of time management, dealing with outside work and handling family issues while in graduate school will be discussed. Discussions about careers in Criminal Justice will be included. 

In this course, students will examine the legal requirements of arrest, detention, and full incarceration of those in the Criminal Justice system. Legal issues around confinement and mental health, substance use disorder, pregnancy and medical issues will be examined. Legal responsibilities around nutrition, use of force, and recreation and contact with family will be discussed. Legal issues around language competency, mental disability, gender identity and sexual orientation in detention will also be addressed.

This course will introduce the student to the discipline of victimology, an emerging area of specialization in the field of criminology. Emphasis will focus on crime victims and their plight, the relationships between crime victims and other social groups and institutions.  These other groups or institutions include the media, business interests, politicians, special interest groups, and social  movement actors.  The issues of Justice and Redress from the perspective of the victim as well as general society will be stressed.  An overview of victim prevention programs and victim assistance programs will be presented.  Topics such as the Restorative Justice Model, victim Repayment, and Victim/Offender Mediation will be included In the course content.  While the course follows an interdisciplinary approach and is designed for general interest and appeal, it has particular relevance for students drawn from disciplinary interests in the fields of criminal justice, psychology, sociology, education, health care administration, and political science.

The growing use of data-centric technologies is transforming criminal justice in the United States.  These technologies affect the scale and nature of collected data, enable the detection of discriminatory patterns of policing and influence bail recommendations for pretrial detainees and management of prison populations.  Modern computational and statistical methods offer the promise of increased efficiency, equity, and transparency, but their use raises complex legal, social, and ethical questions.  In this course, we will discuss the application of techniques from machine learning and statistics to a variety of criminal justice issues, analyze recent court decisions, and examine the relationships among law, public policy, and data.  Special attention is paid to the rules of evidence as they apply to electronic or digital evidence, the role of expert witnesses, and the laws and regulations governing electronic surveillance.

This course will provide students with an overview of computer crime, the legislative responses to computer crime and the issues encountered by police when enforcing laws in cyberspace. Emphasis is on how  communication technologies can be targets of crime, instruments of crime and important sources of criminal evidence.  The global reach of the Internet, the low marginal cost of online activity, and the relative anonymity of users have contributed to a wide escalation in cybercrimes.  Consequently, information and communications technologies (ICT) are being increasingly employed to instigate threats to global civil society.  This course provides an overview of cybercrime and the digital law enforcement practices put in place to respond to them.  The course will focus on the types and extent of current cybercrimes, how the justice system responds to these crimes, the various constitutional protections afforded to computer users, the law and policies that govern cybercrime detection and prosecution, and related technologies.

In this course, students will examine the nature and etiology of the major categories of sex offenses. Students will evaluate federal and local sex offender legislation, as well as community supervision and reentry issues that offenders face. Students will also survey theoretical approaches to sex crimes and offenders. Upon completion of this course, students will gain insight into the characteristics of sex offenders while exploring the legal and custodial challenges of those that work with this population. This includes the long-term consequences of their offenses as it relates to offender recidivism, community supervision and resources.

In this course, students will examine trends in violence and aggression in society. There will be a focus on the origins and determinants of violence and aggression and the impact of these actions on the public. The focus will be on operational contexts with a focus on the violence risk posed by persons of interest who are under investigation, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of offenses. In addition, at the organizational context, the violence risk posed toward police, public safety professionals or even the violence risk posed by professionals toward coworkers or members of the public will be examined. Based on the content focused on experiences and research, the students will consider what kinds of harm someone might perpetrate, against which victims, at which time or locations and what steps
can be taken to mitigate the risks posed and prevent violence?
 

This course will examine the nature and extent of corporate and white collar crime, including detection, deterrence, and criminal liability sanctions, as well as the social and legal changes related to corporate illegality.  Students will use case materials which address securities fraud, money "laundering",  professional deviance, and political corruption, in addition to other topics. Students will also analyze policy responses including RICO and other laws, regulations and court processing.  The course will include analysis of several forms of white collar (corporate and individual) crime, the relevance of
law-making to lawbreaking, problems of detection and punishment and the causes of this social
problem.  Discussion of policy evaluation and suggested reforms will take place.

This course will provide an examination of key issues associated with youth and crime in the United States and the educational, social and cultural efforts to reduce youth involvement with guns, drugs and gangs. Theoretical perspectives regarding the creation of Childhood as a social construct and the etiology of juvenile offending will be examined.  Emphasis will be on the nature and structure of youth gangs, drug use by juveniles and risk factors associated with youth violence.  Other issues may involve curfews, gun violence, victims of youth violence, and the over-representation of minority youth in the juvenile justice system.  Particular attention is paid to the role of family, peers and school.

Police agencies play a critical role in a democratic society.  While seeking to maintain order, enforce the law and deliver services effectively, police agencies are held accountable to a wide variety of values by a number of powerful stakeholders.  Police leaders, managers and other personnel must understand the complexities of the police role in society, the political and legal constraints placed on them in addition to being experts in effective, evidence-based approaches to dealing with crime problems in the community.  By applying theory, policy and evaluation literature to the cutting-edge practices in the field, this course provides students with an advanced understanding in the field of police leadership, management, strategy and accountability within a democratic society.

This course analyzes the theory, practices and policies of the American correctional system, covering the nature and administration of both institutional and community sanctions and agencies.  Students explore competing penal theories and review evidence on the effectiveness of correctional practices. The course investigates the historical development and evolution of imprisonment, trends in the use of
confinement, and the effects of incarceration on offenders, families and communities. Students analyze the characteristics of correctional populations and debate the causes and implication
of race, class and gender differences.  The course identifies significant current issues and reviews the ethical, legal and practical dimensions of proposals for reform.  Issues surrounding collateral  consequences when released will be examined as well.

In this course, students will examine various psychological disorders and their impact on behavior, in particular in the association with criminal behavior. Students will identify patterns of psychopathy and sociopathy and other related disorders. Psychological interventions that have been determined to have empirical evidence in helping to reduce the symptoms of the various illnesses will be covered, including how to adapt them to various criminal justice settings. In particular, group therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions commonly used in corrections settings will be discussed. Laws dealing with medication as well as laws associated with the management of violence will similarly be covered. Students will be expected to learn about the tools used by psychologists to conduct psychological research in mental illness and criminal behavior.
 

This course explores the management of major one-time tasks or implementation of a major program in a government agency.  Examines the special managerial tools and studies as well as the challenges that apply to managing one-time or ongoing assignments, particularly where teams are involved. Major construction, implementation of new technology or policy, and redesigning and implementing organizational change are included.  This course will use case studies for real world applications.

This course examines the behavioral aspects of working effectively in the project or program domain.  We examine current philosophies of work around enhanced leadership, communication, conflict management, risk management, and negotiation skills, and the ability to organize, manage, and to produce efficient delivery from teams.  Use of media, including social media, print news and television will be discussed.  Good leadership is an important element when applied to project, risk, and program management, and this course identifies various styles of communication and conflict resolution that leaders can use.

Special topics in criminal justice research are examined.  Special topics courses are developed to cover emerging issues or specialized content and they do not repeat material presented by regular semester courses.

This course is designed to allow students to pursue specialized interest in specific topics in Criminal Justice.