Criminology and Social Justice Courses

Introduction to Justice Systems and Systems of Inequality This course is an introductory overview of the justice systems and systems of inequality present in American society. The course focuses on the social systems of inequality in American society with an emphasis on: 1- race, class, and gender; 2- the distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges within a society; and 3- connections between responses to crime, social justice systems and human rights. The course also examines the economic, social, and political consequences of rising inequality in contemporary society.

 This course is an overview of the causes, methods, and outcomes of the wildlife trade and environmental crimes worldwide. Throughout the course students will gain an understanding of the complexities behind the trade of endangered and protected wildlife, and become familiar with timely scholarly research on the topic.

This course centers on criminological theories belonging to the field of Crime Science, also known as opportunity theories, which discuss the importance of opportunity as a root cause of crime. The course also highlights the theory of Situational Crime Prevention as a tool for the prevention of crime and victimizations.

This course is an overview of juvenile delinquency, and the social systems and institutions that respond to the perceptions and realities of delinquency. The course also examines therapeutic and community-based tactics that may aid in the prevention of delinquency, and the reform of inequitable practices within juvenile justice systems.

This course examines the classical and modern theories of crime, analysis of different crimes and criminals and the various responses to them by victims, their families, the media, and society as a whole.

The course addresses issues relating to the death penalty, including its history as well as its level of effectiveness, costs, and discriminatory application. In addition, the course will analyze data on miscarriages of justice and public opinion and the effect of Supreme Court decisions.

This is an introduction to notable topics and controversies concerning international crimes, transnational crimes, and social justice. Throughout the course students will gain a general understanding of some of the world's most pressing crime problems, and the international justice systems working to control these crimes and seek justice.

This course touches on the topic of immigration, the legal road blocks, social contexts, health and well-being challenges, human rights threats, and social justice concerns as they relate to the experiences of immigrants and refugees who resettle in the United States. The course is divided into 4 main sections: 1- the contexts and realities under which immigration occurs, 2- issues and challenges to the health and well-being of immigrants and refugees, 3- violence experienced by immigrants and refugees, and 4- resilience among immigrant and refugee communities. Throughout this course students will gain a general understanding of the complexities of the immigrant experience in contemporary society and become familiar with important empirical works that highlight the lifelong journeys taken upon by those who migrate searching for a better life.

This course examines the realities of Law Enforcement from its inception as an organization to contemporary times. It describes the history of Law enforcement in the United States and the Social Justice matters connected to these Law Enforcement policies and practices.

This course description will be announced when the course is offered. The course will focus on a specific Social Justice topic to be determined. As topics change, this course may be repeated for credit

Using historical documents, social statistics, works of literature, anthropology, and social and psychoanalytic theory, this course examines the process of marginalization, compares conceptions/social constructions of sanity and insanity among different cultures and sub- cultures, and analyzes the consequences of institutionalization, stigmatization, and marginalization. We will explore diverse populations and their access to and interaction with Social Justice, Healthcare entities as well as carceral responses to illness

This course serves as an overview of organized crimes and criminal behaviors which may not be considered "organized crimes" but involves a level of organization beyond ordinary street crimes. Students will become familiar with local and international criminal organizations, and empirical research on the impacts of these crimes in society.

This is an interdisciplinary course that provides students with a social sciences framework relevant to the study of social problems, the programs designed to remedy them, and the actions of individuals and groups to address gaps between problems and policy.

This course is a general overview of the causes, methods and costs of white-collar crime in contemporary society. Students will gain a broad understanding of these criminal acts, and become familiar with scholarly work that highlights the complexities of these harmful, yet often overlooked, crimes.

This is an introduction to the multidisciplinary field of Program Evaluations with a special concentration to evaluations on the welfare and well-being of disenfranchised populations and social justice. Throughout this course students will learn the steps necessary to conduct ethically sound program evaluations studies.

This course concerns statutory and case law pertaining to crime. Both substantive and procedural law will be considered.

This course will provide an overview of the history of corrections and current institutional practices, policies and legal issues. The course focuses on the relation of corrections to the criminal justice system, theories underlying correctional practice and the role of institutions within the corrections system. Specifically, this course provides an overview of the field of corrections. It reviews the historical development of crime and corrections, sentencing, jails, prisons, correctional policies, agencies, prison life, and challenges facing correctional populations. It will further explore the variables contributing to the rise of mass incarceration and the prison industrial system.

This course describes the different goals and objectives of community corrections programs such as probation, parole, and community-based rehabilitation. It also highlights the importance of restorative justice as a way of mending the harms done through criminal acts and in connection to community-based corrections programs.

The course examines how current experiences of racial privilege and oppression are shaped by historical forces, institutional and organizational policies, social constructions and socio-cultural arrangements. It will analyze how structures of race, ethnicity and class are intertwined with a variety of social justice systems. It will focus on types and sources of power, multiple social locations, social conflicts and how they all interact

The course will explore how gender impacts our lives and life chances. The central themes of the course are historical changes in gender beliefs and practices; socialization practices that reproduce gender identities and restrict access to justice systems; how race/ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation shape the experience of gender; and the relationship between gender, power, and social inequality. The course focuses on the social construction of gender. Other theories of gender such as biological explanations will be discussed in comparison to the social constructionist approach. Gender will be explored as an institution and a system as well as how it influences individuals. Because gender does not exist in a vacuum, gender will be discussed in relation to its intersection with other social locations such as race, class, sexual orientation, age, and ethnicity.

This course analyzes the research literature regarding drug policy formation and implementation in the United States within a social and political context. Topics include: drug trafficking, drug law reform, controlling substance abuse, and drug policy on various segments of the population.

This course descriptions will be announced when the course is offered. The course will focus on a specific Social Justice topic to be determined. As topics change, this course may be repeated for credit

Students majoring in Criminology and Social Justice are required to take either CSJ 450 Senior Research Seminar, or an internship The Internships in Criminology and Social Justice involve weekly class meetings and a minimum of 96 hours of internship experience over the course of the semester in an approved appropriate agency, institute, or organization. The courses integrate students' "hands-on" experiences as interns, with theory and case study analysis of social issues, problems and institutions. Each class is limited to 12 students Acceptance into the internship classes is based on the following criteria: 1. Class standing (Seniors have preference over Juniors) 2. Sociology GPA 3. Satisfactory completion of the Internship Program Application Procedure which includes: A. The application form and personal essay in which the students' goals and objectives, motivations, interests, interpersonal skills and previous relevant experiences are clearly articulated. B. Two letters of recommendation from Faculty who are familiar with the students' interests and performance in related courses. C. Interview with the Internship Coordinator. The interview will help the Coordinator to assess students' readiness and degree of motivation for the internship experience, and help students explore options regarding the most suitable placements. This course cannot be substituted with Portfolio Assessment