Criminal & Social Justice (CSJU)

Is the entry level course for freshmen, providing an introduction to the system of criminal justice. It is the prerequisite for the 200 level courses. This course, and the next four 200-level courses, are designed to provide an easily articulated and transferable introductory set of courses.

Offers a relatively complete and current overview of the issues surrounding cyber-crime and cyber criminals. Students will explore the Internet’s roll in the perpetration of cyber-crime. Cyber-crime and the threat it poses will be addressed. An overview of the criminal justice construct of “hacker” and other cyber-criminal behavior will be analyzed. Student will become familiar with current state and federal cyber-crime statutes and case law. Informed guest speakers may present lectures on their specialty topic areas ranging from investigating to prosecuting cyber-crimes.

This course will provide students with a basic understanding of the legal process of the American Criminal Justice System. We will examine criminal court jurisdiction, criminal procedure, basic criminal law concepts, the advisory system, substantive criminal law, sentencing, and the professional actors in the criminal justice system.

This course explores the nature and purpose of criminal investigation, historical background, tools, employed skills development, and techniques useful in the reconstruction of criminal activity. Students engage in a comprehensive review of the fundamental principles of the structure and function of law enforcement agencies in the United States. An emphasis is placed on the institutional and occupational aspects of law enforcement across municipals, state, and federal levels, including methods, issues, and problems. This course is a series of case studies with interactive media.

This course examines the evolution of corrections from early punishments and penitentiaries to present. Modern approaches to corrections including jails and prisons, management and custody issues, prison life, differences between male and female prisoners, prisoner rights, special needs prisoners, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, probation, parole, and community corrections are highlighted. The course will include appropriate field trips and guest speakers.

Juvenile Delinquency examines critical theories, the philosophy of juvenile justice, the nature of juvenile delinquency, the scope of the problem in the United States, prevention and control and the juvenile justice system. The roles of family, community, policing and the courts will also be examined.

Criminology explores the empirical, theoretical and descriptive aspects of crime. The social, political, psychological, economic and biological factors of crime will be examined in determining the cause and treatment of crime in society. Overarching questions such as the following will be answered in this course: What is a crime? How are crimes defined? How does society punish crimes? What causes crime? How do we study crime? What is the impact of crime on society and victims?

Is a title given to a course which covers broad themes, practices and subject content not currently offered in the curriculum. This course is directed primarily at non-majors and may be used for general education where approved.

Social Justice Issues will analyze contemporary issues concerning political, criminal and social justice. Issues such as poverty, racism, the death penalty, crime, labor, health care, disability, and environmental issues will be examined. The course will examine issues of justice not only in the United States but also on the world scene. Therefore, global issues such as North/South differences, the worldwide Aids epidemic, immigration, genocide and issues of war and peace will be scrutinized. The course will examine the ways both society and governments address these critical concerns. The roles of agenda setting, media, governmental actors, and interest group movements will be analyzed.

The internet raises a multitude of legal issues in many areas. Among the issues covered in this course are privacy, electronic contracts, trademarks and domain names, content protection, jurisdiction, regulation, criminal and civil liability and cyber-crime. This course explores the ethical and legal implications of the digitization of data, information, and communications on organizations and society. These areas are examined in regard to information privacy, accessibility, property rights and accuracy. These areas are examined in regard to information ramifications as well as the legal and regulatory environment will be examined. The course will also look at the impact of globalization, sourcing, technology workforce and the digital divide. Key components/terms, actual case examples and hypothetical scenarios involving privacy, security, intellectual property and speech in cyberspace will be used to illustrate ethical controversies that convey the seriousness of the issues under consideration.

Terrorism provides a broad framework to study the origins of terrorism, dynamics, ideologies, counterterrorism and issues of homeland security. Terrorist methods, tactics and strategies, and media will be covered. The political aspects of terrorism will also be scrutinized. Global issues of terrorism, impact of civil liberties, prevention of terrorism and concepts of nation building will also be analyzed.

This course provides a fundamental examination of the concepts involved in the American criminal process including criminal law and concepts such as double jeopardy, immunity, statute of limitations, the filing of accusatory instruments, arrest without a warrant, the issuance and execution of a warrant of arrest, arraignments, preliminary hearings, bail, trial, grand and petit juries. A heavy emphasis on the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution is provided throughout the course.

This class provides exploration of the origin, nature, and admissibility of evidence against the accused in criminal proceedings. The exclusionary rule and the distinction between real and testimonial evidence as admitted or excluded from court proceedings are emphasized. Topics include the hearsay rule and its exceptions, the opinion evidence rule, character and reputation evidence, direct and cross examination of witnesses, burden of proof and presumptions, identification evidence, and other pertinent rules of evidence.

Criminal and Social Justice Research Methods is designed to introduce the student to research methodology. Students will undertake both quantitative and qualitative methods used in criminal justice analysis. Students will become familiar with questions of problem definition, theory building, the process of analysis, interpretation of problems, evaluation of research, secondary research, field research and terminology. Students will also be equipped with the necessary tools to undertake their own research and evaluate research in a variety of careers and educational experiences.

Criminal Justice and Diversity Issues examines the administration of justice in an increasingly diverse society. Issues of communication, cultural awareness and sensitivity will be examined. Changes in ethnic groups and issues of race will be examined in the context of social and public policies. Issues of diversity on the police force will also be explored.

Covers the skills necessary to assist organizations in securing their online presence. Students will learn ethical concerns, legal issues and the application of tools and technologies. The material will provide the technical skills necessary for white-hat penetration testing and provide the basics to understand and prevent system intrusions.

This course will focus on the contemporary legal and ethical issues involving the field of white collar crime. Special attention will be given to crimes committed within corporations and other large organizations, both nationally and internationally. The initial focus will be on the substantive law and such crimes as conspiracy, mail and wire fraud, pyramid schemes, bribery, extortion, insider trading, RICO, perjury, and money laundering statutes. A second focus will be on corporate criminal responsibility, including the rationale thereof and the problems of optimal corporate sanctions; and individual criminal responsibility involving various legal and ethical concepts.

Presents students with information about the variety of ways that criminal justice systems are organized and implemented around the world. Many times practitioners fail to recognize other approaches or points of focus that could improve the decision making process in particular and benefit the academic field in general. The social, cultural and political background of different systems of justice will be introduced and discussed for an in-depth understanding. This course will focus on law enforcement, courts, corrections, drugs and crime, international crime, human trafficking and international justice. Various topics will be explored to ensure that students can actively participate in the lectures and tours as they travel throughout the study abroad countries.

Is a title given to a course which covers specific themes, practices and subject content not currently offered in the curriculum. This course is directed primarily to student majoring in the subject area and could be used to complete major requirements. The course will provide an in-depth study of a specific topic.

The Criminal and Social Justice Practicum is an on-site experience in the field of criminal and social justice. Possible sites include: law enforcement agencies, prisons, probation and parole offices, social service organizations, private charities, governmental agencies, department store security firms, research institutions or foundations, judicial offices, and homeland security or emergency management organizations. Student is supervised both by USF faculty and on-site supervisor.