Department of Criminology

LWJ 100:  Justice and Social Control
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)

Students will explore the historic need in societies to shape and control the behavior of their members so that they conform to established group norms.  The course will examine the complex interaction between factors such as culture, law, power and equity that contribute to the maintenance of social order.  It will address the development of legal systems from the social science perspective while investigating the nature of normative behavior in historical perspective.  Students will explore the development of modern-day formal control systems such as prisons, police, and the courts as they strive to balance the need to coercively control violators against the need to maintain a free society.

 

LWJ 200:  Policing Civil Societies
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)

Traces the development of modern-day policing in civil societies from the 18th century through modern times. At the core of this course is the study of the interplay between citizens and the police. It is at this juncture, where citizens and the police interact, that misunderstandings develop, relationships are formed, problems are solved, and future plans are designed. This course also considers the problems that police face due to misunderstandings of their role including corruption and other forms of deviance. Moreover, the course considers theories of modern police practice and reform efforts as well as the development and construction of police ethics.

LWJ 201:  Courts and Judicial Process
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)
                  Prerequisite: LWJ 100

This course examines the nature of law and how it evolves via the operation of the court systems of the United States. While civil and appellate courts are covered, the primary emphasis is on criminal courts and their role in the criminal justice system. The course includes the study of both state and federal courts, including the law governing their respective jurisdictions. Analysis of the structures and processes within various jurisprudential frameworks is incorporated into all phases of the course. Special attention is paid to the processes of adjudication and the organizational behaviors within the court system.

LWJ 202:  History and Philosophy of Corrections
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)
                   Prerequisite: LWJ 100

In an age when incarceration has become the protocol of punishment for all types of criminals, we see the emergence of a number of pressing social, economic, and racial issues. This course addresses these issues by understanding the basic history of correctional thought and practice, through to the present day trends in corrections. After laying this initial groundwork, this course will examine the different types of incarceration and their basic fundamental purpose to serve the corrections system. It is important to understand these concepts through many different academic lenses; i.e., economics, psychology, sociology, and public administration, and this spectrum of exploration will provide sufficient knowledge to begin to understand how this complex and varying systems works.

LWJ 203:  Applied Criminal Procedure formerly LWJ 415
                   (1 course unit offered every semester)
                   

Students will clearly understand the importance of individual rights and liberties as established by the Federal Bill of Rights. Special and specific attention will be directed to the rights of those accused of the commission of a crime in the state and criminal justice systems of this country.  Emphasis will initially be placed on the strong presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law in the American system of justice. Through a comprehensive reading of court decisions, students see both sides of a particular issue, the impact of a decision and the many players in the Criminal Justice System. Last, but far from least, students will be able to see the strong emphasis placed on individual rights in the past, present, and future. Students will understand that the Bill of Rights protects every individual from arbitrary and capricious conduct of the government as we live our daily lives.

LWJ 205:  Criminology
                   (1 course unit offered every semester)
                   Prerequisite: LWJ 100

A general introduction to the study of criminal behavior from an interdisciplinary perspective.  The main focus is on the classical and contemporary theories developed over the past two hundred years to explain and predict criminal behavior in society. The propositions, assumptions, empirical validity, and policy implications of these criminological theories, as well as the social context in which they were developed, will be examined. In addition, the ability of these theories to explain crime rates across different countries and cultures will be examined. Other significant issues in criminology such as the measurement and extent of crime, the role of demographics (age, race, gender, social class) in the causation of and reaction to crime, and explanations of specific crime types such as substance abuse and white collar crime will also be discussed.

LWJ 210:  Principles of Forensic Science
                   (1 course unit offered every year)
                   Prerequisite: LWJ 100

An overview of the process of criminal investigations and the scientific and technical methods used to analyze evidence.  The focus is on recognition, collection, preservation and analysis of physical evidence. Students will be presented with various criminalistics techniques utilized in the analysis of evidence from a non-science major perspective with the presumption that students do not have technical backgrounds (i.e. chemistry, biology and/or physics).

LWJ 256:  Women in the Criminal Justice System
                   (1 course unit offered occasionally)
                   Prerequisite: LWJ 100

This course offers an understanding of the treatment of women as professionals, litigants, victims, and offenders in the justice system. It examines what happens to women in the criminal justice system, how that is related to issues of social inequality, and what alternatives are available using a social justice framework. Because any discussion of women, crime, and justice must acknowledge both the diversity of women and the diversity of crimes and conditions under which they are made and enforced, the course will look at all issues through a constantly developing perspective focusing on the intersection of gender with race, class, and sexual orientation.

LWJ 300:  Crimes and Offenses formerly LWJ 422
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)
                  

This course explores substantive criminal law, the law which defines the standards of conduct that society requires of its members. The study of criminal law is accomplished through an analysis focusing on the elements of crimes, defenses to crimes, case law interpretations of penal laws, and both socio-legal and public policy scholarship critiquing criminal law.  Using these varied sources, the historical development of the criminal law, the public policy implications of it, and the underlying legal principles and reasoning devices that guide the criminal legal system are all explored.  Special attention is paid to inchoate crimes (solicitation, facilitation, aiding and abetting, and conspiracy), homicide, sex crimes, and various other crimes against the person (assault, battery, kidnapping, etc.).

LWJ 301:  Foundations of Advocacy and Reasoning
                   (1 course unit offered every semester)
                  

This course is designed to explore the ways in which rhetoric, politics, and contemporary values affect law and justice, as well as understanding the development and refinement of communication skills both orally and in writing, with particular emphasis on persuasive argumentation supported by logic, legal precedent, and scholarly research. This course is highly recommended for those students interested in pursuing the study of law.

LWJ 302:  Ethical Foundations in Criminology
                   (1 course unit offered occasionally)
                  

The purpose of this course is to integrate personal morals and ethics and basic ethical and philosophical tenets with practical criminal justice considerations. To that end, the course will cover the following: basic ethics and philosophy, decision making in criminal justice, racism and discrimination, ethical issues in policing, ethical issues in corrections, ethical concerns related to defense attorneys/prosecutors/the courts, ethics in punishment/sentencing, ethical problems in criminal justice research, and white collar crime. 

LWJ 303:  White-Collar Crime
                   (1 course unit offered occasionally)
                   Prerequisites: LWJ 100

An investigation and analysis of white-collar crime in American society. Based on the major classic and contemporary writings in this area of law violation, this course is designed to explore white-collar crime in relation to the political economy, corporate and government organization, the legal system, and structural and cultural features of the workplace.

LWJ 304:  Victims in the Criminal Justice System
                  (1 course unit offered occasionally)
                 

The discipline of victimology has developed quite recently out of the social sciences of sociology and criminology. In historic terms, concern for the victim has been a major consideration in society. In contemporary times, however, the state has assumed surrogate victim status, and, as a result, individual victims have been relegated to the role of witnesses in their cases. This course explores the traditional role of the victim as an agent of social control: one who  alerts the community to norm violations, establishes his or her status as a victim, and negotiates a settlement for the wrong.

LWJ 305:  Criminology and Mental Health formerly LWJ 445
                   (1 course unit offered annually)
                   Prerequisites: PSY 101, junior or senior standing,
                   or permission of instructor

An interdisciplinary examination of the relationships between clinical psychology and the legal system.  Students are first exposed to the constructs of dynamic psychology, psychiatric assessment and treatment, and the nomenclature of mental disorders. Then, the class explores the medicalization of deviance when dealing with the mentally ill offender (especially in contexts of the insanity and diminished capacity defenses) and the mentally incompetent person under the civil law (especially civil commitment, guardianship, and conservatorship).  Legal and ethical issues that face both the clinician and legal counsel are explored.

LWJ 306:  Research Methods formerly LWJ 300
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)
                  Prerequisites: LWJ 100 (minimum grade of
                  C) and STA 115 (minimum grade of C+)

This course focuses on principles of research design, database management, and applied quantitative analysis.  Elements of research design include unit(s) of analysis, measurement, and variable selection. Moreover, pre-experimental, quasi-experimental, and experimental designs are evaluated with respect to structure and threats to validity.  Database management and applied quantitative analysis will be explored using the personal computer.  Students will learn to employ SPSS, SAS, and/or Excel for data storage, variable transformation, and applied statistical analysis.  Applied statistical analysis will consist of summary measures, contingency tables, correlation, and, time permitting, applied linear regression. 

LWJ 340:  International Terrorism
                  (1 course unit offered occasionally)

This course will utilize an interdisciplinary approach to explore terrorism, with an emphasis on criminological theories. Both domestic and international extremism and terrorism will be examined historically, sociologically, and psychologically. Concepts that will be incorporated into the discussion include the influence of law and culture, the country’s historical response to radical social movements, and the influence of media coverage. In addition, we will consider current efforts to investigate and prevent terrorism. The effects of the current “war on terror” will be analyzed within the frame work of the United States’ wars on poverty and drugs.

LWJ 350:  Advanced Criminology:
                  Juvenile Delinquency and Justice
                  (1 course unit offered annually)
                  Prerequisite: LWJ 205

This course is designed to introduce students into an area of criminology which deals with a special population of offenders, the juveniles. This course will identify many different facets of this particular system of criminal justice. It will explore the motives of juvenile crime and their characteristics in hopes to assist students into understanding the psyche of a juvenile offender.  This course will not only deal with some psychological and environmental factors of juvenile crimes, it will also deal with the entities and functions of the juvenile justice system, including arrest, adjudication, sentencing recidivism and more. Students must understand the importance of the juvenile justice system and the impact that these juveniles have on the criminal justice system as a whole. These young offenders, if not properly dealt with, could become long term and
chronic offenders. Understanding juvenile crime can lead to the “nipping of the bud” of these types of offenders who would eventually create criminal disturbances in the future. Juvenile crime is a crucial part of the criminal justice system as a whole as well as society and the quality of life for those in that society.

LWJ 351:  Advanced Criminology:
                  Comparative Criminology
                   (1 course unit offered annually)
                    Prerequisite: LWJ 205

The comparative analysis of law, crime, and justice in Western and non-Western societies.  Attention will focus on crime trends in the postwar period and linkages with the socio-economic structure, culture, lifestyles, routine activities, the physical environment, and the “web of opportunity for crime.” Implication for theory construction and public policy will be drawn.

LWJ 352:  Advanced Criminology:
                   Race and Crime
                    (1 course unit offered annually)
                     Prerequisite: LWJ 205

This course is a critical examination of the correlation between race and crime in America. The course will focus on four major areas: race and the law, race and criminological theory, race and violent crime, and myths and facts about race and crime. Through critical examination of readings and official statistics, students will come to understand the complexity of the relationship between race and crime within the American Criminal Justice System and broader social context.

LWJ 391:  Independent Study in
                  Criminology and Justice Studies
                   (1 course unit offered every semester)   
                   Prerequisites:  Criminology and Justice Studies
                   major or minor standing and
                   permission of instructor

For advanced students wishing to pursue a special area of interest in criminology and justice studies. Students develop a proposal around a sophisticated research design including problems definition, hypotheses, methodology, etc. to complete a comprehensive study. Topic and research
design developed in consultation with a faulty adviser.

LWJ 399:  Internship in Criminology and Justice Studies
                  (1 course unit offered every semester by
                    arrangement). May be repeated for credit.

LWJ 498:  Senior Capstone in Policy Analysis
                  (1 course unit offered every semester)
                    Prerequisite: LWJ 306

This course is designed to further expand the student’s knowledge of exactly how things effect the flow of crime and its prevention within the community. This course will deal with the creation, application, evaluation, and revamping of public policy. By understanding how these public policies aim to perform a specific task to the community, students will learn the most effective and feasible ways to create policy as well as the most valuable ways to implement and enforce these policies and the underlying factors which trigger the creation of such policies.