Courses

A survey of the U.S. system of criminal justice. The history and philosophy of criminal justice administration in America, description of its social and political institutions, and overviews of major issues in the discipline are covered. (3 units; Fall, Spring, & Online)

The course provides an introductory overview of the American political system. It begins with a discussion of the principles of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights and an examination of their impact on the country. It also covers the avenues and means of democratic citizenship and political influence in American politics. The course further examines the major political institutions in the United States: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Courts. In order to assess the impact of government on society, the course concludes with an exploration of public policy. (Meets state requirement in United States Constitution and California Government.) (3 units; Fall, Spring, & Online)

This course studies the place and responsibilities of state and local governments in the United States and how they relate with other units of government. This includes an assessment of the citizenship and participation in state and local politics, both at the individual and collective level; and then an examination of state political institutions, such as governors, state legislatures, state courts, and administration. The course also covers city and county governments, and other local units of government. Although it is comparative, special attention is given to California politics. (3 units; Fall, Spring, & Online)

Students will critically examine the charges of direct and indirect institutional racism within the totality of the criminal justice system. Students will also analyze society's response to crime, cultural, economic and political differences. (3 units; Fall, Spring, & Online)

A study of the traditional and theoretical schools of criminology. Theories relating to individual abnormality and theories relating to cultural influences are examined. Theories of the causes of delinquency and data on delinquent behavior including gangs, minor and major criminal actions, and methods of correction are also covered. (3 units; Fall & Online)

The course examines scientific approaches to the study of criminal justice. Students will learn how to research and study crime using the scientific method. Students will be exposed to various research methods and designs, which will be illustrated with criminological examples and exercises. Finally, the students will calculate and interpret measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association. (3 units; Fall & Online)

This course studies the most important decisions of the Supreme Court on individual rights and the conflicts from which they have arisen, which means examining the trinity of individual values and rights in American civil liberties—freedom, due process, and equality. (3 units; Fall, Spring, & Online)

Nature of criminal law and its philosophical and historical development; major definitions and concepts; classification of crime; elements of crimes and penalties using California and federal statutes as illustrations; defenses to criminal responsibility; criminal responsibility. (3 units; Fall/Spring)

A study of the judiciary in the criminal justice system; history and structure of the California and federal court systems; prosecution; criminal defense, right to counsel; pre-trial release; grand juries; adjudication process; types and rules of evidence; appeals, sentencing. (3 units; Fall/Spring)

An opportunity to analyze the police profession; organization and administration of law enforcement systems; the police role in a democracy; police discretion; police subculture and ethics; police stress, police-community interaction; current and future issues. (3 units; Fall/Spring)

This course provides a survey of the historical, philosophical, and legal bases of correctional procedures and institutions and an examination of current problems and innovations. It examines the increasing task of managing persons who have been arraigned or have been sentenced to prisons and various correctional facilities in America. The nature of the institutional environment, issues of community-based policing, and the administrative concerns of safety and efficiency are also included. (3 units; Fall/Spring)

A senior capstone course designed to demonstrate the competence of Criminal Justice majors in the discipline and assess their research and writing skills. The portfolio produced by the student in completion of this project must conform to the departmental guidelines for Senior Projects. Prerequisites: CJS 485 and Senior status. (3 units; Spring)

An examination of a specific issue in the field of Criminal Justice. Course is repeatable for credit with a change in topic. (1-3 units; As offered)

This course explores the problem of hate crime, which can be defined as criminal acts motivated by an extreme bias of hate. The course will focus on hate crimes as a specific type of criminal activity and will address various efforts to prevent these crimes and to hold offenders accountable. (3 units; Fall)

This course explores and analyzes the treatment of crime, criminals, victims and the criminal justice system in news, entertainment, and social media. The course attempts to explain changes over time by examining the history of these treatments. Lastly, the course analyzes the real effect of these messages on contemporary life, law, and culture. (3 units, Spring)

This course will examine the role of narcotics/drugs in the U.S. criminal justice system and the impact of drugs on crime. This course will address issues related to the history of drugs in society; narcotics’ legal/regulatory, social and political context; patterns and drugs of abuse; and strategies of enforcement and rehabilitation. (3 units; Fall)

Students will study investigation theory; collection and preservation of evidence; importance of field notes and offense reports, sources of information; interview and interrogation; use of forensic science; case and trial preparation. (3 units; Spring)

The functions, institutions, and operations of U.S. and foreign criminal justice systems are compared. Comparisons are made between countries similar to the U.S., such as Canada and Great Britain, as well as those which are quite different, such as Asian or Arabic countries. The underlying concepts of law enforcement, judicial and correctional processes will be studied in current and historic perspectives. (3 units; Spring & Online)