Curriculum
Instruction Pack I: Introduction to Criminal Justice
Instruction Pack I introduces students to the career options in the criminal justice field. Students examine how social influence affects criminal behavior, as well as investigate mental disorders, distinguish between the theoretical views of personality development, and learn how to think like a criminologist. Students discover how the current criminal justice system treats and punishes criminal behavior and how laws are created, reviewed, and enforced. Students study the organization, management, and strategies of police work. In addition, they explore the history and trends of private security forces.
Instruction Pack II: Anatomy of a Crime
Instruction Pack II tackles crime scene investigation and preservation, evidence collection and forensics. Students dissect the complexities of crime scenes and the safety hazards of up-close investigations. They analyze the particulars of interviews, interrogations, and investigations. And they examine the guidelines for search and seizure, as well as criminal justice technological innovations and safety precautions. In addition, students assess victimization and the mental and emotional difficulties that crime victims experience. Students then discover technical writing as it applies to law enforcement—field notes, witness testimony, search warrants and incident reports. Finally, students are provided with an in-depth view of America’s courts.
Instruction Pack III: Trial and Sentencing
Instruction Pack III orients students to the criminal trial process. Next, students study the sentencing of criminals, from the problems associated with sentencing to the controversy surrounding the death penalty. They explore daily life in correctional establishments and learn to differentiate between parole, probation and pardon. They study the purpose, conditions and goals of the parole program and illustrate how parole affects inmates, their families and communities. Students assess the needs of adult versus juvenile offenders and the treatments they need. Finally, students assess the roles of detention and probation in the juvenile court system and learn to differentiate between the legal treatments of status offenders and juvenile delinquents.
Instruction Pack IV: Impact of Environment, Genetics and Disasters on Crime
Instruction Pack IV continues with the impact of bias, discrimination and prejudice in law enforcement. They examine the influence of environment and genetics on criminal behavior and investigate the use of racial profiling and deadly force. Additionally, students differentiate among the various degrees of murder and study larceny, robbery and burglary. Students look into the future trends of crime, which include cyber and identity theft, credit card fraud and embezzlement. Next, students learn the basics of emergency and disaster management—strategies for dealing with natural disasters, emergencies and acts of terrorism. Students investigate the challenges of aviation and maritime security, examine the threat of terrorism, and create informed opinions on how best to balance security needs with personal privacy needs. They are introduced to future trends in technology, corrections and crime prevention. Finally, students complete a real-world practicum that lets them apply everything they learned in the course.
