The Criminal Justice System

Catalog description

This course presents an overview of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and the variety of agencies charged with the detection, prosecution, and subsequent application of penalties. The course begins with an examination of the extent and nature of crime in the U.S. It then reviews the subsystems associated with the criminal and juvenile justice fields, including the police, criminal and juvenile courts, and corrections and treatment processes. The review of each subsystem includes a discussion of its historical development as well as issues currently confronting the profession. Students also explore and evaluate differing philosophies underlying corrections. The course concludes with an examination of the future of the criminal and juvenile justice systems from political and sociological perspectives.