Forensic Social Work

Catalog description

The course provides an overview of the specialization of forensic social work and its interface with the juvenile and criminal legal systems, from arrest to sentencing, conviction, incarceration, and reentry. This course will cover legal and ethical aspects of professional practice in forensic settings, best practices with legal systems involved populations, and the causes and prevention of crime and juvenile misconduct from a multi-systemic perspective. The debate regarding punishment versus rehabilitation and its impact on trends in rehabilitation and reentry services will be explored. In this course, the role of policy advocacy will be discussed using reform laws in New York State and their impact on individuals, families, and communities.