Information For Students Seeking Criminal Justice Degrees

Introduction to Criminal Justice is a course that is a pre-requisite course for any student who has the dream of being a part of the criminal justice system in the United States. Many students have different aspirations about what they would like to do if given the opportunity to serve their communities in the wide field of crime and law enforcement. Like most college programs, criminal justice majors are required to take introductory courses in order to proceed to the higher level courses.
Introduction to Criminal Justice is a survey course that introduces students to the myriad of areas that are within the criminal justice system. Students will learn about the different functions within the court house, the police station and the correctional facility. Students will also explore the many issues that affect crime and punishment within the United States of America.
The first part of the program is the introduction to what the students will be studying within the class. The first thing students must do is learn the definition of exactly what criminal behavior is. Students will then learn about the different types of criminal offenses, along with the duties of the many different personnel who are responsible for helping enforce law and order within the many jurisdictions of the different states.
The first set of personnel that students will learn about is police officers. Police officers are the front line of defense against crime. They will learn about the history of the police force as well as the many laws and policies which govern policing. In addition, they will explore what the role of the police officer is within the community.
After learning about the police department, students are next invited to learn about the details of the court system. There are many different places that a case will see in the courthouse and students will learn about the role the attorneys for the State and defense play, the role the judge plays, as well as the differences between a jury and a grand jury.
After learning about the court system, students will delve into the correctional system. The corrections department is responsible for meting out the punishment the court system has determined an offender must do in order to be re-integrated into society. Students will learn about the lives of inmates, as well as what conditions must be satisfied by those on probation or parole.
After learning about the different personnel within the system of law enforcement, students will learn about the many issues that face law enforcement. One of the most controversial issues is whether to adopt stricter sentencing guidelines for violent juvenile offenders. Another issue facing law enforcement is how to combat drug abuse and its influence as motivation to commit crime.

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