Course

Credit Type:
Course
ACE ID:
SOPH-0090
Version:
1
Organization's ID:
CRIM1001
Organization:
SOPHIA Learning, LLC
Location:
Online
Length:
The course is self-paced, and many learners complete it in 4-8 weeks.
Minimum Passing Score:
70
ACE Credit Recommendation Period:
Credit Recommendation & Competencies
Level Credits (SH) Subject
Lower-Division Baccalaureate 3 Introduction to Criminal Justice
Description

Objective:

The course objective is to examine the criminal justice system in the United States, with a primary concentration on the three components of the system: the police, the courts, and corrections. The course examines how each of these components contributes to our understanding of the definition and measurement of crime and efforts to explain the causes of crime. Additionally, the course focusses on the issues of discretion among criminal justice practitioners, due process versus crime control, and contemporary changes occurring within the context of the criminal justice system.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Determine the criminological theories, typologies, and methods for identifying, collecting, and measuring crime.
  • Recognize the history of the U.S. criminal justice system, victimization, and criminal law in relation to criminal justice processes.
  • Describe the purposes, processes, and participants within law enforcement, the court system, and criminal trials in the U.S.
  • Indicate the purposes, procedures, and challenges of sentencing, correctional institutions, and the juvenile justice system in the U.S.

General Topics:

  • Introduction to the Roles and History of the Criminal Justice System
  • Crime Control vs. Due Process
  • Consensus Model vs. Conflict Model
  • Typologies and Patterns of Crime
  • The History of Criminology and Theory Development
  • History, Trends, and Changes to the U.S. Criminal Justice System
  • Conditions, Factors, and Changes That Impact Victims
  • Differences and Functions of Law in the U.S
  • Substantive vs. Procedural Law
  • U.S. Constitution and the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th , 6th, 8th, and 14th Amendments
  • Local, State, Federal, and Private Law Enforcement Agencies
  • History of Policing, Policing Styles, Ethics, and Professionalism
  • Use of Force, Police Corruption, and Racial Profiling
  • Federal, State, and the U.S. Supreme Court Systems
  • Constitutional Requirements and Purposes of a Pre-Trial, Criminal Trial, and Post-Trial
  • History and Purposes of Indeterminate and Determinate Sentencing
  • Growth in Correctional Populations as a Result of Sentencing
  • The Juvenile Justice System
  • Case Analyses
Instruction & Assessment

Instructional Strategies:

  • Audio Visual Materials
  • Case Studies
  • Computer Based Training
  • Lectures
  • Practical Exercises

Methods of Assessment:

  • Examinations
  • Quizzes
  • Written Papers
Supplemental Materials
Equivalencies

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