The logic of inference in criminal justice statistics

An approach to teaching criminal justice statistics is advanced that focuses on broad similarities between all inferential tests. Tests of inference include all processes in which a hypothesis is generated and, ultimately, rejected or not. The process of a criminal trial, which is an inferential test, is employed as an extended analogy, through which specific statistical concepts are introduced. The advantages to criminal justice students of learning statistical concepts through a justice-specific framework are discussed.     

Low-Tech vs. No-Tech: An evaluation of the impact of introducing presentation software into a criminal justice classroom

A study was conducted to measure the impact of using presentation software in a legal evidence class in a rural community college. The No-Tech group was taught through traditional teaching methods via chalk and blackboard, while the Low-Tech group received the same lectures utilizing computer generated presentation software. Although posttest measures did not reveal significant differences between the Low-Tech and No-Tech groups, several explanations are explored as to why this occurred, as well as recommendations on how to incorporate Low-Technology into the classroom setting.     

Research methods for criminal justice graduate students: Comparing textbook coverage and classroom instruction

Research methods are perhaps the most difficult subject matter to teach in the graduate criminal justice curricula. This is in part due to the mix of practitioners and aspiring researchers in most criminal justice graduate departments, leading many instructors to question whether their own coverage is in line with the needs of their graduate students as well as the coverage of other instructors. Also complicating matters is that research methods textbooks are not geared specifically for the graduate level, and thus may neglect topics that are necessary for today's criminal justice graduate students. The present study addresses these concerns by providing an analysis of 11 current criminal justice research methods textbooks, as well as a survey of 36 instructors of graduate criminal justice and criminology research methods classes. Both the texts and instructors are found to place a strong focus on quantitative methods, while the textbooks tend to place a greater emphasis on qualitative methods than the instructors. Moreover, both the texts and instructors neglect topics crucial to today's criminal justice graduate student, including grant writing, article writing and critiquing, and standards for collaborative research efforts.     

Planning and implementing a criminal justice course with university students and youthful offenders

During Fall 1999, the Law and Justice Studies Department at Rowan University, in collaboration with New Jersey's Juvenile Justice Commission, brought together 12 students and 12 incarcerated youth for a semester long course on Restorative Justice. This paper presents the planning, implementation and outcomes assessment of the course. While service learning programs within criminal justice departments are fairly widespread, this collaborative effort is unique in that the youth attend the course on campus and are treated, for all intents and purposes, as college students. The course was developed primarily as a way for the youth to experience college. It was intended to demonstrate to the youth that college is something that is within their grasp and that they could fit in with college students. We also hoped the course would benefit the college students' critical thinking skills, tolerance levels and overall educational experience. The outcomes assessment shows that the course was successful in achieving the goals set forth for the students and the youth. The process analysis demonstrates the many successes and difficulties that arose during the planning and implementation of the course.     

Ethics courses: Their impact on the values and ethical decisions of criminal justice students

Numerous articles and books advocate the importance of ethics as an essential component of a criminal justice curriculum. While there are several approaches suggested, one of the most popular methods of assuring coverage of this important topic is to add an ethics course to the curriculum either as a required or an elective course. Teaching students ethical theories, principles and providing them with the opportunity to discuss discipline specific ethics problems is thought to help contribute to the establishment of ethical practitioners.

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of a semester long criminal justice ethics course on the students' value orientations, and their perceptions of both the seriousness of ethical violations and their likelihood of engaging in such behaviors. Our findings are consistent with the results of researchers evaluating ethics courses in other disciplines. Implications for criminal justice ethics education are discussed.     

The international criminal court: A guide for criminal justice educators

The International Criminal Court formalizes a legal system which transcends national boundaries. This paper provides instructors desiring to incorporate discussions of the court into their classes with a summary of key topics. Among the topics covered are a brief history of the establishment of the court, its structure, operation, and jurisdiction, U.S. opposition to the court, and the limited role the court can play in combating terrorism. Appendices provide a timeline of the development of international criminal law, information on other sources of law regarding terrorism, and a list of selected sources for further information on the court.     

One-person criminal justice programs: An exploratory study

This article examines the issues that confront one-person criminal justice programs. These programs, operated by only one full-time faculty member, have both advantages and disadvantages. Identification, categorization, and analysis of the many relevant issues are the focus of this exploratory study. Nationwide more than one-third of the community college criminal justice programs are staffed by only one educator, as are some four-year college programs. It is important to ensure that the negative points inherent in one-person programs do not impair the quality of criminal justice education.     

Liberal education and the criminal justice major

New perspectives on the impact of college on students, on linking general education, the major, electives and extra-classroom experiences toward the goal of “integrated learning,” and renewed emphasis on the importance of producing liberally educated college graduates, present opportunities for criminal justice educators to make their field a keystone in the architecture of a liberal education. In this essay, I argue that the multidisciplinary perspectives that characterize the field of criminal justice, as well as its core intellectual concerns, make criminal justice well-suited to serve as the infrastructure for a high-quality undergraduate liberal education program.     

Ideology and criminal justice: Suggestions for a pedagogical model

Without the explanatory power of general theoretical principles, criminal justice educators are limited to subjectively describing the structure and function of our systems of criminal justice rather than explaining why these systems behave the way they do. Because of this, criminal justice lacks integrity as a legitimate academic discipline that seeks to meet the objectives of a liberal arts education. This paper explores the establishment of ideology as a first principle of criminal justice, derived from political philosophy and sociological theory. We examine ways to build upon this principle as a means of teaching criminal justice within the guise of the liberal arts tradition by guiding students toward a deeper understanding of the nature of our criminal justice systems and their place in larger society.     

Andragogy: Student centered classrooms in criminal justice programs

Historically, much of the teaching-learning transactions in criminal justice classrooms have been teacher-centered. Teacher-centered approaches are rooted in the behavioral and cognitive theories of education. Andragogy, a philosophical orientation for adult education, receives little attention in the criminal justice literature. Yet the tenets of andragogy form an organizing framework that is consistent with many contemporary and evolving criminal justice practices. This paper defines andragogy and presents an “andragogical guide,” which may be useful for criminal justice educators who desire to experiment with innovative approaches to foster a more effective teaching-learning transaction.     

Using active learning in criminal justice: Twenty-five examples

Active learning strategies may overcome the weaknesses of the traditional lecture approach. This paper outlines some of the main strengths and weaknesses of the lecture approach and reports research which illustrates why active learning strategies should be used in the classroom. The paper concludes with a presentation of twenty-five active learning strategies to be used in the criminal justice classroom, along with a discussion of how these strategies meet the goals of higher education.     

Exploring the impact of correctional facility tours on the perceptions of undergraduate criminal justice students

Students’ negative perceptions of inmates are a challenging aspect of teaching criminal justice. Scholars suggest exposing students to the criminal justice system may provide a realistic approach to understanding offenders. Prison tours have become a viable solution for instructors who want to create such exposure, but contrasting perspectives on the impact of prison tours on students’ learning are present in research. Drawing upon theories of experiential learning, we designed a pre-/post-survey to address the following exploratory questions: (1) What perceptions do criminal justice students hold regarding corrections, inmates, and correctional officers? (2) Do these perceptions change after going on a tour of a correctional facility? Data were collected from a convenience sample of 123 students attending courses at two Midwestern universities. Findings add to the body of literature on prison tours as a component of criminal justice education and further our understanding of the complexity of student learning.     

Career choices and characteristics of criminal justice undergraduates

Four hundred undergraduate criminal justice students from twelve colleges and universities in seven states participated in an anonymous, written survey designed to determine career choices and expectations as well as other demographic information. Approximately half of the students surveyed indicated that they were pursuing a career in law enforcement. Almost one-third indicated that they had no career plans. We found that reasons for studying criminal justice vary by race and gender, as do career goals.