Criminology, Law and Society

Successful leadership traits in the criminal justice field with emphasis on a social justice commitment. Areas from setting goals to team building to personal relations and problem solving are covered. Employment opportunities and restrictions in the criminal justice system will be addressed.

History, philosophy, and ethical consideration of criminal justice; the nature and impact of crime; and an overview of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement and court procedure.

Study of the judiciary in the American criminal justice system and the adjudication process and procedure

Study of criminal law; its philosophical and historical development, major definitions and concepts, classifications and elements of crime; penalties using Texas statues as illustrations, and criminal responsibility.

Corrections in the criminal justice system; organization of the correctional systems; correctional role; institutional operations; alternatives to institutionalization; treatment and rehabilitation; current and future issues.

This course is an examination of the legal authority of criminal justice practitioners; responsibilities, constitutional constraints, laws of arrest, search and seizure, and liability for noncompliance. The course will emphasis case law with ethical and practical application.

The police profession; organization of law enforcement systems; the police role; police discretion; ethics; police-community interaction; current and future issues.

This course will introduce the student to the concept of human trafficking. The student shall be made aware of who are most likely victims and perpetrators of the human trafficking crimes. U.S. and local laws are addressed. This course provides insight into the complexity of human trafficking by addressing both how the scope of globalization impacts the sex industry and forced labor, and how vulnerability is a growing cause of human trafficking.

This course examines the identification and prevention programs designed to respond to child victims of sexual exploitation. The course includes child risk factors, approaches to prevention, recovery and reintegration. Commercial sexual exploitation of children is the abuse of persons under the age of 18 years through prostitution, pornography, or other paid sexual activities. This course examines how the vulnerable youth surviving through illegal activity are criminalized despite the acknowledgment that they are victims. The course will research how children being exploited engage in high-risk health behaviors and experience both physical and emotional harm.

This course reviews the United States Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This includes various amendments, the multiple Vatican addresses, statements and projects to eliminate human trafficking, local criminal justice and volunteer organizations to eliminate human trafficking.

This course examines the identification of terrorist acts, comparison and understanding of the various definitions of terrorism and the perpetrators of these acts. The student will be introduced to the nexus between terrorism and homeland security as it relates to homeland security strategy, assessment, evaluation, preparation, responses, and recovery actions and mechanisms relating to terrorism and homeland security. The course considers the phenomenon of the term terrorism as it relates to the United States domestically as well as internationally from the time of the Cold War to the present day.

This course explores the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as a unique phenomenon within the homeland security landscape. Specifically, this course provides students with a historical perspective on the development and use of WMD from both an international and a domestic perspective and their impact on the criminal justice system. The course also explores the efforts to prevent, prepare, and respond to the use of WMDs.

Introduces the evolving nature of finance, techniques and practices of funding terrorism and the current practices to prevent the terrorists from obtaining the revenue.

Since 1989, more than 300 wrongly convicted persons have been exonerated by DNA testing alone. In this class, students will learn to think critically about the criminal justice system so as to understand the causes of wrongful convictions. The class will also consider reforms to the criminal justice system that could help avoid these miscarriages of justice.

An exploration of power across various law enforcement careers and its impact on the individual, organization, and the community. Students will be challenged to critically analyze prevailing attitudes and actions related to specific career paths and opportunities to conform to or transform the law enforcement culture.

This course provides a brief overview of scientific crime detection and more detailed discussion of techniques for case management and documentation, the concept of proof, the impact of emergent technology on the investigative process, interacting with victims and witnesses, and interviewing suspects. Particular emphasis may be placed on the investigation of particular types of crimes, for example, homicides, sex offenses, child abuse, and hate crimes.

Examines the major perspectives on criminal and deviant behavior. Specific deviant and criminal activities will be described and explained using established theories. Issues related to societal social problems and social control of deviant and criminal behavior will also be analyzed.

Research and current trends concerning the victim in the criminal justice system; particular attention is given to restorative justice, victim rights, protection orders, restitution, Federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), subrogation, and the impact of victimization on the individual.

This course explores theoretical questions along with history and business of organized crime in the US. and globally. There is an examination of the connection between organized crime, terrorism and human trafficking. This course provides familiarization with the language and methods of organized crime as well as responses from criminal justice agencies.

An examination of the nature and scope of crime on the United States-Mexico border and an evaluation of the strategies and programs employed by both governments to control criminal activity on the border.

This course examines different issues of race and ethnicity as they relate to the criminal justice system in America. One of the most important points that students should take into consideration, is that historically as well as in modern times, racism, differential treatment by the criminal justice system, and discrimination have been part of the structure of American society. This course further focuses on social, institutional, political, as well as economic factors that have contributed to racial discrimination and biases in the criminal justice system. Finally, this course considers different measures that have or should be taken into consideration in order to address the problems of the past and present.

A review of how the U.S. punishes and rehabilitates convicted law violators. The conflicts among the major purposes of sentencing—rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation—are discussed, as well as the effects of different sanctions on public safety, offender rehabilitation, and justice system costs.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to the faculty member and students.

Gain theoretical knowledge on forensic interviewing of child and adolescent victims of crim. Understand the history and rationale of forensic interviewing, research and statistics contributing to the developments of forensic interviewing, commonly cited state and federal laws, and differing protocols of forensic interviewing by jurisdiction.

Explores the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency and examines explanatory models and theories of juvenile delinquency. Topics related to the juvenile justice system process along with social justice for juvenile offenders and victims such as juvenile waiver to the adult court, diversion and deinstitutionalization, police interaction, and community intervention.

This course will examine selected issues relating to crime and social justice. Topics will include false convictions, the war against drugs, over criminalization, racial profiling, and anti-gang legislation.

Examines community supervision and parole systems with emphasis on the state of Texas. Students study jurisdiction issues, history, the relationship between theory and practice, and contemporary issues confronting community supervision and parole.

A minimum of three months in an approved criminal justice or social service agency setting taken preferably between junior and senior years. Designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply academic learning in practical situations.

A minimum of three months in an approved criminal justice or social service agency setting taken preferably between junior and senior years. Designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply academic learning in practical situations.

In this course, which serves as the BA capstone requirement, students will choose a social problem related to crime, criminal justice, and law, relate it to criminal justice, legal, and social issues, and devise a plan of action to research the problem, develop informed policy, and propose an action research plan to solve the problem. Students will write an action research prospectus, proposal, and leadership project paper on their chosen topics using knowledge obtained from prior required courses, and input from CLS faculty.

There are reform projects underway at every state of the U.S. criminal justice system, working to reshape policing, prosecution, and defense, sentencing, incarceration, and reintegration. While there is consensus for change, the question remains how law, organizing, media, and advocacy tools can be successfully deployed and towards what ends for change. This course will consider her criminal justice reform agendas are formulated, gain currency, and result in changes in laws.

Practicum or on-the-job experience under guidance of practicing specialists in the criminology field.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Permission of faculty member required.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to faculty and students.

Student research on a selected problem in the field pursued under the guidance of an assigned member of the faculty. Permission of faculty member required.

Upper–division treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to faculty and students.

This course examines the social process in defining crime while integrating issues of Catholic social justice, conflict, and social change. This course examines the ways in which political, economic, media, education, and other institutions create pathways and challenges for social justice.

This course determines the major theories used in Criminology. Special attention is given to the theory’s history, hypothesis, assumptions, empirical validity; Catholic social justice applications to theories along with policy recommendations. Classical, biological, sociological, and integrated theories are critiqued and examined.

This course covers the graduate level techniques and procedures in the process of criminology/criminal justice scientific research. Course topics include: defining research problems, ethics in criminal justice research, selecting and measuring variables, stating hypotheses, sampling, and developing experimental research designs. Application of catholic social justice concepts are integrated within the course.

This course is a detailed examination of ethics and leadership. Leaders in the criminal justice field as well as NGOs are constantly challenged to maintain integrity while fulfilling the agency mission. Students are presented tools which assist them in recognizing the importance of Catholic social justice while addressing the challenges. The students will be presented with an array of skills which ethical leaders find useful in creating innovative strategies to solve ethical dilemmas found in an organizational culture.

This course is designed to provide a survey of the current employment laws in Texas. The course will cover hiring, job security, compensation, benefits, safety and health, employer rights, employee rights, privacy rights, collective bargaining and employment discrimination. Employment law embodies principles of contracts, torts, property law, constitutional, criminal law, labor law, immigration law, class action law, and dispute resolution among others. Employment issues touch upon the basic rights, protections and Catholic social justice for both employers and employees in employed in government entities in a free market economy.

Investigates how criminal justice and the U.S. War on Drugs was executed and who it affected. Critically analyze drug prohibition and the history of the war on drugs in America. Discuss attitudes on the war on drugs and focus on the history of marijuana decriminalization in America. This course will discuss and examine the criminological paradigm shift in the post war on drugs era. Analyze the effects of offender rehabilitation, restoration, and reintegration into society, re-entry on the economy, the application of Catholic social justice criminal justice system, crime rates, and communities.

Patterns of delinquent behavior, theories that explain behavior and current research. Consider the subject of juvenile delinquency from various perspectives including psychological, physiological and sociological. Particular attention will be paid to the role of family, the school, and the peer group in promoting delinquency. This course will provide students with the tools to analyze and evaluate juvenile justice policies and programs in a Catholic social justice platform. Attempts to prevent and control delinquency are put in historical perspective. The development of the current Texas juvenile justice system and evolution of modern juvenile law are explored.

This survey course will introduce students to the fundamentals of alternative dispute resolution theory and practice in the U.S. The course will analyze and compare a range of dispute resolution processes (such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, dialogue and meeting facilitation, victim-offender dialogues, circles, ombuds, public dispute systems, on-line dispute resolution, mini-trials, and other mixed processes) and applications to specific types of problems and disputes (such as consumer, criminal, labor and employment, family and youth, restorative justice, environmental, public disputes, multi-party, cross-cultural and international) and the concept of Catholic social justice as an ultimate goal.

This course is an overview of the changing patterns of immigration in the United States and the role that immigrants play in our society. In particular, students will learn about the social and economic outcomes of immigration, as well as the relationship between immigration, crime, and criminal justice policy. Applications of Catholic social justice will be discussed as a means of problem solving.

This course will provide students an overview of the global, regional and U.S. domestic threats of terrorism, including its various forms, resources, means and tools as well as global, regional and national efforts in combating terrorism. This course will provide a theoretical and empirical explanation of terrorism. It will identify various analytical approaches to the study of terrorism: identifying terrorist groups, reviewing terrorist tactics, and examining police and governmental responses to reduce or control the incidence of terrorism. Application of Catholic social justice is integrated in the discussions of terrorists’ philosophy and governmental responses.

This course shall examination of the phenomenon of international and U.S. Domestic organized crime from a sociological perspective. Concepts of methods of control of organized crime through a Catholic social justice perspective. Provide explanations of methods by which organized crime is tolerated at various levels of society.

An introductory understanding of the definitions and all common targets of hate crime including religious hate. The course will explore the current extremist groups and individuals while linking history of prior ideologies. The reporting, investigation, and prosecution of hate crimes; hate crime policy and legislation, the impact of hate crimes on the victims. Aspects of this course will integrate the concepts of Catholic social justice.

Guides students to navigate diverse settings more effectively and improve their ability to work within and lead diverse teams and global organizations.

The course examines white collar crime, why is it different than traditional street crime, and does it have the same effect on society as blue collar crime. Who are the victims and what are is the costs of white collar crime? Applications of Catholic social justice will be discussed as a means of problem solving.

This course offers an introduction to the world of cybercrime in the age of globally networked digital, information, and communication technologies (ICT). The course takes a Catholic social justice-legal approach to the study of cybercrime, viewing cyberspace as a novel environment that is having a profound impact on how both legal and illicit social interactions take place, as well as transforming the scope, scale, and relations between victims and offenders.

Examines criminal justice policy formation, implementation, and evaluation. Familiarizes students with various criminal justice policies and their effectiveness. Planning, implementation in a Catholic social justice format is emphasized.

An analysis of women as victims of crime, as individuals under justice system supervision, and as professionals in the criminal justice field.

Statistical ideas and their relevance to public policy, business, criminal justice system, Catholic social justice and the physical sciences; focus on critical approach to statistical evidence. Descriptive statistics, basic inferential methods (confidence intervals, chi-square tests); linear models (regression and ANOVA models -- specification and assumption, fitting, diagnostics, selection, testing, interpretation; nonlinear models, logistic regression.

Graduate-level treatment of selected topics of mutual interest to faculty and students.

Focuses on general questions about the criminal justice system: What is the nature and proper scope of the criminal justice system? How should the criminal justice system enforce laws? Why do societies punish and is it effective? What is the philosophy of social control? Examples of criminal justice initiatives are related to the theories studied.

Examines the criminological, criminal justice and administration of justice theories. Includes an analysis of the interrelatedness of justice theories and recent theoretical developments.

Explores the different approaches to public policy and analysis, the diverse conceptions of the goals and objectives that should be served by policy, and the appropriate role of the policy analyst. Policy consequences are addressed as to indirect and/or subtle incentives and disincentives. Special attention is devoted to applying Catholic social justice to contemporary developments in law enforcement, corrections and judicial policy and planning.

Examines patterns and trends in victimization. Identifies the categories of people facing the greatest risks and assesses victim-blaming arguments that invoke facilitation, precipitation and provocation. Analyzes the handling of street crime victims by the criminal justice system and explores Catholic social justice in the fair treatment, empowerment in decision making, restitution and compensation.