Crime and Legal Studies

We will take a social justice approach in examining and critiquing issues in juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. We will analyze the nature, extent and causes of juvenile delinquency including its intersection with race/ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender and sexual orientation. Further, we will explore the history, evolving philosophy, contemporary organization, processes and functions of the American juvenile justice system. Topics include, but are not limited to, survey of juvenile law, comparative analysis of adult and juvenile systems and prevention of juvenile delinquency.

Through this internship, students gain professional experience by applying analytical skills learned in their crime and legal studies course work. Students may choose from a variety of internship options including community and governmental agencies, the criminal justice system, law offices or others that assist entry into a professional career. Graded Pass/Fail.

This course provides a broad overview of sociological and psychological theories of criminal behavior and social control. Students learn how to analyze theories and research on crime for the purpose of advancing theory as well as developing policies for crime prevention and control. Special attention is paid to how gender, race, ethnicity, age and social class contribute to varying experiences in the criminal justice system.

This course uses theory and empirical study to examine how inequalities embedded within social structures affect individuals and processes involved in the definition, construction and responses to crime, victimization and the law. Emphasis will be placed on socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and gender as factors. This course will look at rates of violence, disparities in punishments and treatment within the legal system and the overrepresentation of poor and minority groups in the American criminal justice system. Finally, we will examine how barriers to equality are maintained and how scholars and others propose these barriers can be eliminated or reduced.

This course provides a basic overview and multi-disciplinary analysis of criminal law in the United States. We will begin with an examination of theories of punishment before turning to the general principles of criminal liability and Constitutional limits on criminal law. From this foundation we will examine cases pertaining to various dimensions of criminal law before turning to an analysis of criminal defense and exculpation. Special attention will be paid to the ways marginalized groups (i.e., racial/ethnic minorities, women, low-income populations, LGBTQ+ community, etc.) are differently affected by criminal law and related legal procedures.

Through this 160-hour minimum internship, students gain professional experience by applying analytical skills learned in their crime and legal studies course work. Students may choose from a variety of internship options including community and governmental agencies, the criminal justice system, law offices or others that assist entry into a professional career. Graded Pass/Fail.