A consideration of the relationship between the U.S. Constitution and the agencies of criminal justice. Students will explore the Constitutional protection afforded criminal defendants as they pass through the criminal justice process. Both procedural and substantive rights relating to arrest, detention, interrogation, arraignment, bail, the criminal trial, sentencing, and incarceration will be considered. A survey of the Law of Evidence as it applies to the criminal justice practitioner. The course examines direct and circumstantial evidence, chain of custody, real and documentary evidence, and interrogation, including confessions and admissions.
Students explore scene preservation and illegally obtained evidence.
An analysis of the various aspects of police operations and administration. The purpose and types of police patrol, communications, public relations, personnel management, and allocation of resources along with an exploration of contemporary police issues. An analysis of the difficulties encountered in American society by both racial and cultural minorities emphasizing factors contributing to this social disorganization. Consideration given to prejudice, discrimination, attitudes, and perceptions. A study of the relationships between probation officers and their clients, the role of probation, the rules governing conduct, social agencies connected to probation, the role of probation departments in rehabilitative activities plus an examination of the effectiveness of parole versus incarceration.