Welcome to the Criminal Justice Program at Penn State University, Altoona College

1. Welcome to the Criminal Justice Programat Penn State University, Altoona College • L. Edward Day, Ph.D., Program Coordinator • Michael Arter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor • VidishaBarua, LLM, Ph.D., Assistant Professor • Scott Kelly, Ph.D. Student, Lead Advisor • Robert Worley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Criminal Justice

2. Overview Students receiving a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice, either B.S. or B.A., should develop an understanding of each of the three main components of the criminal justice system and their interrelationships, be able to evaluate critically both current and future crime control policy proposals and criminal justice research, and understand the complexity of the phenomena of crime an criminal behavior and its relationship to the individual, social, and cultural factors. Criminal Justice

3. This program includes the study of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. These courses will include study as individual courses and as components of a system, plus work in theories of crime causation, and crime control policy. Reading, writing, and critical thinking skills are absolutely essential to successful completion of this degree, as well as successful careers in criminal justice. Students should enter well-equipped in these skills, and should expect them to be rigorously applied and developed throughout the degree program. Criminal Justice

4. The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice provides a broadly based liberal arts background for the study of crime, justice, and the criminal justice system. The Bachelor of Science offers and opportunity for educational enrichment in fields not traditionally considered part of the liberal arts. Either degree is excellent preparation for a career in criminal justice, graduate or professional study, or informed citizenship. Both degrees require a minimum of 128 credits. Criminal Justice

5. What Do Criminal Justice Majors Do? A degree in criminal justice is solid preparation for many careers. While many criminal justice majors indicate a preference for law enforcement, others find careers in prisons, community corrections, or court administration. Government positions in criminal justice are available at the local, county, state and federal levels, and private security is a growing and important source of jobs for criminal justice students. Criminal Justice

6. The criminal justice major at Penn State Altoona focuses on one of the most important public policy areas in our county today, and is good preparation for graduate study in law, criminology, and other fields. Also, like students in other majors, criminal justice students often find employment and build careers in fields not directly related to their major, such and insurance, journalism, human services, and the military. It is an excellent major both for a career and forlife. Criminal Justice

7. Why Major in Criminal Justice? Nationwide, criminal justice is a labor intensive, growth industry; careers in criminal justice, especially corrections, continue to show strong growth. According to Pennsylvania Workforce 2005, two of the major employment areas for criminal justice majors, legal services and protective services, will provide many more opportunities in the future. Criminal Justice

8. Workforce 2005 projected that legal services occupations would grow by 11,100 positions, with paralegal employment increasing by over 40%. Protective services occupations were expected to expand by 6.1%, for a total of 3,175 job openings. Positions for corrections officers and jailers (16.7%), detectives and investigators (20.8%), and guards (11.8%), shows the strongest growth trends within protective services occupations. Criminal Justice

9. Program Highlights • The criminal justice program at Penn State Altoona offers various options: • Bachelor of Arts • Bachelor of Science • Associate of Science • Minor in Criminal Justice (18 credits) Criminal Justice

10. As important part of the Bachelor of Science Degree is a sequence of four courses chosen by students based on their own interests and career goals. • All baccalaureate students are required to complete a minimum three-credit internship with a criminal justice agency. • The criminal justice major at Penn State Altoona is based on the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences standards for criminal justice education. • In addition to studying police, courts, and corrections, students learn about computer, statistics, ethics, social research and multi-cultural issues, as well as other key issues in modern criminal justice. Criminal Justice

11. The Criminal Justice Organization • The Criminal Justice Organization (CJO) was created by, and designed for, students with an interest in criminal justice. The organization was designed with four factors in mind: a social element, and educational element, a service component, and a support component. Criminal Justice

12. CJO: Social Element • The CJO was developed to provide a forum for those students with common interests in criminal justice. This could include such things as : Pizza parties, movies, casual “get together’s,” etc. There is also a CJO phone & e-mail directory with the names of members and officers. Criminal Justice

13. CJO: Educational Element • Educationally, the CJO is a key instrument in helping with career decisions and academics. The CJO works towards bringing speakers to the campus who are working as a professional in some area of criminal justice. The criminal justice program also has an active Mock Trail Team and this coming fall, a new Mediation Team will be initiated (please see your advisor for information). Anyone interested is encourage to join. Criminal Justice

14. CJO: Service Component • The CJO was designed with a service component in mind. This is intended to allow students to work within the community and represent, not only themselves and the CJO, but, Penn State Altoona as well. This is done by coordinated volunteer work in the nearby communities. Criminal Justice

15. CJO: Support Component • Members of the CJO are willing to lend a helping hand to fellow students who are having problems with their academics. This comes about in the forms of mentoring and tutoring. Criminal Justice

16. Alpha Phi Sigma (ΑΦΣ) • Alpha Phi Sigma (APS) is the nationally recognized honor society for students in criminal justice. • The society recognizes academic excellence by undergraduate, as well as graduate students of criminal justice and criminology. • Our local APS chapter can be a fulfilling experience, as its members decide it to be. The chapter can be a forum for guest speakers, organized trips, tour facilities, and become involved in community service projects. • Some examples are recent tours to state prisons, K-9 training facilities, crime labs, and our ever present need for fund raising. Criminal Justice

17. APS: Membership Requirements: • Students must have a declared major, minor or equivalent in criminal justice field. • Have completed three full time semesters or equivalent. • Must maintain at least a 3.2 overall GPA on a scale of 4.0. • 3.2 GPA in their criminal justice courses. • The student must also have completed a minimum of 4 courses within the criminal justice field. Criminal Justice

18. Internships • A key element for the Criminal Justice Degree student is the Internship Program. The Internship Program, CJ495, allows students to gain valuable experience using the application process (what is learned in the classroom and applying it “hands on” in the field). • Some internships are paid internships, which means, the student gets paid while applying practical solutions learned in the classroom to their job. Most internships are not a “paid” position, but either paid or unpaid you will be earning credits for graduation and, you will earn valuable experience by applying what you have learned in the classroom to the “real world.” • Prior interns, act as student guides by discussing their experiences. There are booklets and pamphlets on internships available in your advisor’s office for review. The opportunity for research is also provided. Criminal Justice

19. Advising • Students entering the Criminal Justice Degree Program are strongly encouraged NOT to engage in “Self Advising” (this happens when students do not meet with their advisors on a regular basis and take it upon themselves to make course and career decisions and end up still having classes to take when they should be graduating and moving on to Graduate School or their careers). Please visit your academic advisor on a regular basis. Criminal Justice

20. CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES (CJ) CJ 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice (3) • Overview of the criminal justice system, including legal foundations, processing and correction of offenders, extent and types of crime, and victims. • There are five parts: The Foundations of Crime and Justice, The Police, The Courts, Corrections, and Juvenile Justice. This course gives and in-site into other criminal justice courses that you will encounter as part of the CJ curriculum. Criminal Justice

21. CJ 210: The Law Enforcement Function (3) Purpose and function of police in society, recruitment, training, duties, socialization; organization of police agencies. • Review police discretion, and important key element in policing. • CJ 220: Courts and the Prosecution Process (3) Purpose and function of criminal courts in society, organization, jurisdiction and staffing; prosecution, adjudication and sentencing of offenders. • Review Landmark Supreme Court Cases, two models or value systems that compete for priority in the operation of the criminal process which are the Crime Control Model and the Due Process Model, Substantive versus Procedural Justice, Equal versus Individualized Justice, these are just to name a few topics that will be covered over the course of the class semester. Criminal Justice

22. CJ 230: Correction is America (3) • Punishment and treatment of sentenced offenders, correctional institution organization, staffing, inmates and subcultures. • The history of corrections is reviewed for an understanding of the modern day and future trends of correctional institutions. • CJ 297: Special Topics (1-9) • CJ 420: Criminal Law and Procedure (3) • Common law and statutory crimes, Constitutional rights of accused persons, liability of criminal justice professionals. • Prerequisite: CJ 220 Criminal Justice

23. CJ 430: Community Corrections (3) • Control and treatment of offenders in the community, probation and parole organizations, diversion programs, innovative sentences, supervision techniques. • Prerequisite: CJ 230 • CJ 450W: Criminal Justice Policy (3) • Two major criminal justice paradigms of the late 20th century; historical, political and social contexts; policy initiatives and outcomes. • Prerequisite: Senior standing; CJ 100, 210, 220, 230, and SOC 012; or permission of instructor. Criminal Justice

24. CJ 460: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (3) • Identification and processing of young offenders, delinquency correlates, juvenile courts and corrections. • Prerequisite: SOC 012. • CJ494: Research Project (1-12) • Prerequisite: SOC 007. • CJ 495: Criminal Justice Internship (3-12) • Field experience in a criminal justice agency. • Students will given a binder with step-by-step instructions on how to complete a successful internship and how to choose the right internship for their career interests. • Prerequisite: 12 credits in CJ courses; prior approval of proposed assignment by instructor. Criminal Justice

25. CJ 496: Independent Studies (1-18) • Prerequisite: 12 credits in CJ. • CJ 497 Special Topics (1-9) • Prerequisite: CJ 100. Criminal Justice