Criminal Justice (CJA)

Examines the social problem of crime, including the process of making and breaking laws as well as society's reaction to the phenomenon. Provides a multidisciplinary study of the causes of crime, including its distribution across social strata and demographics. Focuses on theories of criminal behavior and specific types of crime.

Explores theories, philosophies, and concepts of American law enforcement. This course also examines the history of law enforcement, specific components of the system, public safety responses, and the professionals charged with peace keeping.

Describes the nature and purpose of patrol activities for the law enforcement officer. Includes routine patrol, emergency procedures and different types of patrols. Examines crime prevention theory and community policing.

Studies the judicial process from arrest through appeals, including search and seizure; interrogation; roles of defense attorneys, prosecutors, juries, grand juries, and judges; plea bargaining and guilty pleas; rights of criminal defendants at trial; appeals and habeas corpus.

This course examines the elements, purpose and functions of criminal, traffic, juvenile and liquor laws. Studies historical development, philosophy of law, and constitutional provisions. Examines definition and classification of crime, application of administration of justice, legal research, study of case law, methodology and concepts of law as a social force.

Examines the history, organization, and development of corrections in the United States, including sentencing, incarceration, community corrections and the juvenile justice system. Reviews the use of the death penalty. Identifies trends in corrections.

Analyzes prisons, jails and other correctional institutions. Discusses punishment history and rationale. Identifies the functions of the custodial staff and describes institutional procedures: reception, classification, program assignment and release. Studies prison management systems and examines juvenile facilities.

Explores the phenomenon of both mass murders and serial killings, and the impact each has both upon society and individual victims. Examines recent and historically notorious cases, while probing issues such as causation, social environmental linkage, and the mindset of offenders. May be repeated for up to 3 credits.

Prepares students for pursuing a career in the Criminal Justice field. Explores careers in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, the practice of law, courts, corrections, and private security. Addresses hiring processes, promotions, and workplace ethics. Students will begin creating an e-portfolio. As part of the e-portfolio process, students will analyze first year CJA courses and second year fall term CJA courses for assessment purposes. Provides information on choosing Cooperative Work Experience or Service learning placement in preparation for Criminal Justice Capstone course.

Examines interrelationships and role expectations of agencies and public policy. Explores racial and community tension, bias-based policing, community policing, police misconduct, evidence-based policing and best practices in law enforcement.

Surveys the nature, extent, and causes of delinquent behavior focusing on theories of criminal behavior as they apply to juveniles. Studies historical and contemporary perspectives on juvenile offenders. Provides a multidisciplinary study of the causes of juvenile delinquency. Describes laws, enforcement, court, and correctional procedures within the juvenile system, and explores the differences between adult and juvenile practices.

Examines crisis intervention as it applies to emergency service workers. Includes the psychodynamics of family crisis; alcohol/drug related problems; suicide; sexual assault victims; domestic violence; mentally disturbed individuals; neglected, battered, and abused children.

In this course, students will learn how to recognize and respond to the impact of traumatic stress. Students will gain knowledge and skills they can infuse into their practices and act in a way that maximizes physical and psychological safety for clients and themselves. Students will understand how trauma impacts the brain, body, as well as development. Topics such as vicarious trauma, cultural trauma, and secondary trauma will be examined and discussed.

Introduces the history, theory and principles of criminal investigation in the criminal justice system. Describes crime scene investigation and courtroom aspects of crime scenes including interviews, evidence, follow-up, case preparation, and investigative techniques.

Continues the study and application of investigative techniques for specific offenses, including: death investigations, domestic violence, elder abuse and sexual offenses. Identifies similarities, differences, and elements of proof needed under state statutes and documentation of investigations through comprehensive reports.

Continues the study and application of investigative techniques acquired in CJA-210 and CJA-211. Includes hands-on application of investigative processes from a practical aspect, including search warrant writing, fingerprinting, evidence collection, and crime scene photography, diagramming, and reconstruction.

Examines the dynamics of interviews and interrogations including common processes, approaches and techniques. Ethical, legal and psychological issues are also considered. Includes methods of how to analyze statements and behavior for deception and truthfulness.

This course will analyze the historical, social, legal, and psychological aspects of Intimate Partner Violence. Includes definitions of the problem, demographics, survivors, perpetrators, children who witness, strategies and tactics of abuse and survival, and core strategies for legal intervention.

This course will explore various aspects of sexual abuse cases and human trafficking in the state of Oregon and the U.S., including discussion of societal and historical perspectives, responses to victim trauma, sexual offenders and law enforcement response to these crimes.

This course explores the concept of implicit bias and the potential influence of bias in law enforcement decision-making. Provides an overview of implicit bias assessments and their limitations. Students will develop skills to recognize and take action to manage bias and identify law enforcement practices that reduce bias and positively influence community relations.

This course discusses the constitutional and statutory provisions related to arrest, search and seizure. The course includes use of deadly force, admissions, interrogations, plain view limitations, law of stop and frisk, and officer testimony.

Surveys common ethical frameworks and then examines ethical issues, questions, challenges and consequences facing criminal justice professionals, including law enforcement, corrections, the courts and others.

Introduces case management techniques used by corrections and human services professionals in one-on-one and group contacts with clients. Explores a variety of case management materials, with an emphasis placed upon objective case planning and monitoring.

Surveys documentation skills in criminal justice professions. Verbal, nonverbal and written forms of criminal justice related workplace communication are studied and practiced, including communicating with the public, basic interviewing, documentation, courtroom testimony, and report writing.

Provides a critical introduction to restorative justice. Covers fundamental values and principles of restorative justice, and the experience and interests of key stakeholders (victims, offenders, communities, and systems).

This course applies and assesses the knowledge and skills gained by students who are completing the criminal justice program. Students will complete analyses of second year criminal justice courses, will review program learning outcomes, complete and present an e-portfolio, and take an exit examination.

Cooperative work experience. Supervised experience in criminal justice, corrections, juvenile corrections, or related occupations. Variable Credit: 2-6 credits. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. Required: Student Petition.

Cooperative work experience. Supervised experience in criminal justice, corrections, juvenile corrections, or related occupations. Variable Credit: 2-6 credits. May be repeated for up to 6 credits. Required: Student Petition.

This course gives students an opportunity to gain knowledge in a specific area relevant to the field of criminal justice. This topic will be pulled from a comprehensive list of areas identified by criminal justice and corrections professionals as having importance for students pursuing work in the field. Variable Credit: 1-3 credits. May be repeated for up to 6 credits.