Department of Criminal Justice

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Department of Criminal Justice

101S Faculty Office Building
(585) 395-2665

Chairperson: Richard Lumb; Professor: Charles P. Nemeth; Associate Professors: Larry R. Bassi, Richard G. Frey, Richard Lumb, Roger B. McNally; Assistant Professor: Jeffrey Magers; Visiting Assistant Professors: Christine Plumeri, Thomas M. Tremer; Professor Emeritus: Romine (Dick) Deming.

• Requirements
• Courses

The criminal justice program is for students interested in studying the causes, prevention and control of crime, as well as the theories and policies relative to the structure and operation of various law enforcement, security and correctional and judicial organizations. The department's curricular and programmatic philosophy is primarily professional, though students are exposed to a wide array of intellectual disciplines across the University.

The criminal justice major prepares students for criminal justice careers in professional justice agencies. Careers in criminal justice can be categorized by a variety of organizations: state and local police; correctional organizations for adult and juveniles (i.e. those in probation, after care, related institutions, and public and non-profit residential care); federal law enforcement/ security organizations; private security, legal and judicial organizations.

SUNY Brockport criminal justice graduates have taken positions with agencies such as the New York City Police, New York State Police, State Corrections Department, Division for Youth, Monroe County Public Defender's Office, Victim Assistance Unit, court systems, and a variety of criminal justice agencies outside New York. Many serve in federal agencies, such as the State Department, Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Agency, FBI, U.S. Customs, Immigration and Naturalization, Department of Defense, and Federal Probation and Parole. Others are employed in private security with companies such as Eastman Kodak Company, Xerox and Pinkerton. Many graduates work for human service agencies such as Hillside Children's Center, Lifetime Assistance, Inc. and the Big Brother/Big Sister Program.

Other SUNY Brockport graduates have continued their education in law, criminal justice, counseling, and public administration, with such institutions as SUNY Brockport, University at Buffalo, University at Albany, Adelphi University, John Jay College, Michigan State University, University of Maryland, Rutgers University and Albany Law School.

Special Affiliations

A chapter of Alphi Phi Sigma (National Criminal Justice Honor Society) and a Criminal Justice (Student) Association are active at SUNY Brockport. The Department also honors its most intellectual students with an invitation to the "Order of Cicero."

Students are encouraged to study criminal justice and comparative jurisprudence at Brunel University in Great Britain, study during summer or spring in Ireland at the Waterford Institute, or study at The University of Szeged in Hungary, or participate in the College's Washington, D.C. and Albany Semester programs, British internships, or other local internship placements. Students can study Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico, for five weeks (six credits) in the summer.

Criminal Justice

Criminal justice is both a professional and a liberal arts program. Specifically, the criminal justice major consists of three components: non-criminal justice courses (corequisites), many in related liberal arts disciplines which can be taken during the first two years of college; criminal justice proficiency courses; and criminal justice electives, which can be grouped into specialty areas or not, at the student's option.

Students must earn a minimum of 36 credits of course work in criminal justice, 18 of which must be taken at SUNY Brockport. The criminal justice core consists of an introductory course in criminal justice; process courses in police, adjudication, corrections, and juvenile justice; criminology; research methods; and criminal law. Specialty areas of elective criminal justice courses may be selected focusing on police, corrections, security administration, international criminal justice, and legal studies.

To prepare for the major, freshman and sophomore students are urged to take Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Psychology, American Political Systems, an introductory course in computers, and courses which will enhance their writing skills. The more advanced corequisite courses will be taken during the junior and senior years. Note: An introductory course in statistics is a prerequisite to the required criminal justice course, CRJ 471 Research Methods. Many criminal justice majors transfer with associate degrees from the fine community colleges in New York State.

Admission to the Major

Students seeking acceptance into the criminal justice major must meet the following criteria:

1. Completion of an associate degree, or 54 credits towards a baccalaureate degree at another school, or 24 credits at SUNY Brockport; and
2. A cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better.

Application by SUNY Brockport students for the major will ordinarily be made during the fall semester of the sophomore year.

At least four courses must be completed from a wide variety of electives. These may include courses selected with the advice and approval of the student's advisor in specialty areas of police, corrections, security administration, international criminal justice, or legal studies. The department encourages students to enroll in one of its three international programs in fulfillment of these criteria.

Criminal Justice Minor

An academic minor in criminal justice requires students to complete at least 18 credits in the field as specified:

The remaining nine credits are selected from the department's course offerings with the advice and approval of the student's advisor.

Criminal Justice Courses

CRJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (A). Covers the nature, scope and impact of crime in the U.S.; independent and inter dependent operations and procedures of police, courts and corrections; and introductory theories of crime and delinquency. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 203 The Police Process (A). Covers the roles of law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels; interrelationships with other criminal justice agencies; and selected law enforcement problems. 3 Cr. Fall.

CRJ 207 The Corrections Process (A). Covers the history and evolution of corrections; the social organization of prisons; differences between adult and juvenile correction; and probation and parole practices and alternatives to incarceration. 3 Cr. Spring.

CRJ 304 Investigations (B). A comprehensive examination of investigations relative to both public and private modes, including most major felony processes and relevant civil actions. Focus is on the fundamentals of the investigative process and the range of skills necessary for successful performance and management of investigations, including evidence gathering and analysis, witness assessment, field techniques and linkage between investigative and prosecutorial agencies. 3 Cr.

CRJ 305 The Adjudication Process (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 101. Examines the organization and functions of the courts; pre- and post-trial motions and procedures; and the role of prosecutorial and defensive agencies. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 311 Criminal Law (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 305 or PLS 320 or instructor's permission. Covers the historical development of criminal law in the U.S.; the parties to crime including principals/accessories; and the elements of crimes against persons and property, and moral offenses, and defenses to such crimes. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 313 Constitutional Criminal Procedure (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 305 or PLS 320 instructor's permission. Covers the application of the B ill of Rights; rules governing evidence; and the legal concepts governing arrest, search and seizure, and interrogations and confessions. 3 Cr.

CRJ 315 Constitutional Law of the Detained (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 305 or PLS 320 or instructor's permission. Covers correctional case law, civil rights, and concepts related to the detained; and compares today's correctional practices with legal guidelines. 3 Cr.

CRJ 321 Crime Patterns (A). Prerequisite: Six credits of criminal justice courses or instructor's permission. Covers the extent and nature of crimes against property and person, methods of crime commission, and prevention and repression of crime. 3 Cr.

CRJ 323 White Collar Crime (A). An historical and contemporary look at white collar/occupational crime in the United States. Subjects for analysis include the concept of occupational crime, counting and recording occupational crimes and criminals, explanations of occupational criminality, organizational occupational crime, state authority occupational crime, professional occupational crime, individual occupational crime, and sanctioning, social control, and occupational crime. 3 Cr.

CRJ 331 Community-Based Corrections (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 207 or instructor's permission. Explores the evolution of community-based corrections, the interrelationship between community based correction programs and other criminal justice agencies, and the role and involvement of the public in community-based corrections. 3 Cr.

CRJ 333 Treatment Modalities (B). Prerequisite: CRJ 101, SOC 100 or 220. Provides an analysis and application of major contemporary treatment models as they apply to the criminal justice system; and explores experiential as well as theoretical considerations. 3 Cr.

CRJ 343 Juvenile Justice Process (A). Prerequisites: Six credits of criminal justice courses or instructor's permission. Covers the historical development of juvenile justice in the U.S., jurisdiction issues, the adjudication process, role of the police and community agencies, and abuses in the system. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 371 Introduction to Forensic Science (A). Provides a study of the work of the crime lab and the medical examiner. Examines methods of analysis of items commonly found at crime scenes such as: fingerprints, blood, illegal drugs, hairs, fibers, arson residues, bullets, etc. Covers procedures for processing the crime scene and safeguarding the evidence. 3 Cr. Fall.

CRJ 399 Forensic Law (B). An interdisciplinary course covering law, criminal justice, science and technological issues in the evidentiary arena. Coverage in the course provides a broad-based assessment of expert witnesses, microanalysis, pathological evidence, admissibility and investigatory practice, ballistics, fingerprints, vascar/radar, and photographic techniques as it relates to litigation theory, tactics and evidentiary proof. 3 Cr.

CRJ 410 Criminal Justice Dilemmas (B). Course reviews difficult and persistent problems in the American criminal justice system including constitutional dilemmas of police, the use of excessive force, the relationship between race, poverty and crime, the death penalty and other punishment, and the role of the state as it relates to individual freedoms. Exploration of techniques used to recognize genuine controversies, decisions about which arguments can or cannot be settled, and knowledge about which questions to ask and how to evaluate the answers in order to settle justice dilemmas and disputes successfully, are the chief purposes of the course. Lectures, discussions, small group assignments and media presentations will be utilized to achieve these goals. 3 Cr.

CRJ 431 Crime Prevention (A). Prerequisite: Six credits of criminal justice courses or instructor's permission. Explores crime problems and the role of the criminal justice system in crime preventionits funding, planning and evaluation. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 434 Security Administration (B). Provides a comprehensive examination of the nature and problems of private and public security administration. Focuses on the issues of administration and the solutions, especially security technology necessary for successful management. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 436 Information/Computer Security (B). Examines the nature, problems, and programs to protect organizational information, especially electronically processed data and computer equipment. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 438 Security Law (B). Provides a comprehensive understanding of fundamental issues in the "legal-intensive" field of security administration. 3 Cr.

CRJ 451 International Criminal Justice (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 101; Corequisite: SOC 100. Compares and contrasts the criminal justice system of the United States with the systems of other countries. 3 Cr.

CRJ 455 Legal Traditions (B). A complete examination of the law, its origins, roots and underpinnings, in a jurisprudential context. Special attention is given to the nature of freedom, the concept of liberty, free will, the regularity and moral efficiency of punishment and the overall moral framework upon which the Western legal system bases itself from the early Greeks and Romans to Contemporary Neo-Classicists. Coverage includes a focused examination of Cicero, Plato, Aquinas, and contemporary jurists. 3 Cr.

CRJ 465 Terrorism (A). Examines current terrorism, its origins and ideological bases, with particular attention to its relation to political institutions and the criminal justice response. 3 Cr.

CRJ 467 Murder and Its Control (B). Given that murder has plagued humanity as far back as history can trace, this course analyzes the forms, causes, and context of homicide in the United States. Addition ally, the course looks at criminal and non-criminal types of homicide in other cultures. The course provides some answers to reasons why murder rates vary from state to state and from one country to another. Central to the course are various behavioral adaptations to avoid becoming a victim of homicide, the social and economic consequences of homicide, societal mechanisms of preventing murder, and assessment of the risk of committing a criminal homicide in the United States and selected countries. 3 Cr.

CRJ 471 Research Methods (A). Prerequisites: Junior or senior status and successful completion of any one of the following courses: SOC 200, PSH 202, POL 300, MTH 243 or ECN 204. Familiarizes criminal justice majors with the development of data-gathering techniques, including scaling, questionnaire construction, sampling procedures, interviewing, secondary data analysis, and techniques of data processing using micro- and minicomputers. Also examines linear casual models as a tool in theory and research, research designs, central tendency, variation, bivariate and multivariate regression models, and statistics for nominal and ordinal measures. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 475 Legal and Justice Research (B). Explores the specialized methods and sources of legal and justice research in: justice publications and governmental resources, case law collections, computer-assisted research in legal practice, constitutional and legislative history, legal periodicals, administrative practice and procedure materials and social science materials related to law. Application of legal research strategies will be required. 3 Cr.

CRJ 477 Family Violence (A). Prerequisites: Introduction to Sociology and Introduction to Psychology. Focuses on the dynamics of family violence and the legal and social system response to the phenomena. Explores and analyzes in-depth the scope and theoretical explanations of the issues of the various forms of family violence, e.g. spousal abuse, marital rape, elderly abuse. 3 Cr.

CRJ 479 Victimology (A). Cross-listed as WMS 479. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status. Develops an understanding of crime victimization, both direct and indirect. Focuses on street crime, social and political oppression, victimization of women, and victims of corporate deviance. Emphasizes theory and policy analysis. 3 Cr.

CRJ 481 Women and Criminal Justice (A). Cross-listed as WMS 481. Prerequisite: Junior or senior status. Examines women's relationship with crime and the criminal justice system. Specifically provides a study of women and crime, victimization and occupational obstacles and opportunities. Develops students' understanding of how social, political and economic conditions affect these problems. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 483 Fair Trial/Free Press Conflicts (A). Prerequisite: Junior status or instructor's permission. Examines instances in which these two highly valued and protected rights in our society have come into conflict, and evaluates legal cases in which rules designed to resolve these conflicts have been offered. 3 Cr.

CRJ 485 Issues in Juvenile Justice (A). Prerequisites: CRJ 343 or instructor's permission. Provides an in-depth analysis of 10-12 selected topics germane to the juvenile justice system. Includes topics such as child abuse and domestic violence, alternatives for the status offender, ethical issues, children's rights, right to treatment and right to refuse treatment, the politics of juvenile justice, and the court as a socio-legal institution. 3 Cr.

CRJ 489 Problems in Policing (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 203. Discusses specific problems of law enforcement and policing in contemporary American society. Emphasizes the development, nature and function of law enforcement as it relates to criminal justice. Covers topical issues and problems such as ethics, corruption, deadly force and civil liabilities. 3 Cr.

CRJ 490 Internship in Criminal Justice (B). Prerequisite: Internship coordinator's permission. Enables students to learn the basic operations of a criminal justice agency and participate in agency activity. Involves group discussion, weekly log, and final report. 3-6 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 491 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice (B). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Enables students to develop an understanding of one topic concerning criminal justice, and learn to conduct research and analyze research findings on a given topic. May be repeated with chair's permission. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 493 Seminar in Criminal Justice (A). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. Allows students to gain an understanding of a criminal justice issue. Utilizes research skills to prepare and present research projects, and defend findings to an audience of critical judges. May be repeated with chair's permission. 3 Cr.

CRJ 494 Criminology (A). Prerequisite: CRJ 101; corequisite SOC 100. Provides a review and critical analysis of the major criminological theories beginning with the classical school; biological school; and psychological, sociological, and psychoanalytic orientations, including economic determinism. Considers various forms of criminality, as well as studies dealing with the frequency of crime in different places at different times. 3 Cr. Every Semester.

CRJ 495 Law and Evidence (B). A comprehensive review of evidentiary principles, both common and statutory law and their impact on both civil and criminal process and how these principles impact the conduct of trial and litigation. Topical coverage includes real and physical evidence, demonstrative substitution, hearsay and first-hand evidence, witness scope and qualification, as well as privilege principles. Both federal and state rules will be interpreted. 3 Cr.

OAP 408 Criminal Justice in England (A). Prerequisites: Junior or senior status and chair's permission. Occurs at Brunel University, Uxbridge, England. Studies these major areas: the history and sociology of British culture, the English criminal justice system, British criminal law. Includes a program of field visitations to British criminal justice agencies. Taught by full-time SUNY Brockport faculty and the faculty of Brunel University. 15 Cr. Every Semester.

OAP 413 British Internships in Criminal Justice (A). Prerequisites: Junior status, minimum GPA of 2.5 and department coordinator's permission. Occurs in a British criminal justice agency such as: British Parliament, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police, or Leicester Probation Department during either semester or summer. 15 Cr. Every Semester; 12 Cr. Summers.

OAP 414 Criminal Justice in Ireland (B). Study at the Waterford Institute of Technology within the division of law and legal studies. Areas of inquiry include Irish criminal law, Irish penology and the jurisprudence of Ireland. Students will tour various justice facilities common to the Irish justice system. Waterford is an extraordinary seaport and ocean community that is located on Ireland's east coast with easy access to England and the rest of Europe. 3 Cr. Summer, Spring.

OAP 415 Language and Cultural Immersion Program for Criminal Justice (A). Provides intensive conversational Spanish in small groups, a course in international terrorism or other electives, lectures, and cultural excursions in Cuernavaca, Mexico. 6 Cr. Summers.

OAP 417 Criminal Justice in Hungary (B). A semester-based experience in the southern plain of Hungary at the University of Szegeda comprehensive institution that prepares undergraduates in legal studies and the professional bar. Students will have the opportunity to enroll in numerous classes, including law, philosophy and literature as well as the study of the Hungarian language. Located in the medieval city of Szeged, and centrally located in Europe, students will have access to numerous cultural experiences in Croatia, Austria, Germany, Romania, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine. 3 Cr.

CRJ 499 Independent Study in Criminal Justice (A or B). Prerequisite: Instructor's permission. To be defined in consultation with the instructor-sponsor and in accordance with the procedures of the Office of Academic Advisement prior to registration. May be repeated with chair's permission. 1-6 Cr. Every Semester.