CRJ8015 Assessing Criminal Justice Theory
Learners in this course identify, define, and assess criminal justice theory. Learners apply criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of selected theories in explaining the structure and functioning of the formal components of the criminal justice system, law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Learners use theories to account for the responses of officials assigned to process persons identified as criminal. Learners examine testable hypotheses and theses statements derived from these theories in relation to their implications for research, policy formation, and practice. In addition, learners formulate their own research questions and policy proposals from the criminal justice theories that they find most compelling.