Showing papers in "Journal of Criminal Justice Education in 2016"
TL;DR: In this article, a portfolio of strategies and tactics that seek to design-out, deter, and discourage academic misconduct was collated and framed in the context of crime opportunity theory and the 25 techniques of situational crime prevention.
Abstract: Approximately one-half to three-quarters of university students commit some form of cheating, plagiarism, or collusion. Typical university responses are policy statements containing definitions plus punishment procedures. This paper collates a portfolio of strategies and tactics that seek to design-out, deter, and discourage academic misconduct. It finds many routine tactics exist, from silence and the use of large halls for major exams, to restrictions on electronic devices. Others are less consistently adopted, such as splitting lengthy exams in two to discourage washroom-visits where cheating takes place. The portfolio of tactics is framed in the context of crime opportunity theory and the 25 techniques of situational crime prevention. It is proposed that more consistent application of tactics focusing on environmental design, curricular design, and class management offer significant potential for reducing misconduct. Future research should seek to evaluate and enhance such interventions.
35 citations
TL;DR: This article found that good teachers have engaging personality, knowledge, and pedagogical skills that are demonstrated with passion and enthusiasm, and concluded with reflections and questions that can provide a framework to critique how to be a good teacher.
Abstract: What makes a good teacher? What are the characteristics and qualities that distinguish a good teacher? How does a good teacher teach? Can teachers learn to be more effective? These questions reflect efforts to define teaching excellence and to identify strategies that improve teaching. Researchers have developed lists, models, and taxonomies that identify both personal traits and pedagogical skills that contribute to effective teaching and distinguish good teachers. Findings support that good teachers have engaging personality, knowledge, and pedagogical skills that are demonstrated with passion and enthusiasm. This article reviews perspectives on good teaching, presents observations on what is a good teacher, and concludes with reflections and questions that can provide a framework to critique how to be a good teacher.
29 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the importance of paying attention to the organizational structure of the manuscript, properly selecting journals with which to submit, and properly formatting and revising manuscripts.
Abstract: The methodological orientation of criminology and criminal justice journals is overwhelmingly quantitative. In fact, only between 5 and 10% of articles published in CCJ journals rely on qualitative methods. Fortunately, this trend seems to be changing within the discipline, which will encourage more scholars to seek to publish qualitative research. Our aim is to offer practical suggestions on how to best structure, write, and format manuscripts based on qualitative methods to increase the likelihood of success. We discuss the importance of paying attention to the organizational structure of the manuscript, properly selecting journals with which to submit, and properly formatting and revising manuscripts.
24 citations
TL;DR: The authors conducted a content analysis of articles that appeared in seven criminology and criminal justice journals over a two-year period (2013-2014) and found that articles are predominantly employing quantitative methodologies and data where there is no participant contact.
Abstract: A recurring concern within criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) is how to best investigate criminological theory and criminal justice policy. To assess the current state of research, we conducted a content analysis of articles that appeared in seven CCJ journals over a two-year period (2013–2014). We then examined types and frequencies of data sources, analytic techniques, methodological approaches, and subject matters. Findings demonstrate that articles are predominantly employing quantitative methodologies and data where there is no participant contact. From these findings, we discuss the current state of research and how this could be used to guide graduate education, by recommending a variety of subject matters that graduate schools should emphasize in training new academics.
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors take the position that American society and its police would benefit from a robust system of university-based police education, which is not a new idea but rather an old one never realized, though we were on a path toward developing just such an enterprise 50 years ago, along came criminal justice, the monster that ate police education.
Abstract: This essay takes the position that American society and its police would benefit from a robust system of university-based police education. This is not a new idea but rather an old one never realized. Unfortunately, though we were on a path toward developing just such an enterprise 50 years ago, along came criminal justice, the monster that ate police education.
18 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors rank the most influential journals by the number of times those journals were cited between 2009 and 2013 in Criminology, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, and Justice Quarterly.
Abstract: Recently, scholars have sought to learn more about scholarly activity within the fields of criminology and criminal justice (CCJ). Research in this area has examined which departments have the most productive faculty, which scholars are the most productive, and which journals are the most prestigious. However, no study of which we are aware has determined what journals criminologists are most likely to cite in their scholarly research. In this study, we rank the most influential journals by the number of times those journals were cited between 2009 and 2013 in Criminology, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, and Justice Quarterly. Our analyses suggest that Criminology is clearly the most influential CCJ journal in terms of citations, while the American Sociological Review, the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, and the American Journal of Sociology remain influential in CCJ as well.
16 citations
TL;DR: This article conducted face-to-face surveys in 71 hot spots in St. Louis County, MO to identify issues when surveying in high crime contexts, and describe their challenges and outcomes.
Abstract: Recent media coverage in Baltimore, MD and Ferguson, MO on tensions between the police and public highlight the importance of understanding how criminal justice practices affect public opinions. High crime neighborhoods are central to this research. However, residents of these contexts are typically minority and low-income residents, who have a reduced propensity to participate in surveys. Additionally, high crime areas pose a challenge for interviewer safety and retention. Past research on in-person surveys in high crime contexts is limited and spans multiple social science fields, making identification of best practices more challenging for criminologists. We review best practices and theories, identify issues when surveying in high crime contexts, and describe our challenges and outcomes conducting face-to-face surveys in 71 hot spots in St. Louis County, MO. We highlight our use of student interviewers to increase the response rate and reduce costs, while adding value to students’ educational experien...
15 citations
TL;DR: Berkeley Police Chief August Vollmer, in coordination with the University of California, created a baccalaureate degree granting program for his police officers in the summer of 1916 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Berkeley Police Chief August Vollmer, in coordination with the University of California, created a baccalaureate degree granting program for his police officers in the summer of 1916. The program was titled Criminology and consisted of courses on police practices, criminal law, and many of the natural science classes including biology, chemistry, and toxicology. This program continued through the summer of 1932, when a university-wide program was developed and overseen by then Professor August Vollmer. The summer program, begun in 1916, developed into both the modern criminology and criminal justice programs of today. The purpose of this paper is to recognize the development of criminal justice education which marks its 100th anniversary in the summer of 2016.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a cross-sectional analysis of surveys completed by 204 criminal justice majors revealed a negative correlation between class standing and student interest in a law enforcement career (i.e., freshman and sophomores showed greater interest in law enforcement than juniors and seniors).
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether career aspirations, influences, and motives differ by class standing (freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior). A cross-sectional analysis of surveys completed by 204 criminal justice majors revealed a negative correlation between class standing and student interest in a law enforcement career (i.e. freshman and sophomores showed greater interest in a law enforcement career than juniors and seniors). Further analysis indicated that television and movies had a greater impact on the career aspirations of underclassmen, whereas teachers and professors had a greater impact on the career aspirations of upperclassmen. Motivational factors did not differ by class standing, however: students, regardless of class standing, reported that helping others and the interesting nature of the subject matter were their two strongest motives for seeking a criminal justice career and wearing a uniform and power were the two weakest motives for seeking a criminal justice career.
12 citations
TL;DR: The professionalization of corrections through higher education, however, has not been without serious challenges as discussed by the authors, as reformers have been molded to fit the social, economic, and political needs of both universities and corrections organizations to meet the contemporary demands of evidence-based corrections.
Abstract: Education has long been viewed as a means to professionalize corrections work. Contemporary emphasis on using science to inform evidence-based corrections highlights the need for a professional, highly educated, and experienced workforce. Over time, colleges and universities have served at the nexus of science and practice with higher education helping span the boundaries between research and the implementation of evidence-based practice in corrections. The professionalization of corrections through higher education, however, has not been without serious challenges. Throughout history, the ideals of reformers to professionalize corrections through higher education have been molded to fit the social, economic, and political needs of both universities and corrections organizations, thus diminishing the full potential of education and practice to meet the contemporary demands of evidence-based corrections.
11 citations
TL;DR: This article examined the pictures in 22 introductory criminal justice textbooks over a 17-year period to determine the percentages of men, women, minorities, and other groups that comprise these pictures, and found that white males dominate the images of criminal justice personnel in these textbooks, and that minorities are more likely to be portrayed as criminals than as criminal justice employees.
Abstract: Over the past 30 years, there has been much attention placed on the content within introductory textbooks in fields, such as education, sociology, economics, psychology, and criminal justice. Within the field of criminal justice, a surplus of information has been gathered through analysis of the text found within introductory textbooks. There has been much less emphasis, however, on the potential for stereotypical images found within the pictures of criminal justice textbooks. This study builds on the diminutive literature on the images in criminal justice textbooks. We examined the pictures in 22 introductory criminal justice textbooks over a 17-year period to determine the percentages of men, women, minorities, and other groups that comprise these pictures. We find that white males dominate the images of criminal justice personnel in these textbooks, and that minorities are more likely to be portrayed as criminals than as criminal justice employees.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the effect of a prison tour on students' understanding of prison and attitudes about punishment, and found that students' perceptions regarding punitiveness, prisons, prisoners, and rehabilitation changed after a field trip to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.
Abstract: The pedagogical approaches of a criminal justice education affect the attitudes and perceptions of those most likely to develop and administer criminal justice policies in the future. This study examines the effect of a prison tour on students’ understanding of prison and attitudes about punishment. Undergraduate criminal justice students were given a survey to assess their attitudes about prisons, prisoners, and alternative sanctions before and after a field trip to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility. Post-survey responses showed changes in students’ perceptions regarding punitiveness, prisons, prisoners, and rehabilitation. We discuss this finding within the framework of the contact hypothesis, and we recommend including this type of first-hand exposure as part of a criminal justice curriculum.
TL;DR: In this article, a curriculum kit on understanding crime victims was implemented in two of three sections of a criminological theory course, with the third section acting as a control group having a unit on "offenders" instead of "victims".
Abstract: Victimization and the costs of crime sometimes can be an afterthought in courses on crime and criminal justice, which often are focused on offenders However, shifting attention to victims of crime potentially motivates students to better understand the causes and consequences of criminal victimization, thereby improving the learning of course concepts and producing better-prepared criminal justice practitioners A new curriculum kit on understanding crime victims was implemented in two of three sections of a criminological theory course, with the third section acting as a control group having a unit on “offenders” instead of “victims” In short, the kit did improve student knowledge of crime victimization, but so did a lecture on offenders Interestingly, students exposed to the kit coupled with a service learning component continued to improve knowledge of crime victimization throughout the course, while the control group did not Implications are discussed
TL;DR: The authors surveyed 118 criminal justice interns, asking them to assess the importance of various practical skills, professional skills, academic content knowledge, and knowledge of various current issues, and compared the results with those of 202 criminal justice practitioners.
Abstract: We surveyed 118 criminal justice interns, asking them to assess the importance of various practical skills, professional skills, academic content knowledge, and knowledge of various current issues. We compared the results with those of 202 criminal justice practitioners. Student interns viewed almost every skill and knowledge area as important. Practitioners placed the greatest value on verbal communication skills, good work ethic, good work habits, and initiative. Regarding content knowledge, practitioners assigned the greatest importance to applied ethics. Racial issues as they apply to criminal justice and gender issues were viewed as most important in the current issues category. We examined the differences according to race, gender, and type of agency. We found significant differences between interns and practitioners in terms of the skills and knowledge deemed important, and significant differences between agency types. Significant differences existed based on racial and ethnic identity; differences...
TL;DR: In this article, an effective way to teach critical thinking would be through a criminal justice ethics class that prioritizes learning in the affective domain to prevent persistence of a polarizing perspective.
Abstract: This paper proposes that an effective way to teach critical thinking would be through a criminal justice ethics class that prioritizes learning in the affective domain to prevent persistence of a polarizing perspective. The premise is twofold: first, that us versus them dichotomies hinder higher order thinking and moral decision-making; and, secondly, that it is much more difficult to overcome dichotomous thinking exclusively through cognitive domain teaching because the tendency is for students to sift through new information and focus only on facts which support preexisting positions and, also, because students may anticipate an intellectual attack on their opinions and become defensive or resistant. For those reasons, the suggestion is to use carefully selected, empathy-evoking films as a stealthier, softer introduction to controversial issues.
TL;DR: In this paper, a collaborative project between criminal justice and English faculty members to institute a writing pedagogy intervention to examine if criminal justice students' writing would improve over the course of a semester.
Abstract: Criminal justice faculty members often express disappointment that their students are not meeting the writing expectations of the discipline. This study was a collaborative project between criminal justice and English faculty members to institute a writing pedagogy intervention to examine if criminal justice students’ writing would improve over the course of a semester. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine student attitudes toward writing, documentation style, grammatical correctness, academic diction, and paraphrasing/plagiarism. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in student writing when writing assignments were scaffolded and frequent feedback was provided. Additionally, this study used independent raters to compare student performance on papers from a previous semester, when minimal writing instruction was provided, to the papers from the current study. The results suggest the intervention may improve criminal justice student writing.
TL;DR: The authors found that reflective journals facilitate progression through the levels of critical thinking as identified in Bloom's taxonomy and promote a higher level of understanding and application of theoretical concepts to practical experiential learning.
Abstract: Reflective journals have been widely accepted throughout various educational disciplines for many years as a means of enhancing experiential learning practices. Reflective journals allow for students to gain a better understanding of a given experience and explore the levels of critical thinking as they work through the understanding and learning processes. Critical thinking involves the logical progression from mere knowledge and understanding to the highest levels of synthesis and evaluation. The immediate study presents findings of the analyses of a series of sequential reflective journals presented over the course of a semester-long internship experience. Findings indicate that reflective journals are shown to facilitate progression through the levels of critical thinking as identified in Bloom’s taxonomy and promote a higher level of understanding and application of theoretical concepts to practical experiential learning.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the logistics, best practices, benefits, and pitfalls of developing a high impact practice and explore the benefits and drawbacks of using a HIP in criminal justice students.
Abstract: High Impact Practices (HIPs) have been shown to increase critical thinking skills, student engagement, persistence, and GPA. Examples of HIPs include research experiences, collaborative projects, study abroad, and internships. One of the main characteristics of a HIP is the effort they require. This effort not only applies to the experience, but the development of the experience itself. In the fall of 2014, a HIP was utilized to provide criminal justice students an opportunity to engage in research and data collection. This paper will explore the logistics, best practices, benefits, and pitfalls of developing a high impact practice.
TL;DR: In this paper, the process of one faculty research team integrating four undergraduate students into an ongoing research project, for which students received course credit, was documented, and the benefits of this collaboration to both student and faculty participants, but there were also many opportunities to better streamline the project and to potentially create an institutional template for replication of this experience so that other faculty members can learn from this experience and more easily successfully integrate students into their own research.
Abstract: High-impact educational practices are increasingly being recognized as powerful teaching strategies that can positively impact both student and faculty experiences in the classroom. Student persistence in college is correlated to campus integration, and one way this can be successfully facilitated is through student–faculty research partnerships. This paper documents the process of one faculty research team integrating four undergraduate students into an ongoing research project, for which students received course credit. There were many benefits of this collaboration to both student and faculty participants, but there were also many opportunities to better streamline the project and to potentially create an institutional template for replication of this process so that other faculty members can learn from this experience and more easily successfully integrate students into their own research.
TL;DR: The authors provides a framework for graduate students and junior faculty to use to help develop a strategic service agenda early in their career that will help advance their professional goals, which can help enhance professional development, facilitate professional connections, and strengthen one's scholarship and teaching.
Abstract: Although graduate students and new faculty members are told that service is an important and necessary part of academe, many are warned not to take on too many service commitments because doing so will interfere with their scholarship and teaching. Consequently, many graduate students and junior faculty members come to perceive service as both less meaningful and less important to their careers. Unfortunately, this attitude is detrimental because many service activities can help enhance professional development, facilitate professional connections, and strengthen one’s scholarship and teaching. This essay provides a framework for graduate students and junior faculty to use to help develop a strategic service agenda early in their career that will help advance their professional goals.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an assessment, advice, and a perspective on the early stages of an academic career for pre-tenure faculty members, and they offer an assessment and advice on the best path to academic success in their new institution.
Abstract: Pre-tenure faculty members often find it stressful and difficult to determine the best path to academic success in their new institution. This article offers an assessment, advice, and a perspective on the early stages of an academic career. Although there are variations in the types of institutions, programs, and departments, there are also similarities. Academic administrators and colleagues may be somewhat vague in their description of the expectations that they have for new hires. Nonetheless, engaging in research and publishing, good teaching, and relevant service are important. While sensitivity to the environment can help junior faculty develop an appropriate strategy, a commitment to research is essential.
TL;DR: In this article, the importance of academic conferences in one's career is discussed, and the structure and extant research on conferences and the professional organizations from which they stem, as well as some general recommendations for successful conferencing throughout the academic lifetime.
Abstract: While for most in academia conferences only occupy a fraction of the year, they encapsulate the essence of an academic life. Indeed, even though many would think of conferences as being solely in the realm of scholarship, they also involve the other two aspects of our jobs: teaching and service. In this article, we endeavor to tell with our two voices a tale of the importance of academic conferences in one’s career. Including some first-person perspectives, we outline the structure and extant research on our conferences and the professional organizations from which they stem, propose some tips on giving good presentations and performing service, as well as underscore the importance of developing and maintaining strong ties with our peers and colleagues, while taking advantage of the traveling conferences allows us to get under our belts. We conclude with some general recommendations for successful conferencing throughout the academic lifetime.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide practical advice to current and recent graduate students who are preparing to enter the job market in search of an academic job and the hope is that adequate preparation and understanding of the process will lead to greater individual happiness, career longevity, and ensure a better institutional fit.
Abstract: Out of the more than 40 doctoral programs in criminal justice and criminology, an estimated 120—150 people graduate from these programs every year. About 85% of Ph.D. graduates remain in academics as educators and/or researchers. This paper provides practical advice to current and recent graduate students who are preparing to enter the job market in search of an academic job. The hope is that adequate preparation and understanding of the process will lead to greater individual happiness, career longevity, and ensure a better institutional fit. Topics covered in this paper include types of faculty positions, different types of institutions, application materials, job search process, preparing for the interview, and offers and negotiations.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the learning experiences of students on a Deaths in Prison Custody capstone service learning course, and describe how the deliberately unstructured design of the course, together with its emphasis on pubic value, encouraged autonomous and self-directed learning, prompting the students to take greater ownership of their learning.
Abstract: Capstone service learning courses are designed to overcome the negative effects of fractioned knowledge by enabling students to consolidate and apply what they have learned over a program of study. They also promote a scholarship of engagement. This article documents the learning experiences of students on a Deaths in Prison Custody capstone service learning course. Though such a criminal justice course requires significant staff input and involves some loss of educational control, it has many benefits including enhanced learning, meaningful service, public value, and civic engagement. The focus on this article is on student learning experiences. It outlines how the pragmatic focus of such a course made knowledge and student learning relevant and actionable. It also describes how the deliberately unstructured design of the course, together with its emphasis on pubic value, encouraged autonomous and self-directed learning, prompting the students to take greater ownership of their learning.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the political perspectives of students attending law schools across the US and find significant differences in social and political ideologies by race and ethnicity, political ideology, and career choice.
Abstract: In US, the political leadership draws disproportionately from lawyers, thus it is important to understand the political perspectives of students attending law schools across the nation. This study examines these variations in and across race and ethnicity. We ask, “How are student aspirations for careers in public interest law and government and political positions related to race, ethnicity, and social and political ideology?” Data for the study were collected in 2004 from 6,100 law students attending 64 US law schools. Results reveal significant differences in social and political ideologies by race and ethnicity and further demonstrate the correlation between race and ethnicity, political ideology, and career choice. We argue for greater representation of racial/ethnic minorities and individuals with a broad range of social-political ideologies in the nation’s public interest sector and political leadership class, and further, more studies examining the career path of lawyers and law students.
TL;DR: This article explored recent trends in the hiring of criminology and criminal justice professionals, paying particular attention to exactly which positions are being sought after by colleges and universities and how the presence of online technology has changed hiring trends within our field.
Abstract: Individuals seeking academic employment opportunities often do so by exploring hiring announcements that are advertised online through Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Because limited educational resources and budget constraints can impact hiring decisions that are made at institutions of higher learning over time, it is important for candidates to consider exactly what employers are looking for in prospective professionals and to see how they measure up to the demands brought on by academic job searches. Using quantitative content analyses of recent job postings on popular academic job search websites, this study explores recent trends in the hiring of criminology and criminal justice professionals, paying particular attention to exactly which positions are being sought after by colleges and universities and how the presence of online technology has changed hiring trends within our field.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors lay out the case for why the teaching and study of law and courts is so important to academic criminal justice, and how the discipline has failed its students and the public in the way it deals with the law and the courts.
Abstract: The law plays an important role in society generally and the criminal justice system in particular. Without the law there would be nothing for the police to enforce and no need for courts to adjudicate offenders and impose criminal sanctions. But while the significance of the law and, by implication the courts wherein the law is enforced, is great, the academic discipline of criminal justice has not given law and courts the attention they deserve, either in the classroom or research. In this essay I lay out the case for why the teaching and study of law and courts is so important to academic criminal justice, and how the discipline has failed its students and the public in the way it deals with the law and courts.
TL;DR: In this article, a discussion on the decisions to be made, the criteria for being promoted to full professor, and some about the process is provided. And the intent is advice to younger professors and graduate students that can help guide career planning for progress to becoming a full professor.
Abstract: Moving from associate professor to full professor is generally the culmination of effort that began with the decision to go to graduate school. Navigating advancement from associate to full professor requires making some decisions and establishing a plan. This essay provides a discussion on the decisions to be made, the criteria for being promoted to full professor, and some about the process. It finishes with thoughts about what to do after being promoted. The intent is advice to younger professors and graduate students that can help guide career planning for progress to becoming a full professor.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on answering practical "how to" questions on scholarly publishing for aspiring and newly hired faculty members in criminal justice and criminology in this article.
Abstract: I focus on answering practical “how to” questions on scholarly publishing for aspiring and newly hired faculty members in criminal justice and criminology in this article. I begin by establishing the importance of developing a research agenda and publications that flow from it in a faculty member’s distribution of effort. After describing several possible forms that publications take, I discuss the process of taking an idea for a paper from conception to potential acceptance, emphasizing the need for understanding and targeting appropriate outlets for it. I suggest that developing a research agenda may be accomplished by focusing intensively on a particular topic or by studying a variety of intellectual issues in the field. The importance of reflecting on and contributing to debates within the profession is also mentioned.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a new approach to undergraduate science training that offers an alternate model to the national objective of scaling up scientific research interests and capabilities among undergraduate students by linking multiple classes in the social and behavioral sciences to build collective cross-disciplinary research projects that give every enrolled student an opportunity to receive high-quality research training and create cumulative data sets over years that are cumulative, collaborative, and of pr...
Abstract: This study describes a new approach to undergraduate science training that offers an alternate model to the national objective of scaling up scientific research interests and capabilities among undergraduate students. With this new focus, we seek to more effectively bring scientific research methods and experiences to larger numbers of students in non-elite educational circumstances. Our model has been designed and implemented, at the John Jay College and the Borough of Manhattan Community College, both of which are part of the City University of New York (CUNY), where we have a majority non-White and economically disadvantaged student body. We have successfully engaged large numbers of undergraduate students by linking multiple classes in the social and behavioral sciences to build collective cross-disciplinary research projects that give every enrolled student an opportunity to receive high-quality research training and create cumulative data sets over years that are cumulative, collaborative, and of pr...