Teaching
I teach a variety of courses in both the undergraduate Criminal Justice program and the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) program. My undergraduate courses include CRIM 234 Introduction to Corrections, CRIM 335 Juvenile Delinquency, CRIM 351 Research Methods, CRIM 352 Statistics, CRIM 370 Prisons, CRIM 370 Incarceration Effects, CRIM 371 Criminological Theory, CRIM 401 Community Corrections, CRIM 405 Death Penalty. I have also taught a special course CRIM 370 National Security. In the MACJ, I teach CRIM 601 Criminal Justice Policy and Practice, CRIM 603 Research Methods, CRIM 604 Quantitative Methods, CRIM 611 Ethics in Criminal Justice, and CRIM 620 Seminar in Corrections.
Below are descriptions of the courses I regularly teach.
CRIM 234 Introduction to Corrections: This course examines the historical, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of the correction systems and organizations. Topics include but are not limited to sentencing options, treatment of prisoners, prisoner subcultures, prison, life, rehabilitative programming for prisoners, prisoner healthcare, prisoners’ rights, community-based corrections, prisoner release and reentry, and the nature of working in and managing prisons. In this course, students visit the Vanderburgh County Jail and the Posey County Jail.
CRIM 351 Research Methods: The purpose of this class is to acquaint students with the process of social research. The study of research methods is about understanding the art and the science of designing and executing research. It is about blending logic, common sense, creativity, and the scientific method to learn about contemporary issues related to crime, policy, and society. My goal when teaching this course is for students to experience research methods through small projects utilizing various methods, including designing survey questions, doing a field observation, and conducting a brief content analysis of photos on their smart phones.
CRIM 352 Statistics: Introductory course to statistical reasoning and social science statistics commonly used in criminal justice research. Students will learn how to analyze and interpret quantitative data. Includes introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics. When I teach this course, I usually have students learn calculations by hand and using the statistical package SPSS.
CRIM 370: An intensive, small-group discussion of recent, provocative books on topics of current interest to criminal justice professionals and criminologists. The seminar format will emphasize critical thinking and discussion. I teach several CRIM 370 topics, including Prisons and Incarceration Effects.
In CRIM 370 Prisons, we discuss prison culture for males and females, violence in prison, relationships between staff and inmates, and prison gangs (security threat groups). We typically read both historical and contemporary research on correctional facilities, as well as personal accounts written by inmates. Students visit various correctional facilities in Indiana and Kentucky. In previous semesters, we have visited Branchville Correctional Facility, a men's medium-security facility in Branchville, IN, Wabash Valley Correctional Facility, a men's maximum-security facility in Carlisle, IN, Rockville Correctional Facility, a women's medium-security facility in Rockville, IN, Kentucky State Penitentiary, a men's maximum-security facility in Eddyville, KY, the Ross-Cash Center, a women's minimum-security facility in Fredonia, KY, and Western Kentucky Correctional Complex, a men's medium-security facility in Fredonia, KY.
In CRIM 370 Incarceration Effects, instead of focusing on incarceration itself, our focus is on how incarceration's broader impacts. Specific topics include examining how incarceration affects children and families, how incarceration impacts communities (both communities that have a significant percentage of their population entering and leaving prisons and those that are home to correctional facilities), and how incarceration impacts offenders post-release, including the impact on employment and voting rights.
CRIM 371 Criminological Theory: This course is a survey of the historical and contemporary theoretical explanations that relate to crime, offenders, victims, and the criminal justice system. The major emphases of the course will be the evaluation, assessment, and critical analysis of criminological theory in general and the use of such theories in criminal justice policies. We examine a variety of criminological theories, including both classical and contemporary criminological theory, and the development of criminological theory over time. Focus is on the application and policy implications of theories as well as critiquing theories.
CRIM 401 Community Corrections: The processes of probation and parole in the United States in terms of its historical development, philosophy, and standards; attention is focused on the utilization of parole and probation as tools of social control with special emphasis on the implications of the philosophical impact of probation and parole on field practices. I typically teach CRIM 401 in an online format where students respond to scenarios that put themselves in the position of a community corrections officer. Students then respond to what other students wrote regarding the scenario. A great deal of emphasis is on the role of the community corrections officer and navigating the law enforcement and social worker roles inherent in supervising offenders in the community.
CRIM 405 Death Penalty: This course is an examination of the historical, political, and cultural facets of the death penalty and the legal and policy controversies surrounding the application of the death penalty in the United States. Topics discussed include a history of the death penalty in the United States, analysis of major U.S. Supreme Court cases addressing the death penalty, and an examination of the major issues surrounding the contemporary death penalty.
CRIM 601 Criminal Justice Policy and Practice: This course addresses crime and criminal justice policy, with emphasis on the examination of specific criminal justice policies, the forces that impact criminal justice policies, and the impact of criminal justice practices. The development, implementation, and analysis of public policy in the field of criminal justice are explored.
CRIM 603 Research Methods: The purpose of this class is to get students acquainted with the process of social research. The study of research methods is about understanding the art and the science of designing and executing research. It is about blending logic, common sense, creativity, and the scientific method to learn about contemporary issues related to crime, policy, and society.
CRIM 604 Quantitative Methods: Building on CRIM 603 Research Methods this course focuses upon performing data analyses using computer software programs. Widely used statistical procedures within the social sciences will be studied with an emphasis on descriptive and inferential statistical methods and theory.
CRIM 611 Ethics in Criminal Justice: During the functioning of the criminal justice system a variety of ethical issues arise. This course focuses on theories of ethics and morality and applying them within the field of criminal justice.
CRIM 620 Seminar in Corrections: This course involves the study of important issues in the field of corrections with an emphasis on tackling real world problems. This course is repeatable with different topics. My specific course is titled Prisons in America and focuses on both scholarly and inmate perspectives as well as special topics like elderly prisoners, prison gangs, and mental health among inmates.