Criminal Justice - Research Questions

CJ-112: Intro to Criminal Justice

Topic: The importance of cultural awareness in all communication from law enforcement, courts, and/or corrections

Questions: (1) What type of additional training do correctional officers receive to effectively interact with the minorities in their prisons?, (2) What type of programs exist to successfully bridge the gap between different cultures and law enforcement when travelers get arrested? Is there additional training provided to explain the situation?, (3) How do all three parts of the criminal justice system use social media platforms to learn more about respecting other cultures? 

CJ-120: Cultural Awareness in Criminal Justice

Topic: Re-entering Society After Corrections

Question: What effective ways can the corrections system support an inmate in preparation for and during their re-entry into society? 

CJ-140: Communication Skills for Criminal Justice

Topic: Crisis Communication Techniques

Questions: (1) What is the best method to deescalate an aggressive individual and why?, (2) With a distressed individual in an interview, what is the best method to deescalate the situation and why?

CJ-207: The U.S. Judicial System

Topic: The role of juries in the criminal court process

Questions: (1) How can the courts select jurors in a more effective manner? (2) How can they avoid juror bias in a more effective manner?

CJ-210: The U.S. Correctional System

Topic: Aspects of Prison Culture, the "Inmate Code"

Question: How does the inmate code affect prison gangs? 

Topic: The "Invisible Punishments" Involved in Being a Felon

Question: What are the invisible punishments for a felon in Wisconsin? 

Topic: Programs that stress rehabilitation & How to decrease recidivism rates

Question: What programs for rehabilitation help to reduce recidivism and why? 

CJ-230: Discretion in Criminal Justice

Topic: Discretionary decisions in the different branches of criminal justice

Question: How is bias determined in discretionary decisions in the court system? Are judges allowed to use internal factors to make discretionary decisions? 

Topic: Agency's culture

Question: Who is held liable for police officer culture and why? 

CJ-305: Technology in Criminal Justice

Question: How can we mitigate cybercrime through new technological policies and interventions? 

Question: How do technological tools impact the criminal justice system and what policies can be used to ensure these tools are used appropriately? 

CJ-315: Victimology

Question: How can the media use empathy to build a greater trust in the criminal justice system? 

CJ-340: Criminology

Question: What types of biological factors influence criminal behavior? How? 

CJ-340: Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice

Question: How does media bias influence how society treats police? Does this increase the mortality rate?