Criminal Justice Administration
Course Description
This course applies management and financial principles to criminal justice organizations. Emphasis is placed on budgets, financial accounting principles and assessing the effectiveness of the activities of criminal justice organizations. Constitutional requirements, court decisions, and legislation (such as EEOC requirements) as they impact management in criminal justice organizations are discussed. Basic accounting and financial terminology, and purposes and formats of financial statements are introduced: depreciation of assets, capital budgeting, cash management, lease versus purchase, and inventory management.
Topics and Objectives
Police Administration
- Define the scope of justice administration.
- Explore police organization and operation.
- Assess police personnel roles and functions.
- Understand police issues and practices.
Court Administration
- Understand court organization and operation.
- Define court personnel roles and functions.
- Explore court issues and practices.
Corrections Administration
- Analyze corrections organization and operation.
- Define corrections personnel roles and functions.
- Examine community corrections.
- Assess corrections issues and practices.
Budgeting in the Criminal Justice Organization
- Examine budgeting in the public sector.
- List the elements of a budget.
- Explore budget formats.
- Identify pitfalls in budgeting.
- Assess the influence of politics and fiscal realities in budgeting.
Administrative Challenges and Practices
- Evaluate the rights of criminal justice employees.
- Understand discipline, labor relations and liability in criminal justice organizations.
- Examine current uses of technology in criminal justice.