What class?
LSCJ 3063 – Statistics in Criminal Justice
Why is it cool?
Law enforcement and the criminal justice system are hot topics these days, but they still remain very necessary institutions, despite the messy climate. Creating a non-discriminatory environment for everyone remains at the heart of the current issues making headlines. There are no easy answers, but thanks to technology, data analysis can help separate fact from fiction and increase our ability to problem-solve and make decisions for a more accountable criminal justice system.
In Statistics and Criminal Justice you’ll learn how to use the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) — a powerful software tool used for tracking all things human — a first-hand experience that many institutions do not offer in the traditional classroom. Using SPSS, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of elementary statistical concepts and their applications, making you a more effective consumer and producer of quantitative research. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to identify appropriate techniques for analyzing data and evaluate research using statistical concepts discussed in class. You’ll walk away from Statistics and Criminal Justice with a new-found way of approaching and interpreting many aspects of policing and the criminal justice system.
As a future officer and active member of the criminal justice system, Statistics and Criminal Justicewill teach you skills to use throughout your career. The scope of criminal justice data is massive and encompasses all facets of the system, including measuring both legal and illegal activities. Emphasis is placed on understanding how these activities correlate together to help provide insight into creating more positive outcomes for individuals and society as a whole.
In addition to data analysis, you will also begin identifying problems facing initial data collections, e.g. transparency, funding and focus. Theoretically, if the data is transparent and accessible, then social scientists and analysts can be more objective and effective in application. As that pertains to future officers in the criminal justice system, these societal insights have the potential for being unbiased and providing a fairer and balanced criminal justice system for everyone.
See what else is offered by the College of Professional and Continuing Studies or learn more about our criminal justice bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
