Criminal Justice
About the Program -
Criminal Justice students spend two years studying the Criminal Justice System, including organizational structures at the federal, state and local levels, crime reporting, pretrial activities, the ajudication process and sentencing and corrections. The Ohio Revised Code serves as the criminal law and motor vehicle handbook for students.
Related instruction includes interviewing and interrogation, crime scene investigation, probation, parole and incarceration operations andcriminal and traffic laws.
During lab, students have campus patroling duties. They perform dispatching, call logging
and issue citations. They regularly provide security services for campus activities, particularly when the general public is invited.
The program has a human dummy which can serve as victim/perpetrator, in role-playing scenarios involving crime scene investigation.
Length of Program: 2 Years
Career Pathways: Security Officer, Police Dispatcher, Police Officer trainee
Early Placement -
If, during your junior year, you have maintained an acceptable GPA and attendance record, you may qualify for an early-placement work option during your senior year.
Placed in a job through this program, you will have the chance to practice the skills you have learned during your first year of study. Depending on your ability and interest, you might work as a security capacity or work along side a deputy or other public service official. This work experience will compose a large part of your final lab grade. Not only will you receive program credit, but you will also have the opportunity to build employability skills, garner trust and a positive work reference from your employer.
Further Education -
Because of the growth in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security the Criminal Justice
field continues to expand. New jobs and career fields now exist in which you may have an
interest.
Many program completers go on to police training programs to become police officers. Others chose to move into the parole/corrections side of the industry.
If you select a career that requires additional training and you want to further your education as many Career Center graduates chose to do, you will find that the time you invested in the Criminal Justice program was well-spent. Whatever you decide, you will find that your training at the Coshocton County Career Center will leave you well-prepared to advance into many types of careers in Criminal Justice.
Alumni Update -
“Being part of the Criminal Justice program really helped me shape what I
wanted to do career-wise and it gave me a jump start on college and my career.
Being an officer in SkillsUSA, I learned to become more outspoken and it also
helped me in public speaking.”
- Yolanda Roahrig, 2006 Criminal Justice Program Completer, Forensic Intern, Newark Crime Lab, Newark, Ohio
Associations -
As a student in the program, you will also have the chance to join and participate in SkillsUSA – the student association for several career-technical programs at the Career Center. This involvement will give you an opportunity to improve your leadership and interpersonal skills and to compete in local, regional, state and national skills contests.
