Kevin Rivera’s Profile

This course takes a crit­i­cal ap­proach to the study of crime and jus­tice in urban set­tings. Course ma­te­ri­als ex­am­ine con­tem­po­rary crime-re­lated is­sues that af­fect urban com­mu­ni­ties within a his­tor­i­cal and so­ci­o­log­i­cal con­text. The course high­lights the in­ter­sec­tions of de­viant be­hav­ior and the crim­i­nal jus­tice sys­tem within the struc­tures of class, race, gen­der, and power in­equal­i­ties. Top­ics ex­plored may in­clude racial pro­fil­ing, ju­ve­nile delin­quency, media rep­re­sen­ta­tions of crime, polic­ing, the war on drugs, and pris­oner re-en­try. Pre­req­ui­sites/Co-req­ui­sites: CRJ 101, CRJ 102.

This course takes a critical approach to the study of crime and justice in urban settings. Course materials examine contemporary crime-related issues that affect urban communities within a historical and sociological context. The course highlights the intersections of deviant behavior and the criminal justice system within the structures of class, race, gender, and power inequalities. Topics explored may include racial profiling, juvenile delinquency, media representations of crime, policing, the war on drugs, and prisoner re-entry. Prerequisites/Co-requisites: CRJ 101, CRJ 102.

This is an in­tro­duc­tory and foun­da­tional course in the study of crime and jus­tice. It is de­signed to in­tro­duce stu­dents to the var­i­ous his­tor­i­cal and con­tem­po­rary the­o­ries and em­pir­i­cal re­search used to un­der­stand de­viant and crim­i­nal be­hav­ior. This course takes a crit­i­cal ap­proach to the study of the de­f­i­n­i­tion and mea­sure­ment of crime, as well as ap­pli­ca­tions of these the­o­ries to prac­tice and in pol­icy. Of­fend­ing and vic­tim­iza­tion, as these re­late to spe­cific crime types (i.e., white col­lar crime, vi­o­lent crime, sex crime, drug re­lated crimes, etc.) will be ex­plored.

This is an introductory and foundational course in the study of crime and justice. It is designed to introduce students to the various historical and contemporary theories and empirical research used to understand deviant and criminal behavior. This course takes a critical approach to the study of the definition and measurement of crime, as well as applications of these theories to practice and in policy. Offending and victimization, as these relate to specific crime types (i.e., white collar crime, violent crime, sex crime, drug related crimes, etc.) will be explored.