Criminology and Criminal Justice Education in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (From Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice, P 161-174, 1981, R L McNeely and Carl E Pope, ed. - See NCJ-76982)

• NCJ Number: 76990
• Author(s): J Debro
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

More criminology and criminal justice programs are needed within black colleges and universities to create a critical mass of black professionals, who will contribute racially sensitive perspectives to the field.

Abstract

Although the proliferation of criminal justice and criminology educational programs can be attributed to the black population (e.g., through ghetto riots), blacks have not been the beneficiaries of these programs. Although LEAA has been created to deal with black lawlessness of the 1960's, the beneficiaries of educational incentives were whites who in turn supported a white-dominated crime control establishment. Traditional black colleges and universities have not received adequate funding to advance criminology-criminal justice education, especially at the graduate level. Similarly, within criminology and criminal justice, few role models have arisen for prospective students within the black community. At the undergraduate level, LEAA has funded Positive Futures, Inc., (PFI) to provide technical assistance to nine black colleges which either have had programs or have been in the process of establishing them. However, if the quality of the programs is to improve, the administration must decide whether it can support a program independently of Federal dollars. Furthermore, only faculty members with terminal degrees should be recruited, including persons with degrees in sociology and other related fields. Programs should also be interdisciplinary, and black colleges should recruit more actively to compete in the marketplace for good students. Recruitment must include students of all races if black colleges are to survive. Criminology associations, such as the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Criminology, should provide technical assistance as well as arrange for visiting professors. Outstanding professors could spend sabbatical leaves at historical black colleges or universities, which would promote the exchange of ideas and racially sensitive perspectives. Historical development of criminal justice education is discussed. Statistical data and about 10 references are included.