NCJ Number
153184
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 6 Dated: (1994) Pages: 549-558
Date Published
1994
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article argues that academic criminal justice programs in the U.S. are flawed at the basic level of self-concept.
Abstract
The field is narrowly behavioristic, ignoring considerations of larger moral and political issues. Because the provision of criminal justice services is a function of the State with significant moral and political implications not only for offenders but for society at large, this situation can be seen as a true public tragedy. Criminal justice doctorate programs focus on quantitative methodologies, strongly encouraging students to construct studies that utilize acquired skills. As a result, students take on a distinctly conservative cast, seldom asking more philosophical questions about the field as a whole and its place within the American polity. Because students look for methodologically manageable problems within the accepted system, newly minted criminal justice experts have practically no critical perspective on the system. 8 notes and 25 references