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A Comprehensive Guide to Criminal Justice on the Web

crime.jpgAs populations increase, the need for a better criminal justice system grows as well. The prisons are overflowing and some are being privatized, the government is hiring mercenaries to help with military endeavors, and laws are created so often it is impossible for the citizenry to stay abreast of their legal responsibilities. The need for well-educated professionals in the criminal justice arena is not going to diminish soon. This resource lists more than 50 of the most useful links to different aspects of social justice, criminology, prison issues, technology, and educational programs.

Crime Analysis - Criminology - Criminal Theory - Employment in Criminal Justice
Police Codes - Prison Issues - Security Technology
Distance Education and Free Online Justice Courses

 

Crime Analysis

  • The City of Tempe Arizona's Crime Analysis Unit explains what crime analysis is. There are three different forms: tactical crime analysis, strategic crime analysis, and administrative crime analysis. 
  • The Center for Crime Oriented Policing has produced this resource 'Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps". This lengthy document will help the expert or the novice crime analyst work through their career methodologically.
  • California's Employment Development Department explains the job duties of a crime analyst. it also differentiates between an intelligence analyst and a crime analyst.
  • Manual of Crime Analysis Map Production This pdf article will help crime analysts learn an essential component of their job—crime mapping. Crime maps are used by crime analysts to visualize and discover crime patters.
  • Austin Peay State University has compiled an extensive list of crime data resources for crime analysts as well as this comprehensive list of the history of crime data development. This website will give more than just the basics of how crime data is organized and reported for uniform use by crime analysts.
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes is a wealth of resources. This website looks at crime analysis from a more violent level then a police department because the FBI only gets involved when a crime is beyond the scope of the local police. This website, however, is useful for both the FBI crime analysts as well as a police force, or someone who is curious to learn about career options of a crime analyst.
  • The International Association of Crime Analysts is a group that works to help crime analysts, police, and students work together to standardize crime analysis procedures. The offer many resources, informational pages, classes, and conferences about crime analysis and fighting crime.

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Criminology

  • The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences is a member oriented association that seeks to promote scholarly pursuit of social justice and criminal sciences. This website offers forums for discussion, a monthly newsletter, events, and a list of criminology resources.
  • The American Society of Criminology is a member operated organization of people who wish to pursue and understand the reasons for crime and the ways in which society punishes and reacts. The ASC uses scholarly and professional methods in their endeavors to understand the motivations and end results of criminal activity.
  • The African Journal of Criminology is created by and for Africans and people of African decent around the world. This journal deals specifically with issues that affect Africans, racial, cultural, or historically.
  • The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology was established in 1910 at Northwestern University. This journal is a place that brings debate to the field of criminology and it's relationship with law, providing a critical and informative perspective on the field.
  • The Criminology Research Center provides links to news articles and issues related to Criminology.
  • The National Criminal Justice Reference Service is filled with information and links for a criminologist or student of Criminal sciences. This federally funded website promotes sharing information to help improve the national and local efforts to fight and understand criminal behavior.
  • The National Institute of Justice has created a journal that involves many topics related to criminology. Whether it discusses recent advances in criminal law, or discusses recent research on why husbands murder their families, there is ample information and research for the budding or professional criminologist.
  • The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preventions aims to support state and local law enforcement agencies to create successful rehabilitative and preventative programs for juvenile crime and delinquency.
  • The United States Sentencing Commission is a site that explores laws, research, and sentencing in the United States. This data is a treasure trove of information for anyone interested in criminology and the effects of criminal law.

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Criminology Theory

  • Austin Peay State University has created The Criminology Mega-Site. This site explains the idea of criminology theory, historical context, motives, policy, and offers lectures notes on 16 unit theories of criminology.
  • Cesare Beccaria is a classical theorist who wrote a famous treatise "Crime and Punishment." This site explores the idea that Beccaria's theory was the foundational theory for the creation of the United States Constitution, and has deeply affected contemporary criminology theory.
  • This site explores the Marxist philosophy as it relates to Critical Criminology. This website explores criminology in relation to Marx's theory of deviancy.
  • The Center for Crime Oriented Policing has compiled a Theory of Crime Problems. This site explores a founding theory of criminology, the routine activity theory, which attempts to explain the causes of crime problems.
  • Cultural Criminology is a fairly new theory (created in the 1990s) that explores criminology policing as a product, a social construct. This theory explores criminology as a man made creation.
  • The Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology is a journal that seeks to not only create a thought provoking resource on criminology theory and philosophy, but also to bring into the discussion perspectives that are either unacknowledged or often dismissed. This journal accepts submissions from academics from around the country and keeps the journal focused on intellectual discourse.
  • London's Global University, the UCL, has created the Bentham Project which aims to research and collect the works of Jeremy Bentham, a man who developed an important step of philosophical thought of criminology. This website offers research and articles about this project.
  • The Middlesex University has compiled a timeline of deviancy and criminal theory. This timeline offers explanations of the philosophical growth and development from 1188 to 2006.

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Employment in Criminal Justice

  • Corrections Career Center offers job listings in various aspects of social justice. As a member, you will have the opportunity to update your resume on the website.
  • The FBI offers careers for people who want to specialize in criminal investigation. This job page allows you to apply online, but be sure to read the 'how to apply' section and 'special agents qualification requirements' page before submitting your application.
  • Government Jobs Network provides a search engine for jobs at state and local levels as well as a the ability to post a resume to their website.
  • The Law Enforcement Recruiting Directory is a site that links to several resources for finding jobs in law enforcement and criminal justice. Aside from links to job boards, this directory also allows you to search by agency to find jobs and contact information.
  • The National Security Agency and Central Security Service operate an intelligence agency for the United States government. They offer career events and newsletters to keep you abreast of security news and career opportunities.
  • Police Jobs is a great resource for someone interested in social justice work at the policing level. There are more than one thousand verified jobs available in this database at any time.
  • The University of North Carolina Wilmington has an extensive list of job seeking sites for social justice and criminology career fields. Not only does this site explain criminology and the types of jobs available, there are a couple dozen links to job search websites.

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Police Codes

  • Austin Peay State University has compiled a list of hundreds of police codes and their explanations. This list, however, is general. Most precincts tweak some codes. To view the differences you can log onto your local police force website.
  • The California Department of Highway Patrol posted their list of police codes that can be viewed in whole, or alphabetically searched.
  • DMOZ open directory provides every scanner frequency used in the United States. With this resource you will be able to find and listen to any police scanner frequency near you.
  • Police Codes: Information and Resources for each Local Police Department is an organization who educates about police codes, explains the phonetic alphabet, and has a code look up option.
  • Project Happy Child has compiled the police officers alphabet.
  • The National Public Radio (NPR) did a radio show titled "Plain Talk Eases Police Radio Codes Off the Air" on October 13th 2009. This Morning Edition broadcast explored the move to more plain speak in police codes so that situations are not miscalled over the radio.

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Prison Issues

  • The American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) National Prison Project is a key resource for social justice workers interested in prison issues. The ACLU offers news, cases, blogs, legal documents, and multimedia resources on prison issues nationwide.
  • The Commission of Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons did a year long research effort in 2005 to bring to the public eye concerns with prison safety and violence. The goal of the research and report was to provide the public with information that will inspire people to understand the consequences of abuse for prisoners and their keepers.
  • The Drug Policy Alliance has an entire section, Communities Affected, that is devoted to the circumstances of women in prison. This includes women who are institutionalized while pregnant and women who spend life behind bars.
  • Criminal Justice is a website devoted to activists who want to educate themselves about prison conditions, create and sign petitions, or simply learn about issues that people are currently protesting.
  • The Federal Bureau of Prisons, established in 1930, seeks to provide standardized and human conditions for prison inmates. This site is about federal prisons, and offers information about inmate programs for rehabilitation, policies and issues, and the ability to locate prisons or inmates.
  • Legal Affairs: The Magazine at the Intersection of Law and Life explores many issues in prisons. In June 2010 they released several articles, including one devoted to rape in the prison systems.
  • The Prison Activist Resource Center is a website devoted to exposing discriminatory practices in the prison system. They post regular news items and offer resources to help reduce prison inadequacies.
  • The United States Bureau of Justice released this report "Emerging Issues in Privatized Prisons" in 2001. This heavily researched article explores many concerns with the privatization of the prison system.

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Security Technology

  • DARPA, The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency is the military's leading institution of technological advances used to enhance security in the homeland and abroad. If you thought your science fiction books were out there, wait until you see projects DARPA is researching.
  • The Defence and Security Technology Accelerator is a business accelerator that helps private and government agencies develop defence technology.
  • The Department of Homeland Security's Science Technology and Society Program is developing technology to protect citizens inside the borders. This site also covers counterterrorism, border security, and immigration issues.
  • Government Technology: Solutions for the State and Local Government in the Information Age is an organization that posts news articles, offers research and white papers, and a magazine about technology innovation and implementation within government agencies.
  • The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory is a government agency that works to develop technology to increase public safety in the homeland. With terror on the mind of most government officials and citizens as well, advanced technology is an important aspect of development.
  • The TSA Blog (Transporation Security Administration) is sponsored by the federal government to increase awareness of security issues and invite commentary and discussion from the American public. Here is a link to the TSA's website as well.
  • The White House website also has a section devoted to science and technology. Check out the blog, the policies, and the even the resource library.

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Distance Education and Free Online Justice Courses

  • Criminal Justice Now Online offers free classes about criminal justice online. For the beginner who may be interested in pursuing a degree, this is a good site to sample the bigger lessons you will learn at a university.
  • Justice with Michael Sandel is a free program provided by Harvard University. This program seeks to ask difficult questions to debate the moral issues of justice faced in daily situations.
  • Kaplan University offers an online Criminal Justice programs. Among these programs you can get a certificate or an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degree.
  • Portland State University offers an online Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor of Arts degree. This is a great program for a bachelor's student or a professional looking to bolster their experience and knowledge.
  • South University provides a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online. They offer several specializations including: corrections, crime scene investigation, cyber crime, law enforcement, and juvenile justice.
  • Sweet Haven Publishing Operations has created a free tutorial on Civil Disturbance issues. How and why does a riot start, and what are the tactics to stop it?
  • The University of California Irvine offers free online classes on various criminology subjects as well as some in the social sciences and law.
  • The University of the Rockies offers a PhD in Criminology and Justice Studies Specialization online! This is an excellent program for the professional who doesn't want to uproot their career to move and complete an advanced degree.

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