Social Science - Interview

Faculty Contribution to General Education Capstone Course

Event/Experience Details and Guideline Form

Gen. Ed. Category Event should be listed under:  Social Science

SCC Competency addressed by event:  Explain social institutions, structure, and

processes across a range of historical periods, places, and/or cultures.

Event experience Title: “Interviewing a Criminal Justice Professional for a Social Systems Perspective”

Anticipated Learning Outcome:

The successful student upon completion of this project will better understand the Criminal Justice System in our society, in particular how the system is made up of a number of subsystems with independent and sometime conflicting goals. Understanding this, the student will better understand the diversities and complexities of the cultural and social world around them and come to an informed sense of his/her self and others.

Guidelines or rubric for accomplishment of event

1) Set up an interview with a Criminal Justice System Professional. Consider selecting   from Police, Prosecution, Defense, Judges, Court Personnel, Juvenile, CRJ or AOJ Academics, Corrections (including Probation and Parole).

2) In the interview, ask the interviewee to be as candid as possible while reminding him/her this is an academic project for which a report will be written and turned in to be read.

1. Ask the interviewee some version of the following questions:

A) What does the interviewee like about his/her role within the CRJ system?

B) What does the interviewee dislike about his/her role within the CRJ system?

C) What examples of cooperation that exist among the agencies with which he/she interacts (for example, between the police and courts, the prosecutor and the courts, the courts and corrections) can he/she give you?

D) What examples of conflict that exist among the agencies with which he/she interacts (for example, between the police and courts, or the prosecutor and the courts) can he/she give you?

E) How would he/she enhance the cooperation aspects described above?

F) How would he/she reduce the conflict aspects described above?

3) Write a journal entry to address the following prompt: Describe/explain using your findings from the interview the areas of conflict and consensus within the CRJ System that helps you understand the CRJ system as a set of subsystems with independent and sometimes conflicting goals. Address how this helps you understand the diversities and complexities of the cultural and social world in which you live.

Contact Name: Call your local Police Department, Prosecutor’s Office, Defense Attorney, Jail, Court, or Juvenile Office. Any CRJ related agency will do. Pick one that interests you.

Contact Phone number: See your phone book or check on the web to see if the agency in which you are interested has a site with contact information.

Contact e-mail: These are often listed on Web Sites.

Contact Web site URL: Use of the search button is recommended. Example: Type in a city name for a police department such as St. Peters P.D. Look for Public Safety, Police, or Law Enforcement.

SCC Event Creator: Dave Van Mierlo

Estimated Time for full completion (including: making contact/appointment; interview; and, journal entry):  3 hours maximum.