Crime, Law, & Justice Studies

In this section

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

How crime, policing, and prisons intersect with questions of justice, fairness and structural inequality in the U.S., present and past
How to engage in collaborative policy, practice and research through direct involvement with organizations and people working in the field of crime, law and justice
Skills in writing, oral communication, and analysis
A deep knowledge of carceral systems and the law, and how individuals experience those systems

WHO YOU COULD BE

Counselor
Educator
Advocate
Case manager
Investigator
Restorative Justice Leader
Legislator
Public Defender
Lawyer
Non-profit Justice organization program coordinator/ administrator

OVERVIEW

Is our criminal legal system just? What is the role of police in a democratic society? What is the difference between law and justice? How has the US criminal legal system defined justice over time and in different contexts? What happens once a person is involved in the criminal legal process, and what role do judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and forensics play in that process? Do prisons administer just punishment?

The Crime, Law, and Justice (CLJ) Interdisciplinary program provides students with an introduction to how crime, policing, and prisons intersect with questions of justice, fairness, and structural inequality in the United States. In the minor, students examine law, policing and carceral systems from multiple disciplines while retaining a critical lens on these systems and institutions. The minor equips students to be leaders, professionals, and agents of change in justice-related institutions and in diverse local and global communities.

SAMPLE COURSES

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MEET THE FACULTY

Tanya Erzen

Professor, Religion, Spirituality, and Society and Director, Freedom Education Project Puget Sound

terzen@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Erzen researches American politics and religion, specializing in criminal justice and social movements. She teaches courses in religious studies and gender and queer studies, and directs the FEPPS program.

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Chris Kendall

Associate Professor and Chair, Politics and Government

ckendall@pugetsound.edu

Known for pushing students to think outside the box, Prof. Kendall practiced law before completing his Ph.D. and taking up teaching, specializing in international relations.

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Ha Jung Lee

Associate Professor, Religion, Spirituality, and Society and Bioethics

hjlee@pugetsound.edu

With research focused on end-of-life decision-making by ethnic minority immigrants, Prof. Lee teaches courses in both the religious studies department and Bioethics Program.

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Amy Fisher

Associate Professor, Science, Technology, Health, and Society

afisher@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Fishers' research focuses on the history and philosophy of the physical sciences, science education, and the relationship between science and gender.

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Robin Jacobson

Professor, Politics and Government

rjacobson@pugetsound.edu

With a focus on immigration, Prof. Jacobson and has published numerous articles and chapters. She teaches on a variety of topics within the context of U.S. politics, including religion, state politics, and race.

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Sara Freeman

Professor, Theatre Arts

sfreeman@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Freeman has published a variety of writings on contemporary playwrights and alternative British theater. She works as a director and dramaturg on campus and is active in local theater communities.

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Richard Anderson-Connolly

Professor, Sociology and Anthropology

raconnolly@pugetsound.edu

Prof. Anderson-Connolly researches topics in comparative sociology and teaches courses on social problems, social order and human freedom, criminology, social stratification, and international political economy.

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Students who minor in CLJ would have the unique opportunity to partner and connect meaningfully with incarcerated students in the Freedom Education Project Liberal Studies BA degree program and the AA degree program inside the Washington Corrections Center for Women, itself an accredited campus of the university in study halls, classes, joint research forums, and as research partners.

Learn more about Freedom Education Project Puget Sound

For the Capstone project, students directly connect with an organization in the field and create a project that examines people-centered, empirically-informed, and sustainable solutions to social problems in communities and/or institutions. These organizations might include: Nonviolent communication in prison, Incarcerated Mothers Project, Common Justice, WA Defender Association, ACLU Washington, West Coast Poverty Law Center, Dignity and Decarceration Coalition, Gender Justice Commission, Civil Survival, The If Project, Yoga Behind Bars, Prisoner Voice Washington, Black Prisoner Caucus, Disability Rights WA, Office of the Omsbuds, National Reentry Council, and the No New Women’s Prison Coalition.