College Criminal Justice Tutoring

Introduction to Criminal Justice

Common Topics in Introduction to Criminal Science:

Three segments of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections; the structure, evolution, and requirements of governmental agencies; evaluation of common attitudes towards and practices in criminal justice attitudes; sources of law; theories of causation; key criminal justice terminology.

Introduction to Criminal Justice can be a “weed out” class; if your school doesn’t offer it, you may, in fact, start off in an intro level Sociology class, a discipline that often encompasses topics in Criminal Justice. Regardless of where you begin, if you find yourself needing a little extra help, our tutors are available to work with you one-on-one so you can avoid the proverbial “weeding tools” and continue to grow and explore other topics in Criminal justice. 

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice tutors:

Sociology and Criminal Justice: If your intro-level Criminal Justice class is really an intro-level Sociology class that covers more fields of study than just Criminal Justice, make sure you give equal care and attention to the Sociology-focused parts of the class, as these topics will help you in higher level Criminal Justice classes and may spark unique areas of interest for you to research in later Criminal Justice-focused classes.

Political Science and Criminal Justice: If you find yourself struggling with more of the “Justice” portion than the “Criminal” portion of your intro-level Criminal Justice class, focus initially on mastering concepts in American Civics, which are foundational building blocks to understanding Criminal Justice (e.g., Legal System Basics and Structure of the Courts are two helpful videos to get you started!)  

Criminal Justice:

Common Topics in Criminal Justice:

Non-introductory Criminal Justice classes likely will include the aforementioned “Introductory-level” topics of study, but expand upon them further. Additional topics covered by Criminal Justice classes may include: theories of crime and punishment; distinctions between civil and criminal law and their respective court procedures; appeals processes; theories of punishment and restitution; crime and punishment throughout history and/or in a global context; and so much more…

Criminal Justice classes vary in complexity depending on whether your school offers an Introductory-level class. Whether you’ve had the benefit of completing introductory-level Criminal Justice coursework or not, the depth and breadth of concepts covered in Criminal Justice classes can be frustrating and confusing. Rather than sort through all the theories, systems, and complicated legalese by yourself, call Tutoring By A College Professor! Our expert Criminal Justice tutors can guide you through difficult topics of study and reframe difficult concepts to increase your confidence and help you pass your class.

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice tutors:

Press Pause on the True Crime Podcasts/Documentaries: if you’re taking a criminal justice class, you might like listening to true crime podcasts or watching true crime documentaries. This will likely do more harm than good and can (1) expose you to Criminal Justice topics you are not foundationally prepared for, leading to more confusion and conflation of Criminal Justice concepts; and/or (2) teach you Criminal Justice concepts in ways oppositional to what and how your Professor wants you to learn.

Remember that Criminal Justice is NOT Criminology: Criminal Justice touches upon many topics of study, one of which may be Criminology, but remember that your Criminal Justice class is NOT a Criminology class. You need to keep the two topics distinct in your mind, which means understanding and minding their differences. It might be helpful for you to make a Venn Diagram and expand upon it during the semester as you learn to keep the two related fields straight or otherwise to review this helpful video on the differences between Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Security and Policy Administration:

Common Topics in Security and Policy Administration:

Police and public law enforcement; private security services; national security and governmental agencies including the FBI, CIA, and Department of Justice; community crime prevention; creation and implementation of laws to (de)criminalize conduct and industry; administration of private and public prisons; prevention and monitoring of domestic terrorism; and so much more…

Security and Policy Administration is a broad area of study, covering issues on local, state, national, and even international levels. Some classes may focus more on traditional policing and crime prevention mechanisms, others may focus more on cybersecurity as it relates to preventing crime, or even how crimes become… well, crimes. Regardless of their respective scopes, Security and Policy Administration classes are fraught with nuance and often borderline-philosophical, so if you need help to piece through it all, our Criminal Justice tutors are ready to answer your “call to arms” and provide personalized, one-on-one instruction.

Here are some tips from our expert chemistry tutors:

Reading/Watching the News Can Be Helpful: If you are looking for real-life examples of concepts you are covering in class, reading or watching the news can be really helpful to illustrate how security and policy administration procedures and processes play a role in our everyday society. 

Reading/Watching the News Can Be Unhelpful: We know — we just said that reading or watching the news can be helpful to illustrate security and policy administration procedures and processes in real life, BUT to the extent that news sources may be biased and stories may be contemporarily developing. Countless security and policy administration stories are available for you to reference and review if you find reading or watching the news to be more confusing, so don’t force yourself to use the news as examples of class concepts. (Or better yet, ask your Tutoring By A College Professor tutor to review specific news stories with you and help you know what to look for in finding helpful, real-life examples!)

Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections:

Common Topics in Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections:

The Bill of Rights as a means to protect individual rights; criminal protections of the the 4th-8th Amendments; criminal justice trials and appeals procedures; criminal justice and criminal law over the course of American history; the role of the jury; state criminal law versus federal criminal law; prosecutorial and defense roles, skills, and duties; rights of juveniles in the criminal justice system; criminal law through the lens of race, religion, and gender; magnitudes of crime; scaled punishments; the death penalty; evidentiary rules; and so much more.

Individuals interested in Criminal Justice either love or hate their Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections classes. Reading criminal law decisions and other legal texts can be tedious, confusing, and even, at times, heartbreaking. If that weren’t difficult enough, criminal law and our understanding of criminal procedures and protections is constantly evolving. Oh, and don’t forget that there are three distinct levels of criminal law–local, state, and federal! So, if you’re feeling confused and/or already hate the study of Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections just from reading this paragraph, let one of our amazing Criminal Justice tutors help you to not only understand Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections, but also pass your class! And who knows, with a little extra assistance and explanation, you might just find you do love Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections after all…

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice tutors:

Forget What You’ve Learned from Pop-Culture: Most, if not all, of the enjoyable Criminal Justice-related shows and movies (e.g., Cops, CSI, Legally Blonde, Brooklyn 99, Breaking Bad, etc.) give you, at best, watered-down, and at worst, plainly inaccurate, depictions of Constitutional Law/Criminal Law and Protections applied in real-life scenarios. Needless to say, listen to your Professor, and don’t rely on Saul Goodman to explain criminal law and protections. 

Read the Constitution: If you haven’t already, actually read the Constitution (or at least the Bill of Rights), the very document that establishes the courts in which criminal cases are tried, the respective roles of judge and jury, and what protections are afforded to criminal defendents regarding hearsay, evidence, and court procedures.

Investigations/Forensic Science:

Common Topics in Investigations/Forensic Science:

Crime scene processing and protocol; collection and preservation of evidence; fingerprint analysis; hair and fiber examination; trace evidence identification; bloodstain pattern analysis;  firearm and toolmark identification; ballistics; forensic photography and documentation;  dactyloscopy (fingerprint analysis); document examination and depositions; forensic toxicology;  DNA analysis; digital and cyber forensics, including GPS and geolocation investigatory tools; evidence storage and collection; and so much more…

Sherlock Holmes may make criminal investigations and forensics look easy, but there is nothing “elementary” about it all. The breadth and depth of technology available today, not only used in the commission of crimes, but also used by investigators to catch criminals, is seemingly limitless, incorporating topics from psychology, biology, chemistry, computer science, communications, sociology, finance, and sometimes even archeology! If you’re struggling with Investigations/Forensic Science and need a little extra help, Tutoring By A College Professor is on the case. Our expert tutors are ready to guide you through your course of study, examine and categorize course content, and help you pass your exams! 

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice:

Remember the 7 S’s of a Crime Scene: If you are having a hard time understanding basic investigatory processes, the 7 S’s are a great way to remember the seven basic considerations requisite for all criminal justice investigations. They are (1) Secure the Scene; (2) Separate the Witnesses; (3) Scan the Scene; (4) See the Scene; (5) Sketch the Scene; (6) Search for Evidence; (7) Secure and Collect Evidence.

Listen to Past Investigatory Interviews: True crime documentaries and podcasts often get information wrong about Criminal Justice, but there are many great interviews out there that explain how criminal investigations and forensic science have been used to crack many “cold” criminal cases. Just make sure you watch interviews from reputable sources like this interview with former criminal investigators or this interview with a former FBI interrogator.

Criminology:

Common Topics in Criminology:

Theoretical perspectives on crime causation; examining biological, psychological, and sociological factors affecting crime and punishment; the history and development of criminology;  different types of crime, including violent crime, property crime, white-collar crime, and organized crime; victimology, focusing on the impact of crime on victims; components and processes of the criminal justice system; crime measurement and data analytics; environmental criminology (examining the relationship between physical space and criminal activity); social and situational crime prevention strategies; penal systems and corrections, including incarceration, probation, and parole; issues of race, gender, and class in the criminal justice system; the future of criminology and potential solutions to crime; and so much more…

If you’ve already taken a Criminal Justice class, your Criminology class might feel eerily repetitive, but don’t be fooled! Criminology is another “weed out” class at most universities, and may cover sensitive, emotional, (and sometimes even frightening) topics of study. While Criminology shares many conceptual similarities with Criminal Justice, it is uniquely complex and delves into theories of crime and punishment beyond what most Criminal Justice courses cover. In other words, Criminology classes can sometimes be… well, A LOT. So, if your Criminology class gives you nightmares — because of its topics of study and/or because of its difficulty-level — Tutoring By A College Professor’s one-on-one, individualized sessions will help you understand and feel more comfortable with your Criminology material.

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice tutors:

It’s Not Nature or Nurture–It’s Both: Many people are fascinated by the psychological conditions and neuro-divergency of “psychopaths” or “sociopaths” who then go on to commit mass criminal atrocities (e.g., Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, etc.). These two things are not mutually exclusive, however--not everyone with psychological conditions or neuro-divergency is a criminal, and many criminals are neuro-typical. When considering criminology and the modern “fad” of criminal profiling, it is therefore crucial to know that it is both nature and nurture that matters, not just one or the other.

Know Your Resources: Because of the potential sensitive, emotional, violent, and/or frightening topics of discussion in Criminology classes, if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please know you are not alone. Crisis Lifeline, National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, and Substance Abuse/Mental Health Hotline are just three of countless sources if you or someone you know gets triggered and wants to have a confidential phone call to get support and be connected with local mental health resources.

Philosophy/Ethics in Criminal Justice:

Common Topics in Philosophy/Ethics in Criminal Justice:

The nature of justice and competing theories of punishment (retributive, restorative, and preventative justice); moral philosophy and its application to criminal justice decisions; free will and criminal responsibility; ethical principles in law enforcement, including use of force and racial profiling; surveillance and privacy concerns in the criminal justice system; capital punishment and its ethical implications; prison reform and issues of rehabilitation; the moral quandary of the “school-to-prison” pipeline; technology and its ethical considerations in criminal justice (e.g., facial recognition, AI, social media); professional ethics for criminal justice professionals; and so much more…

It’s nearly impossible to talk about Criminal Justice without getting philosophical. Why? Because life isn’t fair… and often, Criminal Justice isn’t either. At least depending on who you ask. In Philosophy/Ethics in Criminal Justice classes, you’ll be exposed to many different perspectives on what is and is not ethical, fair, and desirable in societal criminal, judicial, and penal systems. To this end, Philosophy/Ethics in Criminal Justice classes typically include specific public speaking, research, and writing requirements that other Criminal Justice classes may not include. With one-on-one instruction from our expert Criminal Justice tutors, Tutoring By A College Professor can help you weigh heavy moral and ethical dilemmas, prepare oral arguments for class to defend your beliefs, and guide you through your research and writing assignments to both better understand philosophical and ethical considerations in Criminal Justice and pass your Philosophy of/Ethics in Criminal Justice class.

Here are some tips from our expert criminal justice tutors:

Engage Yourself in Discussion: It may sound silly, but if you are trying to piece through difficult philosophical or ethical concepts, record yourself either on video or on audio talking through the concepts and explaining them to yourself. For example, if you are struggling to balance two theories or contrasting ideas of what is moral/just, explain each theory to yourself and try to make sense of both of them together. When you are done, listen or watch your recording. You can pause it as needed to argue with your own ideas, further reconcile ambiguities or contradictions, and ensure your explanations of theories match the explanations you have written in notes.

Read Philosophies and Theories Different to Your Own: Echo Chambers are dangerous and for philosophy and ethics classes, the more opinions and ideas you expose yourself to, the more you expand your mind, and the better your ability to solidify what you believe in and what you oppose. Whether it be when you are reading an article alone in your room or when you are sitting through a classmate’s presentation in a crowded lecture hall, remember that differing opinions are a good thing, and though you likely will have many opinions similar to your friends, you can still be friends with (or at least should still listen to) people who have different opinions to your own.