Criminal Justice

Curriculum

Meet the Faculty

Tuition and Fees

The Criminal Justice (CRJ) program is designed to provide a solid foundational understanding of the American justice system.  Students are required to complete a range of major courses that blend academic learning with a highly emphasized experiential focus. Under the instruction of a diverse faculty of practicing professionals, hands-on learning exercises are utilized to translate conceptual awareness into real-world application of knowledge. Individual and team-based classroom learning is also augmented by internship opportunities in area agencies and offices.  The program is designed to meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students who seek to gain the education necessary to penetrate or advance within any number of justice professions. Students will need to earn a C or better in each course in order for it to count towards graduation.

Graduates of the Criminal Justice program will be well-positioned to:

• Complete a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at a four-year college or university
• Apply to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy (MCJA) Law Enforcement Pre-Service Training Program OR Basic Law Enforcement Training Program
• Seek entry-level employment in private security, law enforcement, corrections, and the courts

Professional career opportunities include but are not limited to:

• Municipal Police Officer
• County Sheriff’s Deputy
• State Trooper
• Game Warden
• Marine Patrol Officer
• Fire Marshal
• Corrections Officer Probation Officer
• Dispatcher
• Victim-Witness Advocate
• Loss Prevention Worker
• Fraud Investigator

Key Learning Objectives

• Explain the core responsibilities of the police, courts, and corrections as each relates to the administration of justice within the American criminal justice system.
• Describe the sequential movement of an individual accused of a crime through the various stages of the investigation, adjudication, sentencing, and corrections.
• Compare and contrast the adult and juvenile justice systems in modern American corrections.
• Apply conceptual knowledge to the application of laws of evidence, search and seizure, and arrest.
• Utilize current information and management tools to gather and evaluate data used by justice practitioners.
• Analyze and employ ethically driven critical analysis skills in decision-making.

Prerequisites

• AAS Degree – High school level Algebra I required.

Stay Connected

• Follow EMCC’s Criminal Justice program on Facebook

Meet the Faculty

Cornel Plebani, Department Chair

(207)974-4829 | cplebani@mainecc.edu

Cornel Plebani worked for more than a decade in the mental health field, both in clinical and administrative positions in the service of children, adolescents, and adults with psychiatric issues. Throughout his professional career, he has worked in settings as diverse as psychiatric hospitals, community based treatment facilities, and the Adolescent Reception Detention Center at Riker’s Island Correctional Facility. Cornel was also an Assistant Professor in the School of Legal Studies at Husson University for nine years before starting at EMCC in 2014. He holds an undergraduate degree with dual concentration in Psychology and Sociology from Drew University and an advanced degree in Forensic Psychology from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. His particular academic and research interests include Violence and Aggression, Psychopathy, and the Psychology of Cult Indoctrination.

Criminal Justice Adjuncts