Planning and implementing a criminal justice course with university students and youthful offenders

During Fall 1999, the Law and Justice Studies Department at Rowan University, in collaboration with New Jersey's Juvenile Justice Commission, brought together 12 students and 12 incarcerated youth for a semester long course on Restorative Justice. This paper presents the planning, implementation and outcomes assessment of the course. While service learning programs within criminal justice departments are fairly widespread, this collaborative effort is unique in that the youth attend the course on campus and are treated, for all intents and purposes, as college students. The course was developed primarily as a way for the youth to experience college. It was intended to demonstrate to the youth that college is something that is within their grasp and that they could fit in with college students. We also hoped the course would benefit the college students' critical thinking skills, tolerance levels and overall educational experience. The outcomes assessment shows that the course was successful in achieving the goals set forth for the students and the youth. The process analysis demonstrates the many successes and difficulties that arose during the planning and implementation of the course.

This collaborative effort would not have been possible without the support of the staff and administration of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC). Specifically I wish to thank Lisa Macaluso of the JJC. Her dedication and hard work brought the course to fruition. She formulated the idea for the course, and through her belief in its goals and her respect for the youths in the programs, she was able to make the course a reality.

This collaborative effort would not have been possible without the support of the staff and administration of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC). Specifically I wish to thank Lisa Macaluso of the JJC. Her dedication and hard work brought the course to fruition. She formulated the idea for the course, and through her belief in its goals and her respect for the youths in the programs, she was able to make the course a reality.

Notes

This collaborative effort would not have been possible without the support of the staff and administration of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC). Specifically I wish to thank Lisa Macaluso of the JJC. Her dedication and hard work brought the course to fruition. She formulated the idea for the course, and through her belief in its goals and her respect for the youths in the programs, she was able to make the course a reality.