Academy Of Criminal Justice Sciences Research Articles

“A Content Analysis of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Presidential Address, 1993-2022: A Qualitative Exploration”

Prominent sociologists and criminologists have not accorded the respect that criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) deserves. They have questioned CCJ’s standing as an autonomous discipline; they have criticized CCJ for its lack of a “common conceptual language,” a “core theoretical tradition,” and a “methodological commitment.” Consequently, criminologists and criminal justice scholars have been warned not to stray too far from their sociological roots. This condition leads to the following question: are there new ideas about crime and justice that are contained in the annual addresses of ACJS presidents? This article examines the addresses delivered by the presidents of ACJS. The findings indicate that three key domains of reflections can be discerned in the ACJS presidential addresses: (1) legitimacy through accreditation; (2) policy irrelevance as a prelude to public criminology; and (3) visions of justice. The three findings are compared and contrasted with the core themes found in a prior study of ASC presidential addresses.

Commentary: Quality Standards for Criminal Justice Education: The Long and Winding Road

In this commentary, the author focuses on article “Quality standards for criminal justice education: The long and winding road.” The author draws on his extensive background in criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) education, including various roles within the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and the Southern Criminal Justice Association (SCJA), to provide insights into Albanese and Tartaro’s article and its implications. Specifically, Albanese and Tartaro trace the evolution of CCJ education, highlight efforts to establish quality standards, such as the Northeast Minimum Standards model later adopted by ACJS. They discuss the challenges and eventual discontinuation of the ACJS Certification program, but they conclude with positive discussion on the emergence of the ACJS Endorsement program. The commentary emphasizes the importance of quality standards in CCJ education, despite the difficulties in establishing and maintaining them. The commentary concludes with a call to continue prioritizing quality in CCJ education.

Academic Accreditation and Certification in Criminology and Criminal Justice Education: From Ricochets to Reckonings

For over a decade, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) was the official source of criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) academic program review before its “certification” program was discontinued in 2018. Several certification standards and indicators have been modified, addressing concerns raised with earlier iterations of the ACJS Quality Standards. The pressing need for a revisit has become evident due to challenges such as the emergence of proprietary schools as well as institutional financial pressures resulting in continued under-resourcing of CCJ programs. This article delves into previous initiatives focused on the pursuance of accreditation and certification, highlighting critical milestones and contextual influences that have propelled these mechanisms to the forefront of CCJ education. We also explore the aspirations and future directions for program review, with a particular focus on program integrity, curriculum relevance, and the evolving needs of students and the criminal justice system.

CrimRxiv Consortium joined by Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (AJCS)

CrimRxiv Consortium joined by Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (AJCS)

Oral History in Academic Criminal Justice: Reflections from ACJS “Triple Crown” Luminaries

Preserving and documenting the contributions of leading scholarship within criminology and criminal justice is essential to understanding the history of the field and serves to reaffirm high scholarly standards among the next generation of scholars. The current study, drawing from a leading professional organization within the field, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), engages an oral history documentation of the recipients of the three most prestigious ACJS accolades. These awards are bestowed to respected, well-known scholars, although only six total in the history of the organization have been awarded all three, two have since passed away. We conducted in-depth interviews utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire with the four remaining Triple Crown winners. The importance of collaboration with other scholars is a key theme highlighted throughout, including in the capacity of official and unofficial mentors, external funding, publications, and professional organizations, to name a few.

Bridging the Research-Policy Divide to Advance Science and Policy: The 2022 Bruce Smith, Sr. Award Address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

A longstanding divide between research and policy presents continuing problems for efforts to advance science and to improve public safety. The situation leads to poorly designed and implemented policies, little accountability, and limited effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Ripple effects of the divide include policies that proceed from ideology and guesswork, inadequate infrastructure for creating relevant and accessible data, and research that fails to systematically illuminate criminal justice operations or expand the boundaries of science. The solution? Put research at center stage in criminal justice policy. To do so will require overcoming a lack of awareness among policymakers and administrators about what research is, what it can be, and what is required to generate credible research-based evidence. It also will require integrating researchers into policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Bridging this divide will be essential for scientific progress and advancing policy.

The Value of Understanding the Human Side of Precautionary Behavior for Criminology and Crime Control Policy: The 2021 Bruce Smith Sr. Award Address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

Criminology has traditionally emphasized the offender, relegating theory, research, and policy on target decision-making to a place of relative unimportance. I advocate a different view. In choice theory, offenders prefer quick and easy reward at little risk, acting with target vulnerability very much in mind. I use choice theory concepts and assumptions to account for target precautionary behavior. The principles of certainty, swiftness, and severity can be developed to explain not only when people will act to limit vulnerability, but also suggest the kinds of precautions that tend to be chosen reliably. Low self-control, a source of victimization risk, lessens feelings of certainty of victimization and fosters a preference for the easiest and most immediately gratifying methods of protection. In addition to stimulating theorizing and research to improve the usage and consistency of precautionary behavior, this theory also offers insights about controversial choices to acquire defensive weapons.

Process, Power, and Impact of the Institutional Review Board in Criminology and Criminal Justice Research.

While research on Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) has been conducted on issues ranging from quality, process, and effectiveness, gaps remain. Social science researchers have raised issues regarding decisions by IRBs applied to the social sciences based on biomedical research. To date, little is known about the experience of social scientists in criminology and criminal justice with IRBs and this research seeks to fill this gap. An online survey, including open- and closed-ended questions drawn from the validated IRB-Researcher Assessment Tool, was administered to members of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Criminology about their experiences with IRBs. Results revealed that researchers report experiencing challenges with their IRBs including timeline delays of their research, bias against their research, and decisions that protect legal liability rather than human subjects ethics. Recommendations for improving IRB reviews of protocols and challenges unique to criminology and criminal justice are discussed.

Causes and Effects of Racial Disparity in the Criminal Justice System

The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis for educators, students, and practitioners. In that light, we join much of the nation in ...

The State of Criminal Justice Educational Programs in the United States: Bachelors’ Degrees, Curriculum Standards, and the Ongoing Quest for Quality

While definitions for, and assessments of, the quality of degree programs in higher education are varied, in criminal justice the field has determined a quality program is one that meets certain standards involving such areas as program mission, curriculum, faculty credentials, and resources determined through “academic certification” by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).The problem is few programs have pursued certification and almost no research has otherwise assessed degree program quality. Using data collected from the population of bachelor’s degree programs in criminal justice (BCJ) operating during 2015–2016 (N = 670), this study assessed program curriculum using ACJS standards, and examined institutional, departmental, and programmatic influences on the number of standards met. Results indicated BCJ programs met few curriculum standards, and that departmental factors were especially significant influences on the number of standards met. These results warrant revisiting accreditation as the mechanism for insuring the quality of criminal justice academic programs.

Preparing Community Supervision Officers through Undergraduate Education: A Study of Academic and Practitioner Expectations

Although community corrections courses have existed in universities for decades, studies have yet to explore whether the depth and breadth of academic preparation is meeting practitioner needs. In many jurisdictions across the country, community supervision officers receive little pre-service training, making classroom learning a very important component for job preparation. Using survey data collected from members of the American Society of Criminology, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and American Probation and Parole Association, this study examines university faculty and community corrections practitioner expectations regarding topical coverage in undergraduate coursework relevant to the community corrections field. Results indicate that both groups, especially practitioners, gave the strongest preference to coverage of universally applicable job skills such as critical thinking, written and oral communication, and organizational and listening skills. Practitioners generally expected classroom learning to be more in depth and applied than faculty members. Some of the most substantial gaps in expectations were found for daily routine items such as interview skills with offenders, on-the-job decision-making, providing courtroom testimony, and stress coping.

An Assessment of the Relative Importance of Criminal Justice Learning Objectives

This study examines the relative importance of the different learning objectives for criminal justice education as identified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). Three different populations (students, faculty, and professionals) completed a survey exercise in which they were required to rank order hypothetical job applicants who varied in competency on each of the ACJS learning objectives. In addition, students completed the same exercise pre- and post-completion of their required internship to determine if experience in the field affected their responses. Conjoint analysis was used to identify the relative importance of different learning objectives. While results indicate some similarities in responses across all three populations, several interesting differences were observed, and these may have important curricular implications for criminal justice programs.

The Future of the Academy: Who’s Looking for Whom?

Individuals seeking academic employment opportunities often do so by exploring hiring announcements that are advertised online through Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Society of Criminology, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Because limited educational resources and budget constraints can impact hiring decisions that are made at institutions of higher learning over time, it is important for candidates to consider exactly what employers are looking for in prospective professionals and to see how they measure up to the demands brought on by academic job searches. Using quantitative content analyses of recent job postings on popular academic job search websites, this study explores recent trends in the hiring of criminology and criminal justice professionals, paying particular attention to exactly which positions are being sought after by colleges and universities and how the presence of online technology has changed hiring trends within our field.

Biosocial criminology: the emergence of a new and diverse perspective

We are thrilled to present the readers of Criminal Justice Studies (CJS) with this special issue on biosocial criminology. Given the critical focus of CJS, it may come as a surprise to some readers that the journal would host a special issue on biosocial criminology. Indeed, CJS does not have a reputation as being a ‘biosocial journal’ 1 so we anticipate that some readers’ instinct may be to overlook this particular issue. We genuinely hope this will not be the case. Thus, it is our goal to introduce a new set of readers to the emerging perspective of biosocial criminology. Here, we will offer a quick overview of the biosocial perspective followed by a brief discussion of each of the stellar articles that are included in this special issue. Relative to other topical areas, biosocial criminology accounts for a small portion of active scholars in the broader field of criminology. Even so, the biosocial perspective is increasingly becoming a topic of discussion within the discipline (see, e.g. Barnes et al., 2014; Massey, in press; Moffitt & Beckley, in press; Wright et al., in press). Several criminological journals have published special issues on biosocial criminology, dozens of outlets have published independent biosocial research, and book publishers are increasingly adding a biosocial text to their exhibits during the annual meetings for the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. In other words, biosocial criminology has planted its flag firmly on the criminological landscape. What is important to realize, though, is that biosocial criminology is not a onesize-fits-all perspective and it certainly is not a research area that ‘only’ cares about the biological influences on criminal behavior. Quite the contrary, biosocial criminology necessarily assumes that human behavior is the product of a complex arrangement of environmental and biological influences. Behavior is neither caused by biological influences acting in isolation, nor does it function solely at the whim of the environment. Rather, behavior is a dramatic screenplay that requires the cooperation and input of many (dozens, hundreds, and thousands) actors, producers, and directors. This realization has led some scholars to the specious conclusion that it may be too complicated to separate the biological from the environmental influences (Burt & Simons, in press). Others have tried to inspire criminologists to

Improving the Quality of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meetings: Where do we go from here?

In 2013, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) celebrated its 50th anniversary—a notable milestone in its organizational history. Much has changed since ACJS’s inauguration, including the...

Revisiting security administration in the classroom: A decade later

Gabbidon examined perceptions of students in a security administration class, asking reasons for taking the course, knowledge regarding the security field, career objectives and whether they considered working in the security field. He later asked whether their interest in working in the security field had decreased, increased or remained the same; whether their respect for the field decreased, increased or remained the same; and how they would rate the course in comparison to other criminal justice courses they had taken. This research was modified and replicated approximately 10 years later to determine differences in perceptions of security administration by contemporary criminal justice students. A small percentage (4 per cent) of the respondents reported their career objective was private security. Three in four (76 per cent) considered working in security, and most (93 per cent) reported an appreciable increase in respect for the security profession. A majority (80 per cent) rated the course as more interesting than other criminal justice courses they had taken. This article was developed from a paper presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

On the Importance of the Journal of Criminal Justice Education: A Historical Analysis Using an Alternative Method

The Journal of Criminal Justice Education (JCJE) is one of the two official peer-reviewed journals of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. JCJE was established in 1990 in an effort to provide a publication outlet specifically devoted to criminological and criminal justice teaching. Through its rich 22-year history, the articles that have been published in JCJE remain true to its original intent and purpose. Relying on descriptive statistics and utilizing a new software program, Harzing’s Publish or Perish, the current study provides a detailed examination of the role, impact, and breadth of JCJE. The results indicate that articles published in JCJE have accumulated nearly 4,000 citations and articles devoted to teaching methods and pedagogy remain the most prevalent type of JCJE articles. However, other categories such as publication productivity studies, graduate education, faculty perceptions, academic integrity/performance, and college student perceptions have increasingly been published in JCJE and are often among the most frequently cited JCJE articles. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Sustainable Justice: 2012 Presidential Address to The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

“Sustainable justice” may be defined as criminal laws and criminal justice institutions, policies, and practices that achieve justice in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to have the benefits of a just society. It is justice for one (person or place) that does not preclude the possibility of justice for all. In the 2012 Presidential Address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, I examine the problem of mass incarceration and the movement for justice reinvestment in relation to principles of sustainable development, toward the development of humane and sustainable justice practices.

Research Productivity of Law Enforcement Scholars: Are Those with Practical Experience Equal to Their Peers without Practical Experience?

The present study examines the research productivity of criminal justice scholars with a declared specialisation in law enforcement. Focus is on distinguishing and comparing the productivity, measured as publications, citations and grant dollars received, for law enforcement scholars who do and do not have a minimum of 5 years of practical experience in law enforcement. Using the membership of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences' Policing Section, data are drawn from members' curriculum vitae to assess total publications, publication of refereed articles, books, textbooks and grant dollars received. When looking at the research productivity — measured as publications, citations and receipt of grant dollars — the results suggest that law enforcement scholars with significant, real-world experience are research productive, but in different ways and at different levels than law enforcement scholars who do not bring significant real-world law enforcement experience to their work.

The Life of an Academic: Examining the Correlates of Job Satisfaction Among Criminology/Criminal Justice Faculty

This research examined job satisfaction among members (N = 1,057) of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal justice Sciences (ACJS). In particular, the research looked at what factors are related to job satisfaction (enjoyment). We explored substantive personal and professional correlates such as stress, family life, and scholarly productivity. A host of demographic factors including gender, race and income, were also included in the analysis. The multivariate analysis revealed that those criminologists with more journal article publications, and devote more time to family and friends, had high job satisfaction. Conversely, criminologists living in the south had low job satisfaction compared to those living in other parts of the country. The paper ends with a call for the continuing exploration of the personal and professional correlates of job satisfaction among criminologists.