University Of PhoEnix
Criminal Justice Program Review
CJA/484
Facility: Jamie Herring
Jarel Thomas

During my academic career here at the University of Phoenix I have had good and bad experiences, but for the most part it has been good. The American criminal justice system is a very complex field to get into, but to any student that is interested in it will have great time learning more about it. There are many organizational branches involved in the criminal justice system and each work to prevent and control crime, and achieve justice in different ways. The intricacy of the criminal justice system is what drew my interest in pursuing a career in the field. I am naturally a very analytical thinker and wanted to know more about this particular subject because I was involved in a form of juvenile corrections for a number of years.
There have been many classes that were very influential in my future career path. There were five classes in particular that have really advanced my perspective in how I view the criminal justice system as a profession of interest. The two best classes I have participated in both had amazing structures and instructors that have gone beyond the norm with their weekly assignments and discussion question topics. One of them was CJA/394 Contemporary Issues and Futures in criminal justice instructed by Roy Diaz. It was about examining both the principle issues in contemporary criminal justice as well as the extrapolation of such issues toward possible futures within the criminal justice field. We had really in-depth discussions of different concepts as a basis for comprehensive understanding at local, state, national, and global levels of criminal justice administration. In each week we looked at the different trends in the criminal justice system which included policing, the courts, corrections and also the effects global crimes. This was the first class in which I was thoroughly impressed by every level of the class, as Mr. Diaz was well versed as an instructor and criminal justice professional (as an LAPD officer and Currently a District Attorney).
The other class that considered one of the best was the most recent and the one in which the paper is intended; the Criminal Justice Administration Capstone (CJA/484). Our instructor Jamie Herring, who is the Police Chief at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, (also a well-established criminal justice professional) has one of the most structured classes that I have attended. His topics promote a fresh dialog on subjects we have discussed in other classes. I have always appreciated instructors that show an interest in his/her student’s opinions and push the dialog with great follow-up questions, every week Mr. Herring has done that the best. From topics like the effects of incarceration to the use of education in prison he has challenged our thinking and forced us to look at every topic differently. Also, having to a quiz and write weekly summaries really seemed to solidify the work did each week. I did not the best in his class but everything I wrote was carefully thought out because he seemed to require a higher standard.
CJA/344 which was on the cultural diversity issues in the criminal justice system. Before I took this class there was some sort of disconnection between me and the overall structure and material. This class’s instructor was Ebony Pullins-Govantes and she was one of first instructors that changed my experience. The main topic of this class was critical and balanced examination of the issues of crime and justice with respect to race and ethnicity. This was the first class in which the material really connected with me. Being an African American that has grown up in rough neighborhoods I have experienced my share of racial inequality and understand the history of gangs and their influence on youth. My ability to express my perspective started to come out for the first time and I was finding my voice in my academic