Florida State College Of Criminology & Criminal Justice

College of Criminology and Criminal Justice ranked #1 among criminology and criminal justice programs

College of Criminology and Criminal Justice ranked #1 among all criminology and criminal justice program faculties for faculty research.  A recent article in the Journal of Criminal Justice Education by Professor Gary Kleck and recent College Ph.D. graduate, J.C. Barnes, shows that the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University has the most productive faculty in the United States.

The study counted articles published in refereed scholarly journals from 2005 through 2009 inclusive, for all U.S. criminology and criminal justice programs offering the doctorate. FSU ranked first in the number of articles published, whether the journals were weighted by prestige or not, and ranked first even when the most productive “superstar” was excluded from each program’s article counts. The research is a replication of research covering the 2000-2005 period, and indicates that FSU increased from 7th position in that earlier ranking to first in the most recent ranking. The FSU faculty published 227 refereed articles in 2005-2009 inclusive, compared to just 193 by their nearest competitor. The article was published in March 2011.

Parents Weekend Hospitality Suite Open October 4

The College welcomes parents and students to visit Eppes Hall during the Parents Weekend, Friday, October 4th. Relax and enjoy refreshments in our hospitality suite from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Take this opportunity to learn about the College's graduate and undergraduate programs, and variety of student internship opportunities.
• Meet the College's faculty, undergraduate and graduate advisors, and other criminology students and parents.
• Gather information about student support organizations and programs across campus.

Applications to Study Abroad in Israel Now Available

Interested in studying abroad? Apply now to join fellow criminology students to Israel this summer and take a trip to the Old City, snorkel in the Red Sea, climb Masada, ride camels, eat plenty of hummus, and so much more!

The applicationf or the Israel Study Abroad Program is available here. For more detailed information about the program, you may visit the FSU Israel site or the FSU International Programs site. 

Questions? Contact the Christi Metcalfe. We promise this is a trip you will never forget!

Criminology Students Tour Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy

On September 18^th, a group of 10 FSU students visited the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy. Larry Bourdeau, the Law Enforcement Instructional Coordinator, greeted the students and led them across the campus to the classrooms. While in the classroom, Director of Certificate Programs Bill Bierbaum discussed the foundation of the academy and the different aspects of law enforcement that recruits cover in their classroom instruction. Students were able to ask questions and watch a video made by a previous recruit class that followed the class throughout their training.

The students were also given a tour of the entire campus which highlighted areas such as the driving range, tactical defense training, underwater crime scene, and firearms training. The current Basic Recruitment Class was undergoing firearms exercise training during the tour. During the exercise, recruits train one-on-one with an instructor through a course that tests their ability to quickly recognize individuals who pose a threat compared to those who were there to help. After watching the firearms training, students were able to tour the areas where recruits are tested on their ability to safely investigate and secure different building formats while rescuing victims. Students enjoyed getting a first hand look at life in the academy as many of them were preparing to apply for internships at Pat Thomas.

For more information on how you can apply to the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy internship, contact the Criminology Internship Coordinator.

FSU Criminology & Criminal Justice Offers New Twist on Fall Internship Fair

FSU Criminology and Criminal Justice students are some of the most valuable prospects for Tallahassee’s top criminal justice agencies. To make sure our students get even more exposure to these agencies, this year we’ve teamed up with the FSU Career Center to host the fall Internship Fair.

On Wednesday, October 30 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Dunlap Success Center, students can take advantage of meeting representatives from the Leon County Public Defender’s Office, the Department of Children and Families, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservatory, Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy, FSU Police Department, Tallahassee Police Department, CJIS Group, and the Department of Corrections: Security Threat.

The College highly recommends attendees dress business casual and bring at least three copies of their most current resume.

Questions? Contact the Criminology Internship Coordinator.

FSU Criminology Internship Spotlight: The Public Defender's Office

The Criminology Internship program awards college credit to students working full- or part-time in a myriad of offices, agencies, firms, and organizations affiliated with the criminal justice system. Students are encouraged to partner their career interests in law, law enforcement, corrections, the state legislature, and federal agencies to gain insight into their chosen professions.

One of the more popular agencies students choose is the Public Defender's office. The Public Defender is responsible for providing a defense attorney to those individuals who have been arrested and cannot afford an attorney. With only a few attorneys on staff, the Public Defender's office relies heavily upon undergraduate interns to assist them with the investigations. FSU Criminology & Criminal Justice interns are responsible for doing all of the intake interviews of the Public Defender's clients. This entails spending an hour or more interviewing the clients to find out what specifically transpired that lead to their arrest, their criminal history, and information about their childhood, work history, or any other information that might be pertinent to their case. Interns are also responsible for tracking down victims and witnesses to get statements from them, transcribing phone calls, going to the jail to get clients to sign plea agreements or other legal documents, as well as going out into the field to visit crime scenes and interview witnesses and victims.

For more information about the FSU Criminology Internship program, please click here or contact our Criminology Internship Coordinator.

FSU College of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Study Helps Predict Juvenile Recidivism 

Meghan Speakes Collins

Extensive data collected by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) can help predict which youths are most likely to commit additional crimes following release from a residential placement. Also, youths often experience improvements in behavior during their residential stay, and those with the greatest improvements are less likely to commit new crimes.

These conclusions were reached in a study conducted by Florida State's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Florida DJJ. The study evaluated the predictive usefulness of the Residential Positive Achievement Change Tool (R-PACT), an assessment tool DJJ uses to track key areas of development for residential youths. The tool collects data on prior criminal history, academic performance, involvement with antisocial peers and use of appropriate social skills for controlling emotions and handling difficult situations.

The study focused on data from roughly 4,700 youths released from residential facilities in 2010 and 2011. It was meant to answer two questions. First, can the R-PACT data be used to predict who will become a reoffender? The study found that those who scored well according to the data had a reoffending rate of 26 percent within 12 months of release — this is less than half the reoffending rate of 55 percent observed among youths scoring poorly on the R-PACT data. Thus, the data can improve predictions about who will commit new crimes in the future.

The study’s second research question involved changes youths experience during the residential stay. The average youth experienced a 28 percent increase in the “protective” factors expected to reduce later crime. The greatest improvements were in the use of basic social skills. By the end of their residential stay, youths were more likely — as observed within their facility — to effectively use social skills to deal with others, handle difficult situations, and control emotions and aggression.

Importantly, youths who experienced the greatest improvements during their residential stay were less likely to become reoffenders.

“Researchers have long sought to understand how youthful offenders experience their time in a residential facility,” said Carter Hay, professor of criminology and criminal justice at Florida State and principal investigator for the study. “For that small percentage of youths who need residential confinement, well-designed and well-implemented services can make a difference and lower reoffending.”

“What we’ve learned from this study will help the department craft policies that will enable us to protect public safety while also ensuring Florida’s at-risk and troubled youth have the greatest chance of leading successful lives,” said Florida DJJ secretary Wansley Walters. “Many of the youth who enter the juvenile justice system are bright, talented individuals with boundless potential to contribute to their communities. Being equipped with this information empowers us as an agency to make sure they receive the services they need to tap into that potential and prosper.”    

As a result of this study, DJJ will expand its use of the R-PACT to make assessments about which youths are most likely to reoffend, monitor youth changes during the residential stay, and inform supervision and treatment plans for youths, both during and after their residential stay.

Eppes Hall Open to Parents on October 4

As Florida State University gears up for Parent's Weekend on October 4, 2013, the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice is excited to announce that its new home on campus, Eppes Hall, will be open to its students and their parents on Friday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments and staff will be on-site to provide tours of the new home of the College, Eppes Hall. The College encourages all students to bring their families to Eppes Hall to enjoy our new amenities and get a first-hand look at how the field of criminology is advancing. 

Questions? Contact Lindsay Volpe at 850-645-9869.

New Career Development Opportunities Available to all Criminology & Criminal Justice Students

This fall, the Florida State University College of Criminology & Criminal Justice will unveil new career development opportunities for its students. A partnership with the FSU Career Center has yielded a series of services targeted specifically for the discipline of criminology and criminal justice and is desinged to facilitate the transition between undergraduate life and the professional arena or graduate school. 

Students are encouraged to take advantage of a wide variety of workshops, including the online Career Portfolio, how to prepare for and excel at interviews, determining if graduate school is a right fit, how to take advantage of criminology-focused internships, and how to research potential employers. For more information about any of these workshops, including when and where they are happening, visit our Career Development page.

 Inaugural Blue Light Memorial 5k Honors Fallen Officers

On September 11, 2013, nearly 120 runners participated in the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice's inaugural Blue Light Memorial 5k and candlelight vigil. The race served as a fundraiser for a permanent fallen officer memorial at the College on Florida State University's campus and brought in more than $7,500. As participants ran through FSU's campus they were cheered on by volunteers from the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy and Lambda Alpha Epsilon, a professional criminal justice fraternity. 

Immediately following the race, family, friends, students, and alumni gathered near historic Eppes Hall, the future site of the memorial, for a short candlelight vigil service to honor fallen officers. During the past several years, six FSU Criminology alumni have lost their lives while serving in the line of duty. Those celebrated and remembered include: Rogerio Rene Morales, Sergeant Daniel "Dale" Green, Special Agent Robert John Williams, Lieutenant Corey Dahlem, Ernest K. Ponce de Leon, and Scott Michael "Scotty" Roberson. 

College of Criminology & Criminal Justice Adopts Historic Building on FSU's Campus  

The College of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State University has officially moved into Historic Eppes Hall. Constructed in 1918, Eppes Hall was originally known as the Education Building and was the first building on campus devoted entirely to classroom use at the Florida State College for Women. As the College evolved into a major research university, and as academic units outgrew Eppes Hall, the building became home to a number of small programs looking for office and classroom space of their own. In need of a permanent owner, the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice adopted Eppes Hall as its new home on campus.

With a new owner - and millions of dollars' worth of renovations - Eppes Hall has been transformed into a state-of-the-art learning environment for Criminology and Criminal Justice students while maintaining its historical charm. The College invites visitors to stop by and explore Eppes Hall and to take note of traces of the original Florida State University; stonework owls, frogs, and the State Seal of Florida can be found all around the exterior of the building. Inside, students, faculty, and staff enjoy classrooms adorned with new technology, office suites designed for student-faculty collaboration, and the unique character of the original building. 

For more information, please visit the Eppes Timeline or browse our Eppes Hall Renovation photo album. 

Dr. Eric Baumer Elected VP of American Society of Criminology

Dr. Eric Baumer, Professor at Florida State University's College of Criminology & Criminal Justice, has been elected as Vice President of the American Society of Criminology (ASC). Along with the President, President-Elect, and Immediate Past President of ASC, Dr. Baumer will exercise leadership in the field of criminology nationally and abroad. The VP serves as part of the ASC Executive Committee, the ASC Executive Board, Chair of the Publications Committee,a nd Editor of the Criminologist. The College of Criminology & Criminal Justice is honored to have one of its esteemed faculty chosen for this prestigious role and anticipates another successful year of shaping the future of criminology.

Registration Open for Blue Light Memorial 5K Run/Walk

The College of Criminology & Criminal Justice is excited to announce that registration is now open for the upcoming Blue Light Memorial 5K Run/Walk event on September 11, 2013. The event is the first of its kind for the College and will be held in honor of law enforcement officers who have given their life while serving in the line of duty. All proceeds from the event will go toward a Fallen Officer Memorial at our new location on campus, historic Eppes Hall. The memorial will feature a space to engrave the names of fallen heroes and leave a lasting memory of their service and sacrifice. 

The event will include a 5K run/walk, food trucks for refreshment and a special candlelight vigil to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. To register to participate in the event, please click here. Early registration will be available until August 30 at 5 p.m. Late registration will be available online until September 11 at noon and in-person at the event site from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. on September 11. 

We hope you will join us as we celebrate and honor the law enforcement community!

 On-Site Career Event for Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office June 24-28

Aspiring to become a law enforcement professional? Then don't miss the upcoming on-site career event hosted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on June 24-28! Check out the flyer below for more details and information on how to register for this event or contact Elvira Huggins.

Father-Son Team Conducts Impressive Scholarly Study

The editorial board of Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management has selected a research project conducted by an FSU father-son team as one of the most impressive scholarly studies it published during 2012.

The article, written by William M. Doerner and William G. Doerner, examines the impact of professional accreditation on clearance rates in Florida police agencies over the 1997‒2006 period.

The junior Doerner was awarded the Ph.D. from the FSU Department of Economics in August, 2012.  He has since taken a position as an economist with a federal regulatory body, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, in Washington, DC.

The senior Doerner has been a member of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty since 1977.  Among his many accomplishments, the senior Doerner is a past editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice, has been recognized by the Southern Criminal Justice Association as its Criminal Justice Educator of the Year, and is the 2009 recipient of a national award from the American Society of Victimology.

Advising Hours Revised for Summer Term

The Undergraduate Advising Office in the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice have changed their walk in advising hours to better meet the needs of students taking classes during the summer of 2013. Effective immediately, walk in advising hours for undergraduate students will be from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m or by appointment through the end of summer. To schedule an advising appointment call 850-644-4052 today!

 Select Online Courses Available During Summer Term to Campus Students for Credit

The College of Criminology and Criminal Justice is excited to share that we are offering a new pilot program during the summer 2013 semester. Starting with the Summer C term, campus students can choose to take elective classes online that will count toward criminology major requirements!

CJL 4038: Law, Society and the Administration of Justice, CCJ 4938: Criminal Justice Policy, and CCJ 4614: Criminal and Delinquent Behavior will be available for the Summer C term and will count toward the Criminology major elective requirement.

It is important to highlight, though, that if you’ve been enrolled in these classes on campus you cannot receive dual credit for them. To receive credit, this must be the FIRST time students have taken the course unless they are re-enrolling because they failed the class in a prior semester. Also, please note that online courses have technology fees associated with them; therefore the cost of these courses will be slightly higher than the cost of campus courses.

We are very excited about offering this opportunity to our students and hope many will take full advantage of it. We wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you online this summer!

Summer C Term Registration Windows:

Continuing students: 6/20 8:00 AM and 6/21 11:59 PM

Add/drop for all students: 6/22 8:00 AM and 6/27 11:59 PM

First day of Summer C Classes: 6/24