Priority registration for the Spring 2019 semester begins on November 9, 2018. Here's our preview of elective and selective courses offered by the Justice and Legal Studies programs this spring — just click on the header for the course in which you're interested.

 See the full Spring 2019 class schedule here.

• JUST A332 — Environmental Crime Prevention

  JUST A332 — Environmental Crime Prevention

  Spring 2019
  Monday/Wednesday, 11:30 to 12:45 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST A200 and JUST A201 and (JUST A251 or SOC A251).
  CRN: 37051

  We can reduce crime without trying to make people better. This course explores how this is possible through altering the environment to reduce opportunities to commit crime. We’ll look at practical applications of different aspects of environmental crime prevention such as defensible space, crime prevention through environmental design, situational crime prevention, and problem-oriented policing.

  This class will be useful if you

  • want to learn how to reduce your own risk of being a crime victim;
  • work in retail and want to keep customers and employees from stealing from you;
  • are curious about the relationship between human behavior and design of places;
  • are in real estate and want to provide safer spaces for your tenants;
  • wonder how urban design and street patterns contribute to crime.

  Prerequisites a problem? Ask about a registration override!

  For more information, contact Prof. Sharon Chamard at sechamard@alaska.edu or 786-1813.

• JUST A366 —Substance Use and Crime

  JUST A366 — Substance Use and Crime

  Spring 2019
  Tuesday/Thursday 2:30 to 3:45 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST 110
  CRN: 37053

  What’s the relation between substance use and crime? What is the underlying mechanism? How does society treat drug-involved offenders?

  Contact Dr. Yeungjeom Lee at ylee41@alaska.edu with questions.

• JUST A374 — The Courts

  JUST A374 — The Courts

  Spring 2019
  Tuesday/Thursday 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST 110 or LEGL 101
  CRN: 31496

  Required course for Legal Studies B.A.
  Selective course for Justice B.A.
  Selective course for Paralegal AAS, PBCT

  Who really has the power in the court room? How did our courts evolve? What happens as a case moves through the legal system? Where do you find modern research on the courts’ impact on law, society, and politics? Find out in our class!

  For more info, contact Prof. Kristin Knudsen at kknudsen@alaska.edu or 786-4885.

• JUST A432 — Crime Analysis & Mapping

  JUST A432 — Crime Analysis & Mapping

  Spring 2019
  Tuesdays 2:30 to 5:15 PM
  GER Capstone & Upper-Division Elective

  Prerequisites: JUST A200 & JUST A201 with a C or better
  CRN: 31500

  Crime analysis is the practical application of data analysis — and is essential to many modern approaches to solving crime problems. Focused on doing analysis instead of talking about it, this course introduces crime analysis tasks based on scenarios commonly faced by crime analysts in law enforcement agencies throughout the US.
  The course gives students practical training in ArcGIS for Desktop and Excel, two of the most commonly-used tools in the industry. Enrollment includes a one-year academic license for ArcGIS for installation on your computer.

  Contact: Dr. Troy Payne, tpayne9@alaska.edu

• JUST A434 — Police–Community Relations

  JUST A434 — Police–Community Relations

  Spring 2019
  Monday/Wednesday 2:30 to 3:45 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST A110, JUST A200, and JUST A201
  CRN: 37054

  At the heart of democratic governance are notions of limited authority, equality before the law, citizen voice and participation, legitimacy, and consent. Due to their unique capacity to use force in order to obtain compliance, and because they represent to embodiment of governmental power and authority to most citizens, the police represent an institutional site of ongoing social and cultural conflict. In this course we will explore the nature of the relationships that exist between police and the many “publics” they serve, the factors that influence and give shape to those relationships, and to evaluate the implications of police – community relations for policing a democratic society.

  Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr. Brad Myrstol at bamyrstol@alaska.edu or 907.786.1837 with questions.

  Course prerequisites a problem? Ask about a registration override!

• JUST A445 — Probation, Parole and Community Corrections

  JUST A445 — Probation, Parole and Community Corrections

  Spring 2019
  Monday/Wednesday 1:00 to 2:15 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST 110 & Junior/Senior Standing
  CRN: 31502

  Course covers the history and development of probation and parole, including notions of rehabilitation, reentry and reintegration. Investigates evidence-based standards, numerous and diverse types of supervision, treatment, control, restoration and supportive programs for criminal offenders within the community.

  Questions? Contact Dr. Rita Augustyn at rjaugustyn2@alaska.edu or 907-786-4302

• JUST A490-001 — Homelessness and Crime

  JUST A490-001 — Homelessness and Crime (Contemporary Justice Issues)
  

  Spring 2019
  Monday/Wednesday, 10:00 to 11:15 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST A11O with Junior or Senior standing (exceptions made upon instructor approval)
  CRN: 37056 (Note: There are multiple JUST A490 sections. Be sure to use CRN: 37056)

  What are best practices to move people out of homelessness? How do we deal with crime and other social problems associated with homelessness? How can we reduce the very high rates of victimization among homeless people? Who becomes homeless and why?

  Ask about an override if you have a Social Science GER other than JUST A110.

  For more information, contact Prof. Sharon Chamard at sechamard@alaska.edu or 786-1813.

• JUST A490-002 — Victimization

  JUST A490-002 — Victimization  (Contemporary Justice Issues)

  Spring 2019
  Tuesday/Thursday 1:00 to 2:15 PM

  Prerequisites: JUST A11O with Junior or Senior standing (exceptions made upon instructor approval)
  CRN: 37057 (Note: There are multiple JUST A490 sections. Be sure to use CRN: 37057)

  The study of victimization is among the most complex topics in criminology. The complexity starts with trying to understand victimization itself. Why are people victimized? What does it mean to be victimized? What is harm? The complexity increases when we seek justice for those who have been victimized. What does justice mean for victims? Can justice for victims be integrated into a fair and balanced justice system?
  Through our semester long exploration, we will seek to answer these and other questions and to envision how social systems might more adequately respond to and enable justice for victims of crime.
  Register today!

  No textbook (all readings provided via Blackboard, free of charge)

  Contact Dr. Ingrid Johnson at idjohnson@alaska.edu or (907) 786-1126 with questions.

• LEGL/JUST A380 — Torts, Workers’ Compensation & Insurance Law

  LEGL/JUST A380 — Torts, Workers’ Compensation & Insurance Law

  Spring 2019
  Monday/Wednesday 5:30 to 6:45 PM

  Prerequisites: LEGL A101 (minimum grade C) & LEGL 215 (minimum grade C)
  CRN: 37060

  There are 26 million disabling injuries every year in the U.S.—and the economic cost of those injuries reach into the hundreds of billions. Why is the compensation system for such injuries so expensive, burdensome , inadequate, and slow? Does it work to deter unsafe conduct and products? Is it possible to be both fair and administratively efficient? Studying tort law involves a lot more than learning doctrinal rules—it integrates a fundamental understanding of the American legal system. It’s also a great way to learn some professional skills in a true-to-life setting.

  For more info, contact Prof. Kristin Knudsen at kknudsen@alaska.edu or 786-4885.

  If course prerequisites are a problem, ask about a registration override.

"60 Years Later: The Alaska Constitution, History in Context" drew over 75 attendees on October 12 at the UAA/APU Consortium Library. The symposium, held in anticipation of the sixtieth anniversary of Alaska statehood, was co-sponsored by the UAA Justice Center and the Alaska Law Review in cooperation with the Historians Committee of the Alaska Bar Association.  Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., was the Justice Center faculty coordinator for this event. The Alaska Law Review will be publishing an issue at a later date with articles prepared for the symposium, which will be linked from this page.

Below is the keynote address by Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law. Videos of all sessions as well as symposium materials are available for download on our event page. For more info about the event, including photos, read our blog post.

The 18-04 and 18-05 (September 2018) issues of the AJiC Fact Sheet present data on drug sale and manufacture arrests and drug possession arrests in Alaska for 1986 to 2017. Data are drawn from the annual Crime in Alaska report of the Alaska Department of Public Safety, which represents the State of Alaska's contribution to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) program.

"Drug Sale and Manufacture Arrests Reported in Alaska, 1986–2017" (AJiC Fact Sheet 18-04) presents data on drug sale and manufacture arrests reported by Alaska law enforcement agencies for the 32-year period 1986 to 2017. Overall, the drug sale and manufacture arrest rate consistently declined between 1997 and 2017.  > LEARN MORE

"Drug Possession Arrests Reported in Alaska, 1986–2017" (AJiC Fact Sheet 18-05) presents presents data on drug sale possession arrests reported by Alaska law enforcement agencies for the 32-year period 1986 to 2017. Overall, the drug possession arrest rate plateaued between 1998 and 2010, consistently declined from 2010 to 2016, and slightly increased in 2017.  > LEARN MORE

The fact sheets are by Benjamin Ervin, Research Professional,  Alaska Justice Information Center (AJiC). The AJiC Fact Sheet series addresses various crime and criminal justice topics.

The 2018 summer edition of the Alaska Justice Forum looks at the ongoing challenges of cleaning up contaminated sites in Alaska and its disproportionate impact on rural Alaska Native communities.

> READ THE ISSUE