Goal

• Criminal justice programs should incorporate more behavioral science courses.
• We recommend that college advisors and professors encourage students to seek and get a certificate of study in diversity.
• We also recommend that students learn a second language.

Sample Learning Objectives

1. Describe common theories related to motivating behavioral change.
2. Describe research related to adolescent brain development.
3. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of psychological theories, sociological theories and biological theories related to criminal behavior.
4. Explain the effect of trauma on the justice-involved population.
5. Recognize the effect that mental illness has on offending and behavior change.
6. Recognize the effect that substance use disorders have on offending and behavior change.
7. Recognize the effect that brain impairment issues have on offending and behavior change.
8. Identify common criminal thinking (i.e., cognitive) errors.
9. Discuss types of cognitive interventions used with individuals on supervision.
10. Identify methods practitioners can use to enhance an individual’s internal motivation.
11. Explain the key aspects of probation/parole officers as change agents.
12. Summarize differential interventions used for special populations of offenders (e.g., women offenders, sex offenders, domestic violence offenders).
13. Describe how cultural competency of corrections professionals affects supervision outcomes and behavior change.