ACTC OFFERS CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES ONLINE

All Criminal Justice (CJ) degrees and certificates at Ashland Community and Technical College are offered online to help busy students fit classes into their schedules. Many courses are also offered on campus for those who prefer face-to-face interaction with instructors and fellow students.

The CJ program offers four options for an Associate of Applied Science Degree: corrections, criminal justice, law enforcement and security/loss prevention.

The Corrections Option focuses on the operations of prisons and jails, juvenile justice, probation and other aspects of the corrections system.

The Criminal Justice Option provides an overview of corrections, juvenile justice, security and police operations, procedures and administration.

The Law Enforcement Option focuses on theory, principles and techniques used by law enforcement agencies and police units.

The Security Loss Protection Option includes systems and issues related to asset protection and physical security.

Certificates are offered in Computer Forensic Technology, Corrections, Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement and Security amp; Loss Prevention.

Corrections, criminal justice and law enforcement employment is found at the municipal, county, state and federal levels. Security/ loss protection jobs are found with businesses, industries, private and public organizations, and private security/protection agencies.

Job opportunities for police officers are expected to grow 10% through 2018 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Correctional officer job will increase by nine percent. Employment for private detectives and investigators is expected to grow 22 percent due to heightened security concerns, increased litigation, and the need to protect confidential information and property of all kinds

The CJ program at ACTC provides knowledge of the theory, principles and techniques employed by police units, law enforcement agencies, corrections institutions and security operations. Courses include criminal justice theory, criminal law, procedures and investigations, police work, delinquency and juvenile justice, and criminalistics.

Fall classes include Intro to Law Enforcement, Community Corrections/Probations amp; Parole,

Liability amp; Legal Issues, Principles of Asset Protection, Criminal Investigations, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedures, Intro to Criminal Justice, Intro to Criminalistics, Issues/Ethics in Criminal Justice, Prison amp; Jail Administration and Terrorism amp; Political Violence.

Whether online or in person, the criminal justice instructors at ACTC bring years of experience to their classes. Professor and Program Coordinator Don OPell is a former Ashland police captain with 30 years of law enforcement experience. Associate Professor Daniel Cooksey worked with the Metropolitan Crime Commission of New Orleans and was director of corporate security for a Fortune 500 company

Part-time instructors include Scott Hill, Director of Safety and Security at Kings Daughters Medical Center, Beverly Sharp, a retired supervisor with the Federal Corrections System; and James Howard, Commander of the Adult Police Academy at Collins Career Center and former chief investigator with the Lawrence County OH Sheriffs Department,

We bring real world experiences into class as much as possible, OPell said. We give students perspective on how textbook theories and procedures are applied in real situations.

For information on the Criminal Justice Program, email OPell at: don.opell@kctcs.edu or call 606-326-2217. Class schedules and admission forms are online at www.kctcs.edu, and August 3 is the deadline to apply for fall classes.