Criminal Justice
The Wenatchee Valley College Criminal Justice program provides students with an understanding of the adult and juvenile criminal justice processes, its agencies, personnel and historical foundations. The program emphasizes the key components of the criminal justice system, police, corrections, juvenile justice, and judicial systems. Realistic, practical exercises, mock scenes and modern technical and scientific applications will be used to teach modern day American police practices. Students will study crime prevention and tactical crime and intelligence analysis and its importance to investigation and patrol divisions. Students will also study the psychology of victims, crisis de-escalation and intervention, and identification of social services available in the community. At the end of the first year, students will have finished the certificate program in corrections in which specific emphasis will be placed on the application of this education toward institutional and community supervision within the criminal correctional field.
Criminal convictions may eliminate a candidate from consideration for certain types of employment in the field. Note also that employment typically requires a candidate to be at least 21 years of age. For more information, contact the criminal justice program coordinator, Randy Grant at 509-682-6727.
Criminal Justice Programs
- Corrections Certificate
- Associate of Technical Science Degree (ATS)
- Associate in Applied Science-Transfer Degree (AAS-T)
Successful students may attain an associate of technical science (ATS) degree or an associate in applied science-transfer (AAS-T) degree after two years of course work. English and mathematics courses require qualifying assessment scores or acceptable preparatory coursework in those subjects. See the course descriptions for details.
Twelve regional law enforcement agencies in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties employ more than 200 officers. Criminal justice graduates are qualified to work as dispatchers, police and sheriff's patrol officers, corrections officers, and records managers within the justice system. U.S. government agencies hire individuals with criminal justice backgrounds as border patrol agents, drug enforcement officers and other enforcement positions.
Students who complete the ATS in criminal justice will be able to:
- Communicate effectively in writing in order to document the actions of criminals, investigators, corrections officers and probation officers and meet the requirements of the American court system.
- Research the elements of criminal and procedural law in order to define criminal activity for adult offenders and juvenile delinquency.
- Assess crime scenes and criminal activity for the purpose of investigating the dynamics of criminal motivation.
- Think critically in the criminal justice setting and develop leadership qualities through examination and verbal communication of adversarial issues.
- Understand and articulate the evolution of the criminal justice system in American through the study of history and efforts of governmental and private sources to shape society and achieve improvements in the justice system.
- Recognize the dynamics of victims of criminal activity and identify the community’s social services and other resources to assist those victims.
- Complete a job application, resume and prepare for civil service testing procedures in local, state and federal criminal justice professions.
- Acquire training and education to seek employment or advance in current employment.
- Develop a foundation to continue their studies in criminal justice or related fields.