The School of Criminal Justice
A multidisciplinary approach to reducing crime
Archived article from Sep 24, 1999
By Irene O'Brien
The School of Criminal Justice on the Newark campus is in the midst of a yearlong celebration of its 25th anniversary. According to Leslie Kennedy, appointed dean of the School of Criminal Justice a year ago, there are signs of the growing stature of criminology within the academic environment.
"The last decade, in particular, has brought about a change in the way society views crime," he said. "This has had an impact on the university level, where the approach to studying crime and its effect on society, as well as ways in which to combat crime, has become multidisciplinary. Bringing in scholars and students from the fields of psychology, law, sociology, anthropology, health care and statistical research has created a very exciting time for our faculty and students."
Kennedy added that the School of Criminal Justice is looking for ways to develop mutually advantageous partnerships with other academic departments and programs at Rutgers. "For example, we plan to provide support to the new Center for Metropolitan Studies on the Newark campus. Through our strong research methodology, we can help the center bridge the gap between the academic environment and the greater community. Our faculty is proficient in taking raw data and applying it to real-world situations."
The School of Criminal Justice is also discussing partnering with the College of Nursing on a project involving health care in the prison system. Although plans are very preliminary, Kennedy feels that the combined expertise from each school could lead to some groundbreaking research.
During the coming years, Kennedy said that part of the school's focus will be to have a positive impact on the Newark community. "Enhancing the quality of life in Newark is one of the school's goals," he stated. "Much of our faculty's research on youth violence and environmental crime prevention could ultimately result in improving the living and working environments of students and faculty as well as residents of neighboring communities."
Highlights of the silver-anniversary celebration include the dedication of the new Center for Law and Justice, held Sept. 9. The center will house the School of Criminal Justice beginning in the spring term. In addition, Kennedy appointed a steering committee to establish an alumni association for the first time in the school's history.
A spring 2000 conference on "Crime Prevention Through Police Practices" will go beyond Newark to the international community, bringing together influential academics and practitioners. The weeklong program will be conducted by George Kelling and William Bratton. Kelling, a professor of criminal justice in Newark, is one of the world's most prominent criminal-justice scholars and co-author of the 1982 "broken windows" theory, which stressed the importance of controlling petty offenses as a first step in reducing serious violent crime. Based on Kelling's theory, Bratton developed successful crime-prevention practices as police commissioner in Boston and New York City. He now serves as president and chief operating officer of Carco Group Inc., a company that provides fraud-detection services.
The audience will include police chiefs and municipal leaders of major metropolitan areas around the world. The proceedings, scheduled for May14 through May 19, will be videotaped and reproduced in an electronic format to aid police departments in developing better crime-prevention methods.
Kennedy believes that the school's new quarters in the Center for Law and Justice will only add to its strength. "Our world-class faculty has always been our strength. Now we will have the added benefit of a state-of-the-art setting for teaching, learning and research. This will surely help us continue to attract the most talented students in this growing field."
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