Welcome to the Department of Justice Studies at San José State University!
Our department offers degrees in Justice Studies, Forensic Science, Human Rights, and Legal Studies.
Student Engagement
Justice Studies Lecturer Joseph DiSalvo introduces Justice Studies majors Ivan Santana and Nathan Castro to Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.
Alpha Phi Sigma
Our student group is dedicated to making a difference on campus, the community, and in the Justice Studies society.
The Human Rights Group
Students from this group have the opportunity to explore the history and structure of formal human rights. The group provided information to the guest of our department event.
Chi Pi Sigma
Chi Pi Sigma is the oldest criminal justice fraternity in the US, founded in 1935. Our student groups offer multiple opportunities for students to socialize and become involved in justice-related activities.
Department of Justice Studies Statement
The recent death of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have left African American/Black communities, and their allies, profoundly shaken. Their deaths are not isolated incidents, but rather represent a longstanding legacy of violence and brutalization by police organizations against communities of color.Throughout the history of this country, police agencies have enforced slave codes and black codes, ignored or condoned lynchings and other forms of racial terror, enforced the segregationist Jim Crow regime, and helped to build the contemporary era of mass incarceration.
The nationwide protests of our time urge us not only to reflect on the centuries of injustice against Black individuals and communities, but to act immediately to end it.
We stand in solidarity with all those who have expressed outrage against police violence, with our sisters and brothers of all colors and creeds who stand together to create social change, as well as those law enforcement officers who have joined protestors to denounce state-sanctioned violence.
We recognize how systemic racism is deeply embedded into social institutions, including Universities. In the Department of Justice Studies, we are committed to examining our curriculum, resources, and practices to become more aligned with social justice values and anti-racist practices.
Below are some initiatives that will be undertaken by our faculty:
1. Removal of scholarships with a legacy of white supremacy.We pledge to divest from student scholarships that are tied to white supremacy such as our J. Edgar Hoover and Willard “Huck” Schmidt scholarships.
2. Funding initiatives for college students.
We are committed to identifying and making socially just funding opportunities available to students who encounter challenges paying for their education.
3. Reforming, demilitarizing, or defunding police departments.
We embrace our wide spectrum of scholars and practitioners, all with different methods but similar goals, who aim to end state-sanctioned violence.
4. Curricular innovations.
We will work to identify gaps in our curriculum to help students fully understand the relationship between structural racism, the criminal legal system, and state-sanctioned violence.
5. Community panels/discussions.
We commit to developing lectures on state-sanctioned violence, police brutality, and mass incarceration that will be open to students and the community.
6. Systemic racism.
We recognize that systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence have historically impacted the lives of many groups. Our approach is to be inclusive in our initiatives and programming.
7. Faculty hiring.
We remain committed to hiring critical scholars whose work prioritizes police and prison abolition, demilitarization, racism, anti-blackness, and community restorative justice.
In solidarity,
The Department of Justice Studies Faculty
Attention All Students!
Justice Studies Department Office Hours (ZOOM)
Monday - Friday:
10:00 am - 12:00 pm Pacific Time (US and Canada)
You may also reach out to us via email: justice-studies@sjsu.edu
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android:
https://sjsu.zoom.us/j/106745140
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +16699006833,,106745140# or +13462487799,,106745140#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location)
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923
Meeting ID: 106 745 140
International numbers available: https://sjsu.zoom.us/u/adcM4YELti
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323:
162.255.37.138
Meeting ID: 106 745 140
SIP: 106745140@vip2.zoomcrc.com
The 2021 Justice Studies Department Scholarship Application Period is now open, until April 9th, 2021.
These scholarships, worth $1,000 to $6000, are available to undergraduate and graduate students in Justice Studies—over $25,000 in scholarships! Students may apply for more than one scholarship if they meet the eligibility requirements.
The Justice Studies Department
VIRTUAL FALL RECOGNITION CELEBRATION
Featuring student speakers, faculty videos, and individual recognition of each graduate will be posted online.
Saturday, December 19 at 6:00 PM at https://sjsujstaskforce.org/jsconvocation
Important information regarding Graduation Applications
All graduation paperwork, including Graduation Application, Major/Minor Forms, and Substitution Forms, must be signed off by your advisor electronically.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your JS or FS major advisor online via email or ZOOM HERE.
The Department of Justice Studies is offering a new Forensic Science concentration
starting Fall 2020 - Digital Evidence
For the Forensic Science Digital Evidence concentration degree requirements, please visit the SJSU catalog website.
CAPS is operating all of its services remotely.
As of April 8th, CAPS is operating all of its services remotely. Students can receive services by calling the CAPS main line at (408) 924-5910 during their hours:
Monday - Thursday:
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday:
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Services are being provided either by phone or video conference, utilizing Zoom Health for our video sessions—a secure, encrypted, HIPAA compliant service.
Individual personal and educational counseling, as well as clinical case management appointments, are available and students can get a scheduled appointment within 7-10 days. Crisis intervention services are currently being covered by our clinical counselors during business hours. After-hour crisis intervention services continue to be available by calling the main line at (408) 924-5910, and selecting option 4. Psychiatric services are available Tuesday - Thursday, by calling the Student Health Center appointment line at (408) 924-6122.
For more information, please visit the CAPS website.
Graduate Programs: M.S. Justice Studies and M.S. Criminology
Are you interested in continuing your education in justice studies?
By obtaining an M.S. in Justice Studies, graduates are prepared for careers in criminal justice administration, research and policy centers, public institutions, community organizations and nonprofit agencies, as well as for doctoral programs and research positions in public agencies.
If you are interested in furthering your education in justice, we encourage you to learn about the opportunities available to you in the Department of Justice Studies.
For more information about what the program entails or if you have any specific questions, please visit the Graduate Page.