DSST Criminal Justice Exam covers the basics of: criminal behavior, police, the court system, sentencing issues, adult prison systems and juvenile correction alternatives. Exam content outline: 1. Criminal Behavior – 15% a. Defining crime (i.e., what is crime, accepted definitions of crime) b. Types of crime (e.g., felonies, misdemeanors) c. Juvenile delinquency (i.e., emergence, risk factors, causation) d. Measurement of crime and delinquency (e.g., Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), evaluation, survey data, research data, methods of data e.... Show more

DSST Criminal Justice Exam covers the basics of: criminal behavior, police, the court system, sentencing issues, adult prison systems and juvenile correction alternatives.

Exam content outline:

1. Criminal Behavior – 15%
a. Defining crime (i.e., what is crime, accepted definitions of crime)
b. Types of crime (e.g., felonies, misdemeanors)
c. Juvenile delinquency (i.e., emergence, risk factors, causation)
d. Measurement of crime and delinquency (e.g., Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), evaluation, survey data, research data, methods of data
e. Crime in the United states (i.e., rate, trends)
f. Theories of crime

2. Criminal Justice System – 25%
a. Historical origins and legal foundations (i.e., statutory, common law, case law, procedural and substantive law etc.)
b. Crime control model versus due process model
c. Criminal justice agencies (i.e., law enforcement, courts and corrections)

3. Law Enforcement – 20%
a. History of policing
b. Types of law enforcement agencies
c. Law enforcement roles and responsibilities (e.g. use of discretion, integrity, community safety)
d. Issues and trends in policing (e.g., Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), subculture and demographics (e.g., race, gender, age etc.))

4. Court System – 20%
a. History of the court system
b. Organization, structure and levels of the court system
c. Adult and Juvenile court systems
d. Pretrial, trial and post-trial processes (e.g., bail, plea bargaining, prosecutorial discretion, judicial discretion, diversion, waiver, jury, and verdict)
e. Sentencing options and trends

5. Corrections – 20%
a. History of corrections
b. Philosophies of punishment (e.g., rehabilitation, restoration, deterrence, incapacitation, retribution)
c. Intermediate status (i.e., probation, parole)
d. Adult prison facilities (i.e., administration and overcrowding)
e. Juvenile correctional facilities (i.e., types, functions, and controversies)
f. Capital punishment (e.g., legal process, controversies)
g. Inmate characteristics (i.e., subculture, gangs and demographics)
h. Issues and trends (i.e., inmate rights, security, healthcare, privatization and wrongful conviction)

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