The 2019 Best Colleges for Criminal Justice in America ranking is produced by Niche.com, a site that produces annual rankings and analysis on thousands of K-12 schools, colleges, cities, and employers. On the best criminal justice programs list, La Sierra landed ahead of such schools as Florida State University, Rutgers University, Ohio State University and others.
The La Sierra criminal justice program, which was launched in fall 2010, operates under the umbrella of the College of Arts & Sciences at two campuses in Corona and Ontario. Since its inception, the program has expanded to reach enrollment last fall of 255 students. It offers Bachelor of Science degrees in criminal justice for those aiming for careers in public safety, criminal law, private security, court administration, forensics or corrections.
Students learn from faculty members who possess extensive professional experience in various fields of criminal justice working for such agencies as the Orange County Probation Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s forensics unit, the U.S. Government Accountability Office, and other entities. The program also provides many hands-on learning activities such as an EVOC police driving simulator, crime lab, tactical training room and mock trial courtroom.
The program is based at a Seventh-day Adventist Christian university which places a strong emphasis on the spiritual life and development of its students. Bell attributes the program’s growth to God’s blessing.
“It grew by the grace of God,” Bell said. “We believe that God blessed our program, that the faith and the grace of God was on our program, and we were able to mix academics with practical application which is attractive to young people. Also because we are a Christian university, students are learning biblical principles that help them deal with tough decision-making, and are acquiring biblical wisdom that helps them understand the spiritual underpinnings of justice.”
Riverside native Edson Lucero Gonzalez graduated from the criminal justice program in 2017 and was accepted into the Los Angeles Police Academy, the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
“I like helping people, especially younger individuals,” said Gonzalez. Police officers are in a position to directly influence and support young people and teach them constructive ways of dealing with life and its challenges, he said. He noted that news and social media posts often depict police in a negative light.
Gonzalez learned about La Sierra’s criminal justice degree when he attended a workshop at Norte Vista High School led by Bell.
Gonzalez’s criminal justice degree directly impacted his work as an officer. English classes provided writing skills needed to write police reports and forensic classes and mock trials prepared him for giving testimony in court. “The critical thinking classes I had helped me out on patrol,” he said.
Senior criminal justice student Keoni Oliver was born in Pasadena and lived in Wasilla, Ala. for more than 14 years where his parents live and where his father, John Oliver, a La Sierra alum, is a physician. While Oliver comes from a long line of physicians going back to his great grandparents, he is pursuing a career in criminal justice and national security. This winter quarter he is engaged in a directed study researching hate groups, politics and media, and the forces that drive young people to join hate groups.
Oliver is considering pursuing a master’s degree in Homeland Security at the Raphael Recanati International School in Israel. He has read many books on Middle East conflict, enjoys reading about forensics and researching law enforcement-related news, he said. Last year he was able to personally experience the Middle East by joining an archaeological expedition in Jordan organized by La Sierra’s Center for Near Eastern Archaeology.
Oliver has thoroughly immersed himself in the criminal justice program by assisting professors with their classes, setting up mock crime scenes, helping with weapons defense classes, and handling IT and tech support. Knowledge and skills he has acquired along the way include conflict resolution and the ability to interview people, as well as the capability for interpersonal communication that can be used to mitigate dangerous situations, he said.
“I love it,” said Oliver.
The criminal justice faculty members at La Sierra spoke recently about the subjects they teach and the experiences they bring into the classroom.
Lowell Smith, former probation officer, extremism expert - Lowell Smith, assistant criminal justice professor, spent more than 15 years of his 26-year career as an Orange County probation officer supervising individuals associated with white supremacist gangs and extremists. Smith teaches classes on street gangs and terrorism, research ethics in criminal justice and victimology, and a class that covers social and gender roles in terrorism and critical sociological issues. He talks to the students about the need for the prevention of human trafficking, and for mental health and drug treatment and counseling as important aspects of the national security effort. “Domestic terrorism has harmed more Americans than foreign terrorism,” said Smith.
Carlton Fuller, former Riverside County Sheriff forensics manager - Carlton Fuller is passionate about his field of work and about teaching. He leads classes in blood spatter analysis and forensic photography for the criminal justice program, and has written courses and objectives for the forensic science emphasis. His students learn how investigators profile criminals and figure out how they think.
Fuller brings 28 years of experience with the Riverside County Sheriff’s office, 19 of which he served as the county’s forensics unit manager. He started in the forensics unit in 1997 and wrote training manuals, procedures and grants. “It kind of prepped me for writing curriculum,” he said.
Kelly Bradley, former government analyst - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Kelly Bradley teaches classes on public policy, corrections and criminology, as well as a course this year on miscarriages of justice.
She also leads a dynamic class on public policy in criminal justice. The class final project involves students assigned to task forces to come up with solutions for different active shooter situations such as the tragedy that occurred in Florida at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the 2017 congressional baseball team shooting, the Sutherland Springs, Texas church shooting, and the Route 91 Harvest music festival attack in Las Vegas. “In criminal justice we don’t work in isolation. We want to make sure they [students] are comfortable working with all kinds of people,” she said.