PULLMAN, Wash. – In England, a coroner is more an investigating magistrate than someone who conducts autopsies. That’s among the differences discovered by students in Washington State University’s Criminal Justice Study Abroad CRM J 491 course during a spring break visit to London.
“Visiting the variety of criminal justice institutions really opened my eyes to the differences between our system and theirs,” said Zachery Kadolph, political science major.
In its second year, the course was comprised of 16 WSU students, including two from the Vancouver and Global campuses. The class will be offered next spring, though the week abroad may be spent elsewhere, perhaps Amsterdam, said Melanie-Angela Neuilly, course developer and organizer.
Students visited British criminal justice institutions including police, courts and a prison. They toured New Scotland Yard and were walked through a murder case.
They also did some more traditional tourist sightseeting.
“Taking advantage of the study abroad program at WSU was the best decision I’ve made,” said Madison Hodge, criminal justice and criminology major. “Nothing compares to getting more cultural experience.”
“You learn so much more from simply being in another country than you could from reading any textbook,” Kadolph added.
Each student will complete a final paper combining scholarly research with first-hand experience of criminal justice in London and present it to the class.