Criminal Justice Club to transform

The Criminal Justice Club (CJC) has sought to increase awareness and respect for the field of criminal justice since its inception in 2003.
That goal has not changed.
This year, what will change is the name of the CJC. Annette Ross-Gray, who is an associate professor in the Criminal Justice Department, said that a club implies fun and games. She hopes that by changing the name to Criminal Justice Advocacy Group the club will become a more active part of the college.
“Clubs sounds like a lot of what these other clubs do, they get together and have Sinclair pay for the pizza and they watch a movie or they dance and sing,” said Jeff Patzer, associate professor in the Criminal Justice Department. “I want members enhancing their resumes, portfolios, making contacts inside and outside of Sinclair. So that at the end of the day when they are all done with this advocacy group they can bring something tangible to an employer.”
Exposure to the field of Criminal Justice, community service and training are some of the possible benefits of the club.
While the club has been around for more than nine years, Ross-Gray said that with a new name and outlook, the club is starting to get “geared up and going.”
The second meeting was May 1, from 12-1 p.m. in Building 9 Room 303. The next meeting will be held on May 8.
“It’ll be up to the students, they run the club, we just advise them,” Patzer said. “I can’t speak for them and say they will take on this project because that is up to them to develop their leadership and get themselves organized.”
Possible activities that the club may engage in include information gathering, writing and submitting articles for publication and community service projects.
In the past, the advocacy group has partnered with the Joint Vocational School to help students who want to matriculate to Sinclair. The advocacy group provides information about the criminal justice courses offered and campus life at Sinclair.
Various events in the past include donating Thanksgiving baskets to families, donating gift cards on Christmas for families in need and participating in the Safety Expo.
The club is open for anyone that wants to be an advocate for justice.
“Those are only ideas that you can encourage [the members] to do. We can only guide them in a certain direction,” Ross-Gray said. “Come see what’s going on in the Criminal Justice Department.”
For more information or if you have any questions, contact Ross-Gray at 512-2277 or Patzer at 512-2349.