Criminal justice travel course planned

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Northeast Texas Community College will offer an exciting new travel study opportunity next summer. The NTCC criminal justice and sociology departments are hosting a trip to south Texas that will provide real-world insight into various areas of the criminal justice system.

The trip is scheduled for May 16-22, 2016. Students will travel in a luxury motor coach for a week jam-packed with activities and destinations. Tours will include a maximum security prison for women in Gatesville, the Texas Ranger museum in Waco, the Travis County Jail, the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab in Austin, the Texas State Capitol building in Austin, and a juvenile maximum security prison Brownsville. Students will also get to visit with the FBI and conduct police ride-alongs with the San Antonio Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff's Office and Brownsville Police Department. Plenty of free time is built into the schedule to allow for leisure activities like touring the Alamo and River Walk in San Antonio and the trip will end with a full day on the beach on South Padre Island.

"There is no doubt that this will be a busy week. We have scheduled activities that cover the broad spectrum of the criminal justice system. This is great for students who are trying to decide what area of the field they might want to pursue," Bob Hedges, NTCC Professor of Criminal Justice, said.

Students interested in participating in the travel course must be enrolled for class in the spring 2016 semester and be approved for the travel class by one of the sponsoring instructors. †After enrolling in the course, students will also be required to attend a minimum of three class meetings during the spring semester. Those wishing to take the course for personal enrichment only may also be able to attend if space is available. The class is limited to 40 participants.

"We have done similar trips in the past and they have been very successful. In addition to the educational value, it is also a fun cultural experience where you can have a great time and make new friends," Hedges said.

The cost for the travel class is tuition for the three-hour course plus $688 to cover lodging and transportation. †Financial aid may be used to pay for the travel course.

For more information, contact Bob Hedges at 903-434-8266 or by email atbhedges@ntcc.edu, or Windell Doddy at 903-434-8227 or by email atwdoddy@ntcc.edu. Interested students can also stop by to visit Hedges IT room 106 or Doddy in Humanities Office A.