Welcome to the Amarillo College Criminal Justice Programs website. Amarillo College has a rich history in the criminal justice community and has served Amarillo and the Panhandle exceptionally. 

Criminal Justice Programs, located on the West Campus is home to a wide range of programs, including Criminal Justice Associate in Science and Criminal Justice Associate in Applied Science Degrees and Certificates, conferences, and courses for criminal justice professionals.

TCLEOSE

Criminal Justice Programs is an approved provider for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE). Peace Officers in the State of Texas are required to complete 80 hours of In-Service Training every 4 years. Criminal Justice Programs holds conferences and classes in Amarillo and throughout the Panhandle to serve the needs of all area law enforcement agencies, officers, and criminal justice professionals.

Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy

The cornerstone of Criminal Justice Programs is the Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy. The Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy at Amarillo College has trained people for careers in law enforcement since the early 1970s. The training for Basic Peace Officers operates under the mandates of TCLEOSE. Students completing the law enforcement academy will be authorized to take the state licensing exam. The law enforcement academy provides 24 academic credit hours, and a student may earn a Criminal Justice Degree as an Associate in Applied Science or Certificate in law enforcement.

Forensic Science Degree

Criminal Justice Programs now offers a Forensic Science Degree. The Forensic Science Degree was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in September 2006. The Forensic Science Degree is 63 academic hours and is taught with an interdisciplinary approach of criminal justice, biology and psychology to provide the student with the full picture of the forensic science field. For more information on the jobs available in forensic science visit www.forensicsciencesfoundation.org.

Criminal Justice Degree

Criminal Justice Programs continues to offer the Criminal Justice Degree as an Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science Degrees and Certificates. Most classes are now offered on-line. By Fall 2008, students may obtain a  Criminal Justice Degree completely on-line.

Intervention Programs

Intervention Programs, a part of the Criminal Justice Programs and sometimes referred to as Offender Education Programs, primarily serves individuals who have legal issues and have been ordered to complete a course as a requirement by a court or legal official. However, all courses are open to the general public and can be beneficial to those seeking assistance in a particular area addressed by these programs.

Conferences

Criminal Justice Programs holds a variety of conferences and trainings each year targeted primarily to criminal justice professionals and secondarily to other related professionals, such as substance abuse counselors, licensed social workers and counselors, CPS caseworkers, CASA volunteers, nurses, teachers and school administrators, among others. We are approved to provide the following certification credits:

• TCLEOSE (law enforcement)
   
• CJAD (adult probation)
   
• TJPC (juvenile probation)
   
• TCBAP (substance abuse)
   
• MCLE (state bar/attorneys), as well as general CEUs.
   

Through college affiliates, we also offer nursing, LPC/LMFT/LSW, and CPE (continuing professional education) credits. Two annual conferences we provide are the Child Abuse Prevention Conference in March/April and the Women in Criminal Justice Conference in October.