'CSI effect' leads to new, online degree program in criminology, boosts award-winning center

As a child, Andrew Madrigal '17, '19 remembers riding in the car with his mom for hours to visit his dad in prison.

His father spent nearly 10 years locked up in prisons - from Corcoran to Kern Valley to Chino - wrongfully convicted, it would turn out, for an attempted murder he didn't commit.

"Being without my dad from ages 6 to 15 was incredibly difficult because those are the years when I was really figuring out who I was," said Madrigal, 31. "We often lived with different family members depending on who could help. That instability meant that I had to grow up faster."

Madrigal transferred to Cal State Long Beach as a criminal justice major, wanting to become a police officer. But a course he took on corrections with Professor Connie Ireland changed his mind.

"I thought my dad's wrongful conviction was just a weird thing that happened to him," Madrigal said. "But I didn't know it occurred that often. About 140-250 people are wrongfully convicted each year. That led to me wanting to change what I wanted to do with my life."

He decided to pursue graduate studies and a doctorate in criminology and criminal justice. Now he's an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, and his research and teaching involve wrongful convictions and collateral consequences.

Madrigal is one of hundreds who have benefitted from CSULB's criminology, crime and intelligence analysis and criminal justice programs - run jointly by the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPaCE) and the College of Health and Human Services.

The programs are addressing a growing need for graduates with data and intelligence analysis skills in the law enforcement field. To meet increasing demand, CSULB also started a new online Bachelor of Science degree in criminology and criminal justice, which kicked off with 30 students this fall. The program, directed by Professor Ireland, is for California residents and is asynchronous, meaning students can take courses online and in conjunction with their busy schedules and lifestyles.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, criminology and criminal justice rank in the top 10 most popular bachelor's degree programs offered in the United States, with significant growth in security and law enforcement (+22%), public administration (+30%) and legal (+4%) fields from 2011 to 2022.

And due to TV shows like "CSI," "NCIS" and "Criminal Minds," crime scene investigation, intelligence analysis and criminology are increasingly popular fields.

"There's a real-life thing called the 'CSI effect,' "said Ron Mark, director of the award-winning Center for Criminal Justice Research and Training at CSULB. "We interview all of our students coming in. TV drives a lot of that interest."

Changes in state law have also had an impact. With the passage of Assembly Bill 89 (the PEACE Act) in 2022, as of Jan. 1, 2025, all new peace officers in California must have either a bachelor's degree or the new "Modern Policing" degree available at community colleges.

Instructors in the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Emergency Management include seasoned professionals in local police departments and full-time faculty. One instructor is an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice.

While graduates have found jobs as police officers and crime scene investigators, they've also landed positions as forensic technicians, crime analysts, probation officers, case workers, attorneys and reentry specialists.

Corrina Griffiths works as a sheriff's training specialist in the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department. She helps train 1,200 sworn staff and keeps them in compliance. But a year ago, she wanted to do more, so she took an online certificate program in Crime and Intelligence Analysis through CPaCE. After she completed the program and obtained her certificate in May 2025, she created a visual, use-of-force data map that is being used internally and will eventually be shared with external stakeholders.

And she's helping to build a real-time crime center within the department that will collect and disseminate data on crimes that are in progress.

"The program gave me a different perspective on what other agencies do and see what kind of technology their agencies are using," Griffiths said. "Now I know I can help. I'm not boots on the ground, but it gives me a role."