Many criminal justice students start out (after graduation) in the law enforcement division since it is the next logical step for many students who earn a criminal justice degree.  After spending years learning about the criminal mindset, entering law enforcement is the best way to put this knowledge to use through the many different options available.  You can become a police officer, narcotics officer, detective, forensic analyst, and many other jobs depending on your city’s needs.  Your background in criminal justice will help secure you a position on an law enforcement unit, which in turn will allow you to expand your knowledge on the subject.  Additionally, students who take this route find that after a few years they want to practice law or become more involved in the legal side of criminal justice.

For these students who want to experience more of the criminal courts, their background in law enforcement will help them to succeed throughout law school.  Many law students have found that waiting to begin law school affords them many experiences other students don’t have.  Criminal law is especially easy for those students who were previously law enforcement officers: they already know many of the statutes and laws that are in place in their state.  Entering the legal realm of criminal justice also allows students to explore different job opportunities ranging from public defenders to defense attorneys.  Many great judges have experienced both sides of the criminal justice system and have worked as both prosecution and defense.  While not everyone wants to defend both sides during their career, it is the mark of a good attorney when you are able to argue both sides and predict what the other side will argue. 

Criminal justice spans many different jobs and career opportunities for students around the country, and it is only a matter of putting your degree to use.  Just go out there and find something in the field that you enjoy doing!  You can always change your career path down the line to work more with criminal defense or more with criminal prosecution – the field is endless!

Criminal justice gurus have taken note of the injustices that have occurred before and after the massive earthquake that shook the nation.  There have since been reports on child slavery, a virtually useless law enforcement agency, and the prominence of child rapes.  The question has therefore been asked, what are we in the international community going to do about it?  Haiti does have their own criminal justice system, but with only twelve prosecutions per year in the ongoing child rapes, it is obvious that their system is little more than just a show for the community.  In the two months following the quake, statistics indicated that there were 230 known cases of violence against women or sexual misconduct, despite the massive amounts of aid that was coming into the country.  These crimes do not go unnoticed by aid workers, but justice is never fully realized for the children and other victims of this type of abuse.

The international criminal justice system is complex to wrap your head around only because there are so many different nations, customs, and laws that we have to deal with.  Careers in international criminal justice are forced to witness the daily atrocities that occur in impoverished areas like Haiti, or even Western nations like the United States.  No nation is free of instances of abuse against children, women, or the elderly.  However, nations like Haiti do not have the means to uphold justice in such a way that the perpetrators will no longer harm young children.  This is where the international community steps in – in an attempt to correct past wrongs. 

Haiti is an amalgamation of different cultures and customs: the first independent nation in Latin America and black-led republic in the world after its successful slave rebellion in 1804.  The roots of the nation run deep in the slave trade, although young slaves still exist within the community.  The many news reports that have focused on the unfortunate lack of criminal justice in Haiti have awakened a new international interest in the nation – one which will hopefully help bring justice to the nation that is struggling to stand on its own feet.  It will take many new careers in international criminal justice to reach out and improve impoverished nations like Haiti, but with the help of the global community, we will see a better-standing Haiti within our lifetimes. 

Probation officers are put into place to protect our justice system and ensure that minor offenders are not imprisoned, but still will not commit the same offense.  However, this system can sometimes be abused when probation is given out too readily for felonies that deserve at least a few months of prison.  We’ve now reached an era where some major felony offenders will only receive a year’s worth of probation before they are released back into society.  Not every criminal court is like this, but with the growing amount of prisoners, many judges assume that probation is a better alternative than spending millions of dollars to create a new prison unit.  It is confusing that our crime rates have supposedly skyrocketed in recent years – this is why the prisons are so overcrowded, but these statistics do not take into account the rising population and the rising numbers of law enforcement who are able to apprehend criminals.

Probation officers, it seems, are one career that is one the rise because of the increasing amounts of probation that are given to defendants in criminal court.  While probation does not mean that defendants are necessarily allowed back into society without any consequences, it is a much less severe punishment than a few years of jail time.  There are several courts throughout the country that are now known for their lenient policies and the number of defendants they release on probation.  Criminal justice is a confusing system to work through, but any one of us is able to determine that a person who is guilty of a felony offense should be given at least a few months of prison time before they are put on probation.  However, we have become increasingly reliant on this probationary system, and until we find some way to increase the space within our prison system, judges will continue to give probation to defendants who commit lesser felonies.  I for one, do not feel as safe knowing that people who commit burglaries and robberies will only be given a probation officer instead of prison time because of this overcrowding.

Both sides have joined together in an attempt to quell “big government”, especially in the criminal justice region.  A far contrast from the Nixon administration’s “tough on crime” policies, politicians now believe that the less government involvement with criminal justice matters, the better.  It is amazing how much this trend has changed in only a few decades (although it is a common trend throughout political parties and mantras); one of the largest examples of this trend is the changing political outlook of former attorney general Edwin Meese III, who once called the ACLU criminals.  Meese and his successor, former attorney general Dick Thornburgh, have both admitted that they would love to have the ACLU on their side now in their attempt to quell big government.  Who would’ve thought they would see the day?

The over-criminalization that many politicians speak of stem from the rampant federal laws that overlap onto state laws, a clear violation of the separation of powers.  Federal government prosecutors can indict criminals on little to no evidence, which is a far cry from the mountains of evidence that must be proven in a state criminal justice trial.  While there should be more of a happy medium, it has always been the mantra of the criminal justice system that criminal justice laws should be construed narrowly to protect people from the state.  The over-criminalization of people is clearly not protecting anyone from the state or federal government, but is instead treading on the toes of what is moral. 

The intrusion of federal power into the state’s rights is a fundamental violation of constitutional rights that many politicians have noticed as Supreme Court cases concerning criminal justice reign on.   While criminal justice cases have recently involved large corporations (an unfortunate fact for many politicians who are keen to join in against big government), most criminal justice careers do not involve the investigation of any of these corporate giants, but instead focus on the smaller client.  The criminal justice system is a rapidly changing entity, and unbeknownst to many, with this change come changes in political standpoints as well. 

Jobs within the criminal justice field range from law enforcement to Supreme Court justice, and everything in between.  This is quite a disparity, but it is amazing how quickly the justice system gets from point A (law enforcement) to point B (Supreme Court case).  While not every criminal case makes it past the trial court’s decision, the Supreme Court remains a major pillar of the criminal justice system and indeed a major pillar of our country itself. 

The many aspects of criminal justice involve the root of the crime.  Law enforcement positions teach you how to recognize a potential criminal suspect and to do everything in your power to prevent the crime from happening, whether by a “stake-out” or through undercover work.  Regardless, the goal of law enforcement is to uphold the laws of the community and to arrest those guilty of committing any violations of the laws, large or small.  It is only after the arrest of criminals that the law gets involved.  At this point, lawyers, judges, clerks, bailiffs, and everyone in the court room is involved with the crime that was committed.  Now their responsibility is not to prevent the crime, but to uphold justice and ensure that the guilty defendants go punished, while the innocent are allowed to walk free. 

This is a complicated system and is becoming more so with the inclusion of new laws by the decade, mostly from the federal bureaucracy.  Many politicians and workers in criminal justice continue to complain about the overcrowding of large jails and prisons, and the differences in court between federal and state – the federal courts are nearly over-stepping their jurisdiction in many situations and getting involved in criminal cases that should largely be under the control of the state.  Regardless of this debate, the criminal justice system continues on its same path, producing new fields for job prospects every year.  As a student of criminal justice, you will be able to find a job in the field in law enforcement, law itself, and anywhere in between; it all depends on what sector of criminal law you want to find yourself in. 
 

Careers in criminal justice take on a variety of possibilities.  Students can go into law enforcement, law itself, legislature, policy, etc.  For those who want to explore the law, they have a rough road ahead of them (not to discourage anybody).  However, after undergrad, you must continue on into law school, and then work your way up through the criminal justice system.  Most judges were once prosecutors and defense attorneys, nearly 100% of criminal justice judges were one day where you once were. 

The only way to understand the criminal justice process is for you yourself to become fully engrained in it; this only happens by years of focusing on the nitty-gritty work that comes with criminal law.  Criminals are not always innocent, and many of the crimes they commit are gruesome to think about, but need to be dealt with.  Many judges have seen both sides of the spectrum, having worked for both state prosecutors and private defense attorneys.  This helps them understand multiple sides of an issue, which produces a great future career as a judge. 

After several years as a judge, you have the opportunity to really make yourself known as a genre of judge.  This helps set you apart from the rest and can set you up for a future career with your state supreme or appellate court or even move on to federal court.  Once you are this level, you are on more of a national radar when larger cases come your way.   We always hear about judicial decisions from lower state courts or federal courts that may not make a difference to the whole of our nation, but are controversial in themselves.

Furthermore, by the time you reach this point in your judicial career, you will have made many influential friends and colleagues; these alone can help you earn your way into the Supreme Court itself.  While very few judges make it onto the Supreme Court (as is obvious with their life terms), the selection process is spreading out now so that Congress and the President are no longer as selective with their choices and any budding law student may have a chance to be a great Supreme Court Justice. 

After hearing all this, it seems somewhat disheartening that we not only live in this country, we live in these violent towns.  However, the criminal justice system and those who work for it are at the forefront of these cases, working to both prevent crime and bring criminals to justice.  Court cases are a common result of violent crime, although it is amazing how many judges and juries sentence these criminals to either probation for one, or the other extreme, to the death penalty/life in prison.  It’s always difficult to procure an adequate punishment when you are a judge or a member of the jury, but sometimes this realm of the criminal justice system appears to be one that should be lightly treaded upon. 

Our major news networks sensationalize nearly every major violent crime story, leading to a misheld belief that we live in a country in which crime lurks around every corner, searching for its next victim.  We live in a relatively safe country, despite what the media tries to tell us on an every-day basis.  Today the big news involves a bank hold-up (do we still need to use this word?) and a possibly disgruntled employee who shot several coworkers.  While this is sad, and our hearts go out to the victims’ families, this does not necessarily mean that our criminal justice system is in complete disarray.  Crime happens on a regular basis, despite what we can try and do to prevent it.  Criminal justice degree jobs teach students this exact same message, and encourages most students to try and get jobs that make a difference within the criminal justice system.

The ending of the criminal justice system brings some sense of closure to most families who sit in the courtrooms to watch the jury deliberate and confirm that the defendant is, in fact, guilty.  There is probably little else we could compare to this experience, and it is one the criminal justice system strives to maintain for any person who has been criminally wronged. 

Criminologists are defined as those who study the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in individuals and society.  This does not seem too different from the tasks that many detectives take on throughout their line of duty, especially Sherlock Holmes.  Understanding the sociological background of crime as well as the causes and consequences of crime help many law enforcement officers (and criminologists) apprehend the criminals through an understanding of their mindset. Criminologists follow many different schools of thought, as they are one branch in the criminal justice system that focuses more on the sociological writings about the subject, rather than on hard facts about the specific cases.

However, criminologists continue to play a widely important role throughout the criminal justice system because they look at any contributing factors to the criminals’ background, as well as the crime itself.  In this sense, Sherlock Holmes predated the notion of a criminologist by only a few years, but his mere fictional character can help people outside the system better understand what goes on with the study of crime.  Criminologists are typically not involved with the “nitty-gritty” work of apprehending dangerous criminals, but are typically called in for a more theoretical outlook on the crime itself, especially when it is out of the ordinary.

The social order of a community can lead greatly to increased amounts of crime, and criminologists are typically called upon to analyze crime-ridden communities.  Some theories suggest that neighborhoods high in poverty with large population turnovers lead to the failure of social structure because it is too difficult for any type of social organization to take place, instead leading to crime.  Other theories focus on social ecology, which is essentially “white flight”, creating neighborhoods of the disadvantaged that spawn criminal behavior as well.  The many different schools of thought that are involved in criminology allow students of criminal justice to take on a more sociological outlook of crime, rather than settle with the “on-the-go” criminal mischief.  If Sherlock Holmes has taught us anything, it’s that an understanding of the criminal brain will truly reveal the purpose behind the completion of the crime. 

Philip Garrido is the California man who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard and kept her in his backyard for 18 years, despite a prior rape and kidnapping conviction, a sentence which was still carried out by visits from probation officers several times a month.  The question on everyone’s mind after the story broke (besides how he managed to keep her for so long), was how the probation officers did not notice the young girl in his backyard.  Apparently, most probation officers speak to every member of the family and do a walk-through of the house.  The thoroughness with which they do the walk-through, however, is up to the probation officer and the rules of the court or state.  If the walk-through triggers any concern, the probation officer is required to follow up with a more thorough walk-through or call police officers to the scene. 

Other officers additionally do follow-up interviews with the parolee’s family and neighbors when they are not home, being careful not to worry anyone and prevent their re-integration into society.  Additionally, in cases like Garrido’s, probation officers typically ensure that children have not been seen around the house.  If there is any violation in any of the tests or visits the officer conducts, the parolee will be carefully monitored and the parole has an option of being revoked.  However, someone Garrido’s file slipped through the cracks, as his probation officer did not notice anything amiss at his residence during the 18 years of probation when Jaycee was in the backyard.  Most probation officers carry an average of 70 cases at a time, according to California sources, although some can have anywhere from 30-200 cases, causing many to slip through the cracks. 

While probation officers serve an important role in our criminal justice system, it is evident that some states do not employ enough officers to appropriately cover the amount of parolees in the state.  Once every parolee is covered by an officer, the criminal justice system will be able to relax and note that their citizens’ probation sentences are accurately covered.  However, until this point, many states will continue to monitor the accuracy of their probation officers and the behavior of the parolees. 

Criminal justice careers are one area that have had economists worried due to the amount of expanding programs throughout colleges, although this is one area that remains relatively unscathed.  Criminal justice careers have experienced a “boom” of sorts, akin to that of the health care industry, indicating that the economy has not closed out options for every graduate.  Far from it, criminal justice careers have become more prevalent within every major cities, which should be a sign that crime is on the rise, but fortunately it is not.  Instead, criminal justice careers have increased due to advances in technology as well as a new flexibility the degree offers to recent graduates.  No longer is criminal justice only useful for a future in law enforcement, but it can now be used in a variety of fields ranging from law to psychology.

One of the largest criminal justice programs in the country is in a small town in Texas within Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.  This was the first school to offer a doctorate program in criminal justice, and if its statistics are any indication of the popularity of the program, it is evident that criminal justice degrees are in no danger of slowing down.  Instead, students are finding new niches to break into every year that require a deeper understanding of the criminal mindset and the history behind criminal justice. 

Law enforcement only touches the surface of studies of this nature and instead of boxing students into a future in the field, criminal justice allows a wide array of options for the future.  The criminal mind is a curious thing to study, and the psychology behind it can lead to a future in psychology or even in a type of criminal sociology career.  The possibilities are endless, which fortunately does not mean that we have reached an era of high crime rates.  Instead, we have reached an era that holds a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and offers recent graduates up as evidence of this new progression in the field.