The Professional:  Working the System

The criminal justice system is the branch of government that protects the social structure from crime while protecting individual rights through a series of laws, generally accepted practices and agencies.  Traditionally the main components of the criminal justice system are:

Law Enforcement – crime prevention and enforcing the laws,
The Court System – dispute settlement, and
The Correctional System – punishment and rehabilitation.

There are many types of jobs available in the criminal justice system depending upon your experience, interests and educational background.  People who work in this field can have an education directly related to criminal justice, e.g. criminology, criminal justice, or political science degrees.  Or they may have a more liberal arts background in psychology or social work, or even an engineering or hard science background.  For example, you can major in criminology and become a detective who solves crimes using evidence or major in biology and become a medical examiner who gathers evidence by performing autopsies.

Examples of Careers in Law Enforcement
Police
Detective
Forensic Scientist
Medical Examiner
Crime Laboratory Analyst (usually requires a B.A. in a natural science such as biology or chemistry.)
Forensic Engineer (work with traffic accidents, fires and other wrongful injury cases)
Coast Guard
Secret Service
Sherriff
U.S. Marshall
Military Officer
Postal Service Investigator
Fish & Game Warden
 
Examples of Careers in the Courts
Court Reporter or Clerk
Judge
Paralegal
Law Librarian
 
Examples of Careers in the Correctional System
Compliance Officer
Probation Officer
Social Worker

The biggest employer of criminal justice professionals is local, state and national governments.  You can work in a local police department, a court (county, state, federal) or you can work for one of the enforcement agencies of the federal government.

Examples of Federal Government Enforcement Agencies
            Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
            Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
            Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
            Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)

Click here to find out more about a professional career in criminal justice.

For more specific information about opportunities as a paralegal, in law enforcement or homeland security, click on the corresponding field.

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