About Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is one of the most interesting career options to explore as it deals with criminal psychology and the social implications, including its influence on the criminals. Highly evolving and dynamic at the same time, the field offers a number of areas of specialization. Starting from the forms of social justice to methods of committing crimes, everything has undergone a sea of change. Laws have changed, new philosophies have emerged, and new techniques of advocacy and forms of punishments have been brought into practice. Therefore, a career in criminal justice requires the right kind of Educational background, adequate training, and a mind and attitude to evolve with time while maintaining the basic standards of law and order. Practitioners of criminal justice are, therefore, expected to gather expertise in administration, law enforcement, forensics, criminal psychology, and sociology.
Careers in Criminal Justice
Students holding criminal justice degrees can explore a lot of areas related to justice and law including police investigator, defender, prosecutor, judge, and administrator. Jobs in criminal justice may also include prison guard, security guard, and probationary officers. Employers often favor candidates with a background in sociology, psychology, criminology, law, social work, or political science, during the selection process. However, before opting for a career in criminal justice, it is important to remember that it is not enough to learn about general laws and enforcement techniques. Specialization is important to develop a specific career path.
Joining a police force as a police officer or working as an agent for the Secret Service, FBI or Homeland Security are some of the popular choices often made by students of criminal justice. The job of evidence experts, criminal profilers, and crime scene investigators are some of the other interesting and challenging careers offered in the fields of crime, law, and justice. These profiles are particularly preferred by those who love to take challenges and have a knack for solving puzzles using their wit and intelligence.
The Changed Scenario
Unlike the 50s and 60s when the punishment of crime only meant suffering through imprisonment, the present practice has adopted rehabilitation as one of the fundamental principles of incarceration. While criminals were kept away from the masses for posing a threat to society, they are now being given the opportunity to correct themselves and once again come back to a normal life. Thus, one of the other jobs in criminal justice also involves expert practitioners who utilize their knowledge, experience, and skills in planning correction facilities. There are also experts who participate in the policy-making for prisons and adjustment of procedures to accommodate changing policies. If you are ready to work in a public sector, you may also opt for the post of a researcher or an analyst in the courts.
Eligibility and Training
Adequate specialized training is essential while choosing a career in criminal justice. Students with a suitable educational background and relevant degrees can apply for the various posts available in this field. An undergraduate degree is the minimum requirement to specialize in any of the related areas.
For earning their degrees through proper training and guidance, students need to either attend classroom lectures or opt for online training modules. Aside from the theoretical modules, hands-on experience leading to real-life situations and case studies are keys to attain employment and success in this field.
Tony Jacowski
http://www.articlesbase.com/Careers-articles/careers-in-criminal-justice-58669.html
What Criminal Justice careers can you get with a BA? Law School affordability?
I am interested in pursuing a career in criminal justice. However, I do not want to be a cop or work in the correctional department. I would like to know what office related careers are there and a salary range for them.
ex. security account manager
I really want to be a lawyer, but I don’t think law school is possible when it comes to finances. Any tips on making it possible.
Do you have to go to an Ivy League law school to have good career options.
Judge or magistrate
A bachelor’s degree and work experience usually constitute the minimum requirements for a judgeship or magistrate position. A number of lawyers become judges, and most judges have first been lawyers. In fact, Federal and State judges usually are required to be lawyers. About 40 States allow non lawyers to hold limited-jurisdiction judgeships, but opportunities are better for those with law experience.
Arbitrator, mediator, and conciliators
Training and education requirements for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators differ from those for judges. Mediators who practice in State-funded or court-funded mediation programs usually must meet specific training or experience standards, which vary by State and court. In most States, individuals who offer private mediation services do not need a license, certification, or specific coursework; however, many private mediators and most of those affiliated with mediation organizations and programs have completed mediation training and agreed to comply with certain ethical standards. For example, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) requires mediators listed on its mediation panel to complete an AAA training course, receive recommendations from the trainers, and complete an apprenticeship.
Training for arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators is available through independent mediation programs, national and local mediation membership organizations, and postsecondary schools. In 2004, 16 colleges or universities in the United States offered master’s degrees in dispute resolution or conflict management, and 2 offered doctoral degrees. Many more schools offer conflict-management specializations within other degree programs. Degrees in public policy, law, and related fields also provide good background for prospective arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators.
Legal training and mediation skills are useful to those in many other occupations, including counselors; lawyers; paralegals and legal assistants; title examiners, abstractors, and searchers; law clerks; and private detectives and investigators.
Paralegal or legal assistant
There are several ways to become a paralegal. The most common is through a community college paralegal program that leads to an associate’s degree. The other common method of entry, mainly for those who already have a college degree, is through a program that leads to a certification in paralegal studies. A small number of schools also offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in paralegal studies. Some employers train paralegals on the job, hiring college graduates with no legal experience or promoting experienced legal secretaries. Other entrants have experience in a technical field that is useful to law firms, such as a background in tax preparation for tax and estate practice or in criminal justice, nursing, or health administration for personal injury practice.
Among the other occupations that call for a specialized understanding of the law and the legal system, but do not require the extensive training of a lawyer, are law clerks; title examiners, abstractors, and searchers; claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators; and occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.
Court Reporter
The amount of training required to become a court reporter varies with the type of reporting chosen. It usually takes less than a year to become a voice writer, while electronic reporters and transcribers learn their skills on the job. In contrast, the average length of time it takes to become a stenotypist is 33 months. Training is offered by about 160 postsecondary vocational and technical schools and colleges. The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) has approved about 70 programs, all of which offer courses in stenotype computer-aided transcription and real-time reporting. NCRA-approved programs require students to capture a minimum of 225 words per minute, a requirement for Federal Government employment as well.
Some States require court reporters to be notary publics. Others require the Certified Court Reporter (CCR) designation, for which a reporter must pass a State test administered by a board of examiners. The NCRA confers the entry-level designation Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) upon those who pass a four-part examination and participate in mandatory continuing education programs. Although voluntary, the designation is recognized as a mark of distinction in the field. A reporter may obtain additional certifications that demonstrate higher levels of competency, such as Registered Merit Reporter (RMR) or Registered Diplomate Reporter (RDR). The RDR is the highest level of certification available to court reporters. To earn it, a court reporter must either have 5 consecutive years of experience as an RMR or be an RMR and hold a 4-year bachelor’s degree.
The NCRA also offers the designations Certified Realtime Reporter (CRR), Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC), and Certified CART Provider (CCP). These designations promote and recognize competence in instantaneously converting the spoken word into the written word.
References :
Information from the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. To review the complete sections for each occupation start here
http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?qu=criminal&ct=OOH
If you want to go into security, having law enforcement or military experience is pretty much required to get ahead. Without it, it will be very, very hard to gain the respect of your peers.
As far as Ivy-League schools go, you need to first figure out what kind of law you want to do. If you want to do securities law for a big Wall Street firm, you will need to go to a top school. If you’d rather do poverty law, you’d likely be better off at another school.
Your avatar shows a black female. If that is the case, don’t forget how that shapes the number and types of opportunities that will be open to you. It sucks, but you should consider it in your decision process.
I’m a white male, but two law schools that I am considering are majority black. The reason I’m considering them is money. They have low tuition (under $20,000 for the whole program) if you establish state residency. Those schools are Southern http://www.sulc.edu/ and North Carolina Central http://web.nccu.edu/law/
A good source for information about law schools is http://www.lsac.org
Good luck!
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