Criminal Justice Work: What is it like?
Criminal justice careers are varied and there are numerous opportunities within the field. Criminal justice work can be enriching and rewarding, with high average salaries compared to the national average and higher than average expected job growth within the field. If you are considering a career in criminal justice, though, it is important to understand what criminal justice work is like so you will know what to expect.
Fields of Work within Criminal Justice
Criminal justice work depends on the type of job that you take within the criminal justice field.
- Police officers work in local police precincts. Police officers have a high degree of interaction with the public. Their duties are varied. Police officers may respond to 911 calls, which can deal with any number of situations. A police officer may be called to a murder scene, a situation of domestic abuse, or a theft or robbery, among other things. Police officers may also be responsible for directing traffic or ticketing speeding drivers. Police officers may patrol local areas looking for problems or potential violations of the law. They may apprehend suspected criminals or try to stop crimes from occurring
- Police detectives may work in offices or in the field. Their primary job is to solve crimes, ranging form murder or rape to theft. A police detective reviews evidence, interviews witnesses and victims and organizes investigations
- A forensic scientist collects evidence form crime scenes. This can include blood, hair, DNA or other evidence left at the scene of a crime. A forensic scientist may be called in to work at any hour if a crime occurs and the crime scene must be investigated. He or she must be comfortable dealing directly with some of the gruesome elements of a crime scene
- A prison guard works within a prison setting on the state or federal level. Prison guards may be responsible for supervising prisoners to ensure that no problems arise. They may have to search for contraband and otherwise ensure prisoners are following the rules of a prison. Guards direct prisoners in their daily activities and often come in direct contact with prisoners in jails
- Prison wardens oversee the operation of a prison, ensuring that the prison is properly staffed and that prisoner’s rights are protected as required by law. Prison wardens may also deal with issues such as setting up rehabilitation programs or managing the budget for a prison
- Probation officers or correctional officers work with convicted offenders, either who are sentenced to probation or who have been released from prison. They may help these individuals become re-acclimated to society by helping them find jobs or housing. Parolees and those on probation have to check in with probation officers periodically, reporting on their activities.
- Paralegals work in law offices. They primarily do legal research, although they may also assist with legal investigations. Paralegals usually have the least direct interaction with criminals of all the careers in the criminal justice system.
Criminal Justice Work Education
The type of criminal justice education will impact the criminal justice work you do and the jobs available to you. Usually, a minimum of an associate’s degree is required. Bachelors, Masters and PhDs will help you advance faster within your field and may help you obtain the most lucrative criminal justice work.
Criminal Justice Work and Salaries
Those in the criminal justice field can expect to be rewarded well for their criminal justice work:
- For police officers, the median salary is $51,410 and the highest 10 percent earn $79,680 or higher
- Police detectives earn an average salary of $75,409 and the highest 10 percent earn $97,870 or higher
- Correctional officers earn an average salary of $38,380 and the highest 10 percent earn $64,110 or higher
- Forensic scientists earn an average salary of $49,857 and the highest percent make $80,330 or higher
- Paralegals have an average salary of $46,120 and he top ten percent earn $73,450 or higher
