Career Opportunities in the Criminal Justice System

In this essay, the author

• Explains that crime has been a part of our lives for thousands of years. according to the christian bible, theft and murder are reported throughout the bible.
• Explains that modern punishments for offenses in our country include things as minor as community service hours or as severe as the death penalty depending on the crime.
• Explains the three main parts of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and prisons. the sheriff oversees the entire department.
• Explains that the sheriff has several duties both in his office and outdoors, such as uniformed patrol, crime prevention, and criminal investigations.
• Explains the basic requirements of a sheriff are that they must be united states citizens and have no prior felony convictions. in washington state, the average salary is $4005 per month.
• Advises people interested in becoming a law enforcement or patrol officer while in high school to take classes like english, political science, and criminal justice.
• Explains that patrol officers prevent violations of the law, investigate complaints and investigate traffic accidents. other duties of a patrol officer include testifying in court and working in crime labs.
• Explains that security guards protect industrial and commercial property from danger. they enforce employer regulations as well as local, state, and federal laws.
• Explains that security guards working in washington must be licensed as either armed or unarmed through the department of licensing. most skills are learned on the job.
• Explains that entry-level wages range from $5.70 to $8.00 an hour, while security guards average between $10.26 and $12.16 per hour. military background will lead to higher pay.
• Explains that other careers in law enforcement include investigators and special agents. investigators carry out civil, criminal and narcotics investigations to detect or confirm violations of the law.
• Explains that private investigators are being used more by lawyers to get in depth information to present in court. they have the same job duties as investigators except they cannot arrest suspects.
• Explains that fbi special agents gather facts and evidence for criminal cases. they investigate bank robberies, organized crime, terrorism, and other violations of federal law.
• Explains that lawyers advise clients of their legal rights and obligations and represent clients in court. they need to be able to speak and write effectively, do legal research and have knowledge of the law and legal reasoning.
• Explains that there are about 13,249 lawyers or attorneys in washington. they advise clients of their legal rights and obligations and represent clients in court.
• Describes the different ways for lawyers to be employed, such as starting a private practice, private companies, law firms, or the armed forces.
• Explains that the paralegal profession began in the 1960's to improve legal services. paralegals free attorneys for other duties and are cost effective for law firms and businesses.
• Explains that paralegal programs are found in community colleges, four-year universities, and business schools.
• Explains paralegal job duties consist of conducting client interviews, conducting legal research, and drafting legal documents. legal assistants also attend executions of wills and real estate closings. they cannot give legal advice or represent a client in court.
• Explains that legal assistants make less money than lawyers. entry-level wages are usually around $22,001 per year, while the average is $38,085. other careers include the judge, court reporter, and court clerk.
• Explains that there are over 300 colleges that offer classes in this field, but the national court reporters association accredits only one-third of them.
• Explains that the court clerk performs all administrative functions of the state court. they maintain accurate and complete records of all court proceedings including traffic offenses and misdemeanors.
• Explains that the office of the attorney general is an elected position with four-year terms.
• Explains that prisons employ people like correctional officers, counseling psychologists, and wardens. the deputy prison wardan runs the prison.
• Explains that a warden can choose from two options of education to gain employment. the first option requires education and two years of professional experience in an adult corrections setting.
• Opines that correctional officers watch over inmates in prisons to prevent disturbances and escapes, and may transport them to court or other appointments.
• Describes the educational requirements for correctional officers, including high school diplomas, associates or bachelors degrees, military experience, and a civil service written and oral exam.
• Explains that because officers are needed to watch over inmates 24 hours a day, they may need to work late or work on holidays. entry-level wages are $1530 to $1900 per month.
• Explains that counseling psychologists work closely with inmates. they administer a wide variety of psychological assessment techniques, interpret results, and prepare complete reports.
• Explains that counseling psychologists must have completed two years of graduate study directly related to professional work in counseling psychology or completed a master degree with one year of postgraduate experience dealing with clients.
• Explains the three main branches of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, correctional officers, and counseling psychologists.
• Explains that all three organizations work together to keep crime to a minimum. there are careers that require many years of college education and pay less, while others require long strenuous hours.