Criminal Justice

The criminal justice system is composed of federal, state, and local organizations and agencies. Public institutions consist of police departments and other law enforcement agencies; courts and prosecution and defender offices; probation and parole agencies; jails, prisons, and halfway houses; and corrections departments. Other groups within the criminal justice system include bail bondsmen, private agencies that supervise or treat offenders, and crime victim compensation boards and other groups that represent and assist victims. All of these organizations and agencies interact with each other. A variety of careers are available in branches of criminal justice.

Law Enforcement

Police officers enforce the law by conducting regular patrols and otherwise monitoring neighborhoods and other public areas. They also respond to emergency and nonemergency calls. Police officers wear unforms so that they can be easily identified by the public. Detectives and criminal investigators are police officers who gather facts and collect evidence when a crime has been committed. They may wear uniforms or work in plainclothes (especially if they are working undercover). Detectives often specialize in investigating one type of crime, such as homicide, theft, or fraud.

A variety of workers assist police officer and detectives, as well as study crime to identify trends and improve crime prevention and policing.

Criminalists collect and analyze evidence from crime scenes. They may specialize in crime scene investigation or laboratory analysis, and there are specialists within these fields such as forensic pathologists, latent print examiners, and digital forensics analysts, among others. Criminalists may also be known as forensic science technicians or crime scene investigators. Criminalists’ findings and reports are used by law enforcement officials, detectives, and lawyers during crime investigations and in court procedures. They work in police departments and offices, crime laboratories, morgues, and medical examiner or coroner offices. Criminalists work in teams and may specialize in crime scene investigations, which can involve being outside in all kinds of weather conditions and also entail traveling to other cities or states.

Criminologists apply their background in sociology to study crime and criminals; their goal is to understand the reasons for the crime, with the aim of preventing future crime. They gather research through statistics, court reports, crime scene investigation reports, autopsies, offenders’ psychological findings, and other studies to have a clearer understanding of criminals’ behavior. Criminologists’ research findings are often used by policymakers to raise awareness about certain issues and to help decrease crime. Most criminologists are employed by research and development industries in the social sciences and humanities. Others work for state, local, and private educational services, and for state and local government agencies.

Judicial System

Attorneys in the judicial system consist of defense lawyers and prosecuting attorneys. Defense lawyers, who are also known as criminal lawyers, focus on cases that involve offenses committed against society or the state, such as murder, theft, or arson. Prosecuting attorneys represent city, county, state, or federal government in court proceedings. Paralegals and legal assistants provide support to defense and criminal lawyers by conducting legal research, drafting documents, maintaining databases, and performing other duties.

Judges preside over trials and hearings of cases in which a crime has been committed. They examine the evidence, listen to the testimony of witnesses and the arguments of the attorneys on each side, and evaluate other information to issue legal decisions.

Bailiffs maintain order and security in courts of law. They handle evidence, deliver court documents, and escort jurors, witnesses, and people in custody into and out of the courtroom.

Corrections/Rehabilitation

Correctional officers enforce rules and regulations in prisons and jails. They monitor the activities of prisoners as they move to and from their cells to dining and exercise facilities, libraries, medical facilities, and common areas. They inspect cells for contraband (banned items), unsanitary conditions, and other rule violations. They write reports and prepare daily logs about their work at the correctional facility. Correctional officers may need to use physical force, and even weapons, to break up fights, riots, attacks on themselves or other prison staff, and other disturbances.

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work with people who are either in jail, have been released from jail, or have been given probation rather than jail time. They monitor probationers’ or parolees’ activities and provide advice and resources for job training and education, and locating housing. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work for state or local governments. Probation officers may also be known as community supervision officers. They help people who have been given probation instead of jail time by meeting with them regularly and writing reports on their rehabilitation progress. Parole officers work with people who have served jail time and been released for parole. They help them re-integrate to society by providing resources for such things as job training or addition counseling, and help with their rehabilitation to ensure they don’t repeat the crime.

There are also pretrial services officers, who investigate defendants before trial occurs, to make sure the defendants aren’t a flight risk and that it’s safe to allow them to return home while awaiting trial. They report their findings to the judge, who uses this information to set an appropriate bond amount or sentencing. Correctional treatment counselors, also known as case managers or correctional counselors, create rehabilitation plans for probationers after their release from jail or after they are done with parole. They interview probationers to tailor education and training programs to help them improve job skills. Other work may involve setting up counseling appointments for probationers’ and their families, sharing options for addiction or mental health treatment, or assisting with finding a job or housing. They also create parole and release plans based on input from inmates, other probation officers, and staffers at other agencies.

Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors work closely with psychiatrists, social workers, physicians, and registered nurses to develop treatment plans for patients. Judges may order probationers or parolees to undergo addiction treatment, in which they are assigned to an addiction counselor as part of their rehabilitation plan. Addiction and behavioral disorder counselors teach people methods and techniques they can use to recover from addiction or change behavior patterns. They also educate families about addiction and recovery. They are employed by prisons, probation or parole agencies, juvenile detention facilities, and mental health centers. Other employers of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors include halfway houses, detox centers, and residential treatment centers, where people live in the treatment center for an established period of time.

Victim advocates provide emotional support, administrative assistance, resources for legal assistance, and other information to help victims recover after the crime. Advocates may work on crisis hotlines, lead support groups, or provide counseling to individual victims. Victim advocates typically have academic backgrounds in criminal justice, psychology, social work, or education and receive additional training to learn how to be effective advocates for crime victims. Police stations, prosecutor offices, courts, probation or parole departments, and prisons employ victim advocates. Nonprofit organizations and shelters and community centers also employ victim advocates.