Knowing The Law – Fight Crime with a Criminal Justice Degree

The Remarkable World of Criminal Justice

Learning how a criminal thinks is not easy. It is also not comforting. The most successful crime fighters, pro-filers and criminal lawyers study how crimes are committed, starting from the personal background of the criminal to the last detail of the crime.

Catching a criminal and putting one behind jail is an extensive job. It is not enough that one identifies who committed the crime, it is imperative that there is enough physical evidence to charge the violator so the case may stand in court. There is no room for mistakes. It is not just to let one get away of a crime but it is more devastating and unjust to put an innocent man to jail.

This is the reason why the justice system is very meticulous, specific and careful in rendering sentence or penalty to accused individuals. In the United States, the justice system uses a jury system where citizens are randomly picked to serve jury time. A jury usually sits in a trial with a presiding judge even as the jury renders the verdict for an accused individual. And an anonymous decision is needed to render a verdict.

The accused person shall be found “guilty beyond reasonable doubt,” which means all the physical evidence and circumstantial evidence presented during the trial point to the criminal without any shadow of doubt. And in most cases, this is not easy to prove. That is why the law enforcers are required to be very careful in charging alleged violators and in collecting evidence from the crime scene or getting evidence in the course of their investigation.

In some cases where the physical evidence would suffice, there are laws that must be taken into consideration. In some states for example, the prescriptive period for filing cases of rape is only five years. This means that if the act of rape was not reported to the police in five years and the suspect was not charged in the given period, the violator can live unpunished because of the limitations of the law. And this is just one example. Another example, did you know that a rapist that impregnated his victim, could claim for joint custody or visitation hours should the mother gives birth to his biological child? Ironic and cruel, yes. But the law gives the biological father a right to his child.

Justice for everyone

The study of Criminal Justice gives an opportunity to all to have a comprehensive understanding of the criminal law and the justice system. Students interested in pursuing careers related to both can take Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Of course, all bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate degree for Criminal Justice, as well as the study of law itself, could be availed from the best schools in US like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford, among others.

Obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree opens a wide career selection with various opportunities in the law enforcement department, correctional department, forensics, justice and legal departments and even in education.

Your degree in Criminal Justice covers criminology, general psychology, sociology, political science, forensics, public administration, law and the justice system and even chemistry, biology and mathematics for those who want to pursue their careers in the FBI and CIA.

The entry level for police officers, correctional officers, court bailiffs and correctional officers is a four-degree course in criminal justice. The entry level salary starts from US$40,000 while those who succeed in becoming lawyers or agency officers, the salary grade usually goes as high as US$80,000 per year depending on the employer.

Jobs available for graduates of Criminal Justice Programs

For those who took up master’s degree or doctorate degree, more career jobs are waiting for them. Their education and experience usually land them in high-paying jobs at the Federal and state law enforcement agencies, academe, law firms, courts, or in private firms. These are as follows:

1. Police Officers

2. Detectives and Investigators

3. Police Dispatchers

4. Forensic Science Technician

5. Bloodstain Pattern Analyst

6. Forensics Ballistics Expert

7. Bailiff

8. Prosecutor

9. Defense Attorney

10. Paralegal

11. Legal Secretary

12. Jury Consultant

13. Correctional Officer

14. Probation and Community Control Officer

15. Forensic Psychologist

16. FBI Agent

17. CIA Agent

All careers related to Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice require; mental, physical, social abilities, and superiority. Those who work in crime-related jobs need to be fit and healthy, both physically and psychologically. The jobs require; agility, diligence, intelligence, investigative skills and critical thinking.