Criminal Justice: the Right Job for You

I am going to be talking about 3 key social issues contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners and providing examples for each issue. I will also be explaining the role of the criminal justice professional in serving individual and societal needs. Lastly I will explain how key social issues impact the role of the criminal justice professional and provide 2-3 examples to support my position. One key social issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is prison crowding. Prison overcrowding is one of America’s most serious criminal justice issues.

The problem is because of insufficient jail and prison space, for which the solution is to build more jail and prison facilities. According to a 2008 study by the Pew Center on the States, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with one in 100 Americans under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes are a key factor in the high rate of incarceration. Another key issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is immigration. Immigration raises three significant, controversial issues in criminal justice.

The first is the time and resources necessary to deport immigrants, whether they are documented or undocumented, and who have been convicted of crimes. The second is whether and to what extent local law enforcement resources should be used locating and removing undocumented immigrants. The third issue is the extent to which law enforcement emphasis should be on persons who transport and employ undocumented immigrants, rather than on the immigrants themselves. A major issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is poverty.

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The severity of poverty often goes hand in hand with the amount of crimes committed. Money is often reinvested from the open market to the black market to bring about high yet risky return in urban areas. Risks such as these are even higher when this activity is controlled by violent mob-type organizations and gangs, whose existences are structured around capitalizing on the poverty of others. Realistic and reachable role models are far and few between, if any exist at all, which causes the children of those who live in these areas to look up to more unsavory figures who are living the high life through low living.

While living in poverty some people resort to crime to support their habits (drugs and/or alcohol) and/or support their families. Because of this crime rates go up, the amount of people incarcerated goes up, and the tax dollars go up to keep the prisons and jails running. The role of criminal justice professionals in serving individual and societal needs is very broad. There are many positions in the criminal justice field in many different areas with different tasks and responsibilities. Criminal justice professionals spend a lot of time resolving conflicts and negotiating with various parties inside and outside their organizations.

They handle complaints, settle disputes, and resolve grievances and conflicts, usually by negotiating with several parties. Sometimes they perform this task in conjunction with another one, evaluating information to determine compliance, which requires them to review relevant information and use their individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. Criminal Justice professionals oversee safety, gather information and documentation, provide testimony, and they are expected to regularly provide information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates to support their positions.

One key social issue that impacts the role of criminal justice professionals is requiring more correctional officers or detention officers due to overcrowding. Yet there are more inmates in jails and prisons and there are not enough correctional officers or detention officers to staff the prisons and jails. In return the staff are overworked with mandatory overtime and compensated with extra days off instead of overtime pay. Immigration is another key social issue that impacts the role of criminal justice professionals.

There is a continuous battle about controlling the border of Mexico and how to control it. There is much violence at the border from illegal immigrants and drug cartels. Border Patrol Agents lives are put at risk every day trying to protect the border because of this violence. There are many social issues contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners and there always will be. The need will increase with time as will crime because of these social issues. There will always be a place in society for the criminal justice practitioner.