criminology

We have all heard the term ‘social justice,’ but its importance and history remain unclear to many of us.

Many people want to have a meaningful impact on the world, and if you pursue a career in criminal justice, you have the power to do exactly that. So when considering what the best criminal justice jobs are, there’s more to think about than just salary. It’s also important to ask yourself what career you would find most personally fulfilling.

To someone outside of either field, criminal justice and criminology may sound like two names for the same thing. It’s true there is a significant amount of overlap between criminology and criminal justice — but they are two distinct, if related, fields.

Is gun violence a public health issue? Many Americans would have different answers to this. The truth is, it’s a complicated issue that brings out a lot of passion from each side. There are also political matters and bills that have been passed that have made solving this issue harder. So as we examine if gun violence is a public health issue, we’ll stick to the known facts. Let’s start by defining how our country determines what qualifies as a public health issue.

Few positions within the field of criminology and criminal justice have as much allure in popular culture today as crime scene investigation (CSI) jobs. Of course CSI careers in reality are not exactly like the versions of them you may see on television; their day-to-day work can be more mundane, and they require serious training and education to do them well. But if you are willing to put in the time and energy to channel your inner David Caruso and pursue a CSI career path, you may find it a creative and rewarding opportunity to work on the cutting edge of law enforcement technology.

Whether you currently work in law enforcement or are seeking a new career that will allow you to fight crime and protect your community, becoming a criminal investigator can open a range of challenging and satisfying paths. Being a criminal investigator allows you to operate independently, solve problems, and give back to the community. The role of a criminal investigator can take several different forms, often as detectives or crime scene investigators. However, all criminal investigators share common responsibilities: they collect evidence, interview individuals who are related to a case and testify about their cases in court.1

What is criminal behavior, and what causes it? How a society answers these fundamental questions plays an essential role in how it responds to crime, from developing crime prevention programs to designing incarceration systems and rehabilitating criminals. As part of this effort, criminologists and experts across related fields such as healthcare, sociology and psychology work toward an understanding of the causes of criminal behavior, both by proposing new theories and testing existing ones.

While crime frequently dominates the news cycle, media outlets often sensationalize the lives of perpetrators while the needs of victims are all too often overlooked. Those most deeply affected tend to have their stories buried and their voices silenced, even as criminals sometimes rise to the status of pseudo-celebrities. Shifting the focus back to victims of crime ensures that these individuals are considered in studies of criminal justice and by policymakers, preventing a one-sided story. This is called victimology: the scientific study of the physical, emotional and financial harm people suffer because of criminal activities.

“Community corrections” refers to any program that supervises offenders outside of the prison system, including probation, parole, work release, day reporting centers or residential “halfway house” programs. Community corrections has a long history in the United States, where there are presently two offenders on parole or probation for every individual currently serving time in prison.1 This long history has yielded many evidence-based practices in community corrections that are proven to decrease recidivism and are less costly than incarceration.2

Criminology is a branch of sociology that focuses on the causes, effects and social impact of crimes. In many ways, the social aspect of criminology defines the field. For the criminologist, the ability to shift between conveying information with authority and listening carefully with compassion lies at the heart of communication in criminal justice. No matter what role you fill in this field, communication—both written and oral—is the number one skill you can polish in preparation for a criminology career.