This chapter provides brief descriptions of several career paths within and connected to criminal justice. There are career opportunities in the non-profit, private and government worlds; in legal services and advocacy; in law enforcement and corrections; in social work, psychology and psychiatry; and more. The choice among these areas depends on what aspect of the criminal justice field you find most appealing or rewarding, as well as what roles suit your goals in terms of educational investment and day-to-day job activities. To learn more about the various careers in the criminal justice field, see the video in figure 10.1.

Figure 10.1. Law, Public Safety, and Corrections Overview | Career Cluster/Industry Video Series [YouTube Video]. This two-minute video introduces you to the broad range of careers in criminal justice.

10.2.1 Law Enforcement Officer

Law enforcement officers work to serve and protect the community by performing a variety of public safety duties – performing traffic stops, investigating crimes, and responding to problems and crises in the community. Local law enforcement careers generally involve working for a city, county or state, for a sheriff’s office or police department. Many police bureaus have specialized units that focus on particular tasks or needs. For example, a community with high rates of gun violence may have a specialized unit focused on decreasing crimes involving firearms.

Law enforcement also occurs at the federal level, operating on behalf of the United States government in specific districts throughout the country. Federal law enforcement agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshal Service (USM), the Fish and Wildlife Service, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Law enforcement officers are sometimes required to have a bachelor’s degree, but some only require a high school diploma or GED . In some cases, such as a special agent at the FBI, you may need a graduate degree and additional qualifications.

10.2.2 Probation Officer and Pre-Trial Officer

Probation and pre-trial officers work for the courts and ensure that a person under criminal supervision adheres to court-imposed conditions of release from custody. Pre-trial and probation officers can work for state, county, or federal courts. Both pre-trial and probation officers are responsible for community safety while also assisting the people under their supervision in meeting their goals. These supervisory roles often involve providing case management services. Case management services may include assisting someone in locating housing, connecting someone to necessary treatment, or finding a resource that can provide food, clothes, and toiletries to someone in need.

Generally  probation and pretrial officers are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in some form of social science, for example psychology, and a master’s degree is preferred. Different probation offices have varying requirements for employment. For instance, federal probation officers must undergo an extensive background check, which includes an interview with an investigator. Depending on the district, county or state, some probation officers have the option to carry a firearm if they can pass a physical exam, engage in on-going training, and pass frequent qualification tests with their firearm at a shooting range.

10.2.3 Prison and Jail Staff

Career opportunities within or closely connected to prisons and jails may include counselors, reentry case managers, medication prescribers, psychologists, treatment/education program managers, and corrections officers. Many of these roles are discussed in more detail in the next section, Careers in Behavioral Health. Employees who work in a correction setting generally have specific training to work in a correctional facility, however this is often on the job training. Education requirements range from no formal education required to doctoral degrees required.

Corrections officers are responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the correctional facility. Corrections officers have oversight of the prison and jail inmate population and work to reduce or prevent any security risks. With respect to people with mental disorders, corrections officers have special duties and obligations. For example, a corrections officer has the responsibility to identify and inform a mental health professional working in the facility if an incarcerated person is experiencing a mental illness and needs medication, or has threatened or seems to be at risk of self-harm or suicide.

10.2.4 Residential Reentry Staff

Residential reentry centers hire a variety of staff to manage these centers. Residential reentry centers are housing facilities specifically for people reentering the community post-incarceration. Substance use counselors, mental health therapists, case managers, nurses, and security staff often make up staffing at residential centers. Working in a residential center is similar to working in a jail or prison; however, the residents of these centers have fewer restrictions. Residential reentry centers generally range in size, structure, and accessibility. For instance, some residential reentry centers are co-ed facilities, while others are gender-specific. A residential reentry center is a combination of housing and programming to assist someone transitioning out of a controlled environment.

Educational and training requirements for staff at this kind of facility will vary depending on the role of that staff member.

10.2.5 Paralegal, Lawyer and Judge

A paralegal generally assists lawyers with various administrative tasks, as well as legal tasks under supervision. Paralegals can be employed in all of the areas where lawyers work, as discussed below, and they can be critical members of the legal team in and outside of the criminal justice arena. Education requirements for paralegals generally include a paralegal certification, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. The level of education and experience held by a paralegal may dictate the complexity of the work entrusted to them.

A lawyer may practice law in a variety of settings, including in or related to the criminal justice system. Lawyers in the criminal justice system may work at the state, county, or federal level as defense attorneys, representing people accused of crimes, or as prosecutors, making charging decisions and proceeding with criminal cases on behalf of the state or federal government. Defense attorneys can be court-appointed public defenders representing accused people who cannot afford to hire an attorney themselves, or they may be privately-retained attorneys paid by the accused person they represent. There are also lawyers who handle legal cases adjacent to the criminal system (such as civil commitment cases, or victims’ rights cases), lawyers who appeal criminal convictions, and lawyers who work to protect the civil rights of people who are harmed by the criminal system. For example, many important rights of prisoners or police detainees (e.g. the right to receive mental health treatment in custody) have been established in the course of lawsuits.

Lawyers must have a bachelor’s degree and attend three years of law school to earn a juris doctor (J.D.) degree. Lawyers must then gain admission to the bar (usually by taking a bar examination) in any state in which they wish to practice law.

Most judges also have a law degree and prior experience as lawyers in prosecution, criminal defense, or in civil practice prior to taking the bench. Judges possess this educational and experiential background, and, ideally, have the temperament and wisdom to make decisions on legal matters that impact individuals and the larger community. In addition to presiding over criminal court cases, judges sit on appellate courts and supreme courts – at the state and federal level – and make decisions about criminal justice and related matters that apply to future cases. While judges remain, most often, white and male, increasing racial and gender diversity at this higher level of the legal world offers the promise of increased fairness for people in and connected to the criminal justice system (Figure 10.2).

Figure 10.2 shows a photo of the four women who currently serve as Justices on the Supreme Court of the United States. From left to right they are Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Elena Kagan.

The nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court, has enormous impact on criminal justice throughout the nation, as they make decisions interpreting the Constitution and its various protections within the justice system. Of the 116 people who have been appointed to the highest court, only 9 were not white men. The first Black Justice, Thurgood Marshall, was appointed in 1967, and the first woman, Sandra Day O’Connor, was appointed in 1981. Ketanji Brown Jackson was the first Black woman on the Court, as of 2022. Sonia Sotomayor, appointed in 2009, is the first (and only) Latina justice – as well as the only Justice to have a reported disability; she has type 1 diabetes (Campisi & Griggs, 2022).

10.2.6 Licenses and Attributions for Careers in Criminal Justice

Careers in Criminal Justice” by Kendra Harding is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

The section “Paralegal, Lawyer, and Judge” by Anne Nichol is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

All Rights Reserved Content

Figure 10.1: “Law, Public Safety, and Corrections Overview | Career Cluster/Industry Video Series” © 2021, CareerOneStop. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.

Figure 10.2: Photo of the women currently serving on the Supreme Court, pictured at Ketanji Brown Jackson’s investiture, is in the public domain. https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/oath/investiture_jackson.aspx