Career path in criminal justice

Career Path in Criminal Justice Brandi N. Thomas Bryant & Stratton College CRJU 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice Mrs. Anderson March 7, 2013 Abstract This paper is about which career path interest me the most in the criminal justice field. When I first thought about this question I was interested in paroling now I’m interested in criminal counselor. This career path interests me for so many reasons. I would love to counsel criminals and help them through their time of need. Most people give up on criminals after convicted of a crime. Which I don’t think is fair at all because this is the time they need guidance the most. In this paper we will discuss the requirements for this career path such as education and experience. We will also discuss what criminal counselors really do and how they affect the criminal justice system. You will also learn about the different roles criminal counselor takes on other than their role and how it affects the criminals. This paper will also teach you what is expected from the criminal counselor in their line of work. This paper will inform you about everything you needed to know about a criminal counselor if you wanted to pursue this career path. This paper will be discussing the criminal justice career path I would like to pursue. The career I would like to pursue is a criminal counselor. Years ago when I started attending college I had no clue of what I wanted to do in this field. At first I thought I wanted to be a parole officer. As the years went on I realized I love to help people by counseling them as well as knowing how the mind works. I’m also interested in knowing why criminal committed certain crimes they have committed. I began to do some research and finally realized being a criminal counselor is everything I want to do and more. I will discuss the educational requirements as well as experience. I will also discuss the salary of this career path and exactly what a criminal counselor really do. Correctional Counselor jobs involve working with offenders to prevent them from engaging in further criminal activity and being sent back to jail or prison. A correctional counselor is also known as a correctional treatment specialist, prison counselors, or case managers. Correctional counselors work with parole officers to create a comprehensive rehabilitation on behalf of their clients that cover all aspects of their life. Those program help the client adjust to be in society again and hopefully stay out of trouble. Correctional counselor has many different roles to play including assisting inmates to access educational programs to advance their job skills. They also provide counseling individuals or group sessions regarding to coping skills, anger management, personal relationships, domestic problems, and drug abuse. Correctional counselors sometime have several cases to deal with a once and all of their cases have different needs with different levels of offenders. They also administer questionnaires and psychological batteries to determine any underlying emotional issues. Correctional counselors provides the guidance and support inmates need while going through their time of need. The requirements needed to become a correctional counselor vary depending on the agency. Applicants for correctional counselor jobs typically need to submit to written, verbal and psychological testing. Most agencies require that a correctional counselor be at least 21 years of age and, for Federal employment, no more than 37 years of age. Those convicted of prior felonies are not eligible to work as correctional counselors. A valid driver’s license is often required because of frequent travel. Candidates should also have strong writing skills due to the many reports they will be required to prepare. Correctional counselors also need to be good listeners with excellent interpersonal skills to work well with offenders. As well as being familiar with technology because of the high usage of technology involving the job such as drug test, location monitoring, and etc. educational background also varies depending on the agency. Most agencies require that candidates for correctional counselor career path possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice, urban studies, or a related field. Some agencies are requiring a master degree in those fields. Some corrections counselors are required to complete a program sponsored by their State government to pass a certification exam. Most prison counselors are considered trainees for the first year of employment before being eligible for a permanent position. Agencies also like for you to have some type of experience in paroling, treatment counselor, a drug abuse counselor, or correction. A criminal counselor is pretty decent money, but the agents involved in this career are working because they love their job and helping people not the money. As per the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings of all Corrections Counselors as of May 2008 were $45, 910. The annual earnings of correctional counselor employed in local government were $46, 420 while those employed in State government earned a median wage of $46, 580. With this career choice you have many options in where you want to work. Most correctional counselors work in local and state-based prison facilities as well as within probation and parole agencies. There are more jobs available in urban than rural areas due to the higher crime rates. In the Federal Government, correctional counselors are employed by the U. S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons. Therefore, a criminal counselor does many things but my main interest in this position is because they are truly helping offenders. Criminal counselors do not give up on people regardless of their issues. They help offenders adjust back in society and help them become a better person. Now that you know exactly what a criminal counselor is, the job requirements and educational background, and salary of this career choice do you think you may be interested? If not please find a career you love and willing to pour your heart into do not do it because of the money. When I become a criminal counselor I will pour my heart in my job.