According to Schmalleger (2015) Criminal justice is the system of government with various institutions and practices which aim at sanctioning individuals who violate the country’s laws. These laws are in placed to govern the citizens in a particular state. Landing a job in the field of criminal justice can be a great career available in the world today. Not just to an individual but their community and country as well. Positions in areas of forensic science, law enforcement, social work and legal systems are essential in this particular field. This is because there is assurance that the guilty will be charged and the innocent protected by law. There are several special police units which deal with different kinds of criminals and crimes committed. Examples of these police units include the SWAT team, DEA, CIA, FBI, among others. In this paper, I intend to explore more about the career of criminal justice within the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigations) unit in the current world.
The system of criminal justice in the present world has evolved from the ancient times. Elements like punishments and courts have been there ever since. Others such as corrections and police are new developing concepts within the 19th century. For instance, Probation in the US started in 1841. Currently, probation officers have over 3.5milllion clients to supervise (Siegel & Worrall, 2013). In the 19th century, America suffered from violent behaviors due to a number of rising gangs such as the Dead Rabbits. In response to this, criminal agencies began to come up. The emergence of criminal justice was triggered by lawlessness and the high rates of crime within various countries (Siegel & Worrall, 2013). London Metropolitan Police was the first police force agency, formed in the year 1829. This police agency was developed so that they could apprehend criminals and thus upholding peace. In 1838, the US created its first police agencies in Boston, which was then followed by New York and Philadelphia, in 1844 and 1854 respectively (Siegel & Worrall, 2013).
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Careers in criminal justice may typically come into two categories, which are legal and law enforcement. In the legal/justice area, all the focus is directed towards the provision of legal services, whether it is a business or an individual (Schmalleger, 2015). Pursuing this area of criminal justice may make one act as the public official when it comes to court matters or the legal representative. He or she is expected to speak for all citizens in a particular state and represents them and their needs in courtrooms. They include; Judges, Court Reporter, Paralegal, Attorney (Prosecutor) and Attorney (Defense). When it comes to law enforcement, criminal justice refers to the individuals who face the causes of the crimes within the country and beyond the borders. They are responsible for crime response in the society and the criminal behavior thus tackling them, for instance policing among others. They include; Transportation Security Administration Officer, Sociologist, Private Investigator, Security Officer, Substance Abuse Counselor, Probation Officer, Military Police, Customs Agents, Police Detectives, Law Enforcement Officer, Parole Officer among others (Criminal Justice, 2016).
The FBI falls under the law enforcement category. Within the FBI, the main activities the federal officers undertake are enforcement of the federal laws and investigation of crimes. It may include conducting activities such as surveillance and interviewing their sources. Within the FBI, there are several job titles, for instance, there is an FBI Special Agent, Cyber Special Agent, and an FBI Investigator among others. Every time the FBI agency recruits new Agents all over the country. Individuals who are skilled with the FBI techniques may also have chances within the non-governmental organizations. The requirement for an FBI agent is simple, just a bachelor’s degree, three years’ experience in the related field and an average of 3.0 or a higher GPA (Criminal Justice Degree Schools, 2016). FBI special agents must be ready and willing to take part in raids, arrests, and other several risky operations. Furthermore, they may get involved during large-scale crime investigations such as drug trafficking, cyber-crime, terrorism among others. In addition, the FBI may also participate in the investigation of incidents like terror threats and airplane hijackings.
FBI agents might have one of the stressful jobs in the world, but with the passion they have for their country, no burden is felt. Focusing all their attention on duty and every single detail in their day to day investigations, they can nail down criminals and ensure that there is peace and order across the country. They uphold the federal laws and protect them thus protecting the innocent and serve justice to the guilty.
References
Criminal Justice Degree Schools. (2016). FBI Agent Career . Retrieved from http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-careers/fbi-agent/
Criminal Justice. (2016). Careers in Criminal Justice . Retrieved from http://www.criminaljustice.com/careers/
Schmalleger, F. J. (2015). Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction, Student Value Edition (11th Ed). Upper Saddle River: Pearson
Siegel, L. J., & Worrall, J. L. (2013). Essentials of criminal justice . Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
