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TiAmbria Malone
Stephanie Williams
RHET 1311-32
10/6/2015
The World of Criminal Justice
Have you ever wondered what the Criminal Justice System is?
Criminal Justice is a system of governments who are directed to uphold
social control, crime, and punish those who violate the laws. The
system also has a variety of traditions, history, outlooks, and structures
to develop an organized foundation. The history of criminal justice
bounces back to the 1830s when violence was weeping the United
States (Walker 49). The system is broken down into three branches
known as law enforcement, judicial, and corrections branch.
Throughout each branch of criminal justice there are various careers
you can be associated with. Majority of the careers in the criminal
justice field require you to have a solid educational background. Their
several educational routes can take in this field of career such as a
certificate in criminal justice, an associates, bachelors, masters,
doctoral degree, and/or a graduate certification. I believe that the
Criminal Justice System provides a diversity of career opportunities.
The organization of criminal justice is structured to improve
governmental standards to protect our society. Vice president James
Burch points out that as of the year 2015 federal agencies are
responsible for improving the criminal justice system by using grants

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and federal assistance. My overall purpose is to inform and expand

your knowledge about the historical background, and structure of
Criminal Justice.
The Criminal Justice System has enhanced since the 1700s
tremendously. Criminal Justice goes back to the colonial era when
citizens were subject to the laws and rules of the British (Dunning).
Although laws and punishments around this time period were not
always fair, by the end of the 17th century William Pen began to
promote improvement in the Criminal Justice System (Dunning). Pens
promotion helped to see these changes enforced throughout the
Criminal Justice structure.
The beginning of structuring these guidelines for crime began after
the American Revolution. The Criminal Justice System guidelines
protected the rights of the innocent, and right to a fair trial. Around the
1830s violence swept the country due to the increasing neglect for law,
which rapidly covered the U.S (Walker 49). The patterns of daily life
were destroyed by immigration, population growth, and development
of commercial enterprise which is the selling of goods and services.
The decade of 1965 through 1975 marked the reawakening of the
concepts and defiance of criminal justice (Skoler92). The introduction
of a large scale of federal assistance was to help enforce crime control,
improve public safety, and emphasize on reorganizing the role of
criminal justice. Moreover, the history of Criminal Justice and how it is

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structured has improved over the years, and holds the responsibility to
protect the rights and meet the needs of society to obtain law and
order.
The three main branches to the criminal justice system are law
enforcement, the adjudication also known as the court system, and the
corrections. These branches create a stable foundation to maintain
social control, and punish those who violate laws with rehabilitation
and criminal penalties (Career Education Corp.).

Branches of Criminal Justice

The first branch of the Criminal Justice system is the Law
Enforcement. According to Melissa Sherrard, majority of this branch
includes police officers, sheriffs, and federal agents who often act as
the first contact between offenders and the criminal justice system
(Sherrard). The police force are the ones who investigate the crime
and/or the possibilities of wrong doing. Indeed police officers are
allowed the option to take action when it comes to an arrest or
investigation to accomplish their jobs. They are not allowed to break
the laws themselves under no circumstances. The role of law
enforcement is to keep the peace within society, maintain social order,
and enforce criminal laws.
The second branch of the Criminal Justice System is the
adjudication also known as the court system. The system is usually

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made up of local, state, and federal courts that are made up of

attorneys, a judge, the jury, a bailiff, jailer, and clerk. The formal
structure of the courts changed throughout the nineteenth century. In
1975, the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
conducted an extensive Safe Streets Act Questionnaire Survey among
all fifty state planning agencies (Skoler112). This emphasized progress
in producing a more unified court system(Skoler112). The court
system role is to also make sure the law is as followed and organize
what happens in court.
The last branch to the criminal justice system is the corrections
system which deals with jails, prisons, probation, and parole. The
corrections branch works to protect society by assigning punishments
for offenders, and includes jail or prison time, rehabilitation options,
rarely parole or probation (Sherrard). The most popular correction
enforcement is prison time which removes criminals from society. Their
main job is to enforce the punishment against those who are found
guilty in court (Career Education Corp.).

Academic Requirements for Criminal Justice Careers

Including all three branches of criminal justice in this field of
career you have to have a thorough educational background. The key
to choosing the right career route for you is to have a clear idea of
what you want to do, and goals you want to achieve. Additionally,

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there are several degree routs you can take such as a Certificate in
Criminal Justice which is less than a years worth of study (What). This
Degree is usually for people who want to train for a job rather than
earn a college degree, consequently if you decide to get a degree
afterwards you will have to eventually start over (What). The next
degree is an Associates, the basic two year degree that usually
requires you to complete four semesters of fifth teen credits each, for a
total of sixty credits (What). The degree is also beneficial because if
you decide to continue you education you will be able to go towards
your Bachelors. A Bachelors degree is the basic four year degree
which improves your quality of receiving a job more than an
Associates. A Bachelors usually requires eight semesters of 15 credit
hours, for a total of 120 credits (What). There is also a Graduation
Certification that many schools offer students who have a Bachelors in
Criminal Justice. It gives them an opportunity to go further in the field
of study thats a shorter version of a formal Masters degree. A
Masters degree is the next building block from a Bachelors, and
requirements often vary from school to school. Commonly a Masters
doesnt take no longer than two or more years to complete if you
attend full time (What). Moreover, there is a lot of flexibility in how
you can obtain your degree, and common reasons why criminal justice
major further their education is to avoid being blocked from promotions
and transfer opportunities within their career.

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Careers in the World of Criminal Justice

Most common careers and jobs in criminal justice are usually
within law enforcement. The most common careers are federal law
enforcements such as security administration, correctional officer, and
criminal investigation. The security administration is includes the
developments and implementation of policies, procedures, standards,
training, and methods for protecting information, personnel, property
and material from threats, theft, misuse, and loss (Walker). A
correctional officer covers positions that are responsible for advising,
reviewing, and evaluating the management of such institutions,
systems, or programs such as prisons, jails, and rehabilitation centers
(Walker). The field of criminal investigators typically involve planning
and conducting investigations relating to allege or suspected violations
of criminal laws (Walker). Overall most of these careers involve
protecting the society from violence and make sure the laws are being
followed. In conclusion, as of today the criminal justice system has
improved significantly. According to vice president of Strategic
Initiatives at The Police Foundation James Burch holds the responsibility
to improve the criminal justice system in the United States by using
grants and federal assistance (Burch). The Criminal Justice System
holds the key to protecting societys rights and keeping the peace.