Criminal Justice Career Guide

In the U.S., customs and border protection officers are primarily responsible for inspecting citizens and non-citizens entering the country. These officials ensure that travelers are carrying the correct documents and following laws associated with transporting items such as food, wildlife, cash, and medicine. Customs and border protection officers can specialize as import officers, parole officers, or immigration specialists. They are typically found working at airports, though many may also find positions in field offices around the country.

Like most government and business organizations, law enforcement agencies are hierarchical in nature, requiring mid-level managers to conduct everyday operations. Law enforcement supervisors oversee the day-to-day responsibilities of police officers, firefighters, detectives, and other similar professionals. They may approve investigations, set patrol schedules, and assign personnel to carry out specific tasks. As administrators, they are also typically involved in setting goals for different departments and drafting policies in accordance with legal regulations. Law enforcement supervisors can work with a range of professionals including elected officials, lawyers, and judges.

Unlike police officers who are employed by local, state, or federal agencies, private detectives and investigators work for individual clients. These professionals may be hired to find information about a variety of cases, including insurance fraud, missing persons, theft, or stolen identities. While private detectives and investigators don't have law enforcement powers, they carry out many of the same duties as their publicly-employed counterparts, such as conducting interviews, surveilling suspects, and testifying in court. However, like law enforcement officers, they must carry out work on a case in accordance with the law.

Fire inspectors examine buildings and other structures to make sure they are in line with safety codes. This can involve conducting field visits, writing reports, and issuing citations. Some fire inspectors also investigate the cause of fires and explosions. This may require them to utilize law enforcement powers, such as conducting investigations, interviewing witnesses, or charging suspects in cases of arson. Fire inspectors can often be called to testify in court when there are criminal proceedings against a suspected arsonist.

For law enforcement to be effective, it needs dedicated professionals who are trained in curating different types of evidence. Police identification and records officers — also known as crime scene investigators or forensic analysts — document instances of lawbreaking by taking pictures, collecting fingerprints, and organizing potential exhibits. While some of these officers work in the field, others may carry out tasks in a lab, where they conduct tests to find contraband or identify causes of death in cases of murder. Police identification and records officers can also be responsible for providing authorized access to different types of evidence.

In today's data-driven world, intelligence analysts play an important role collecting and analyzing information relevant for law enforcement officers. Their day-to-day duties can include monitoring public forums, using sophisticated software to track suspicious activity online, and gathering evidence for perceived security threats. Most intelligence analysts work for federal law enforcement agencies where they concentrate on analyzing domestic and international terrorism as well as organized crime activities.

Police officers are primarily responsible for maintaining order and public safety. They work in well-defined jurisdictions, such as counties, precincts, or states, where they monitor potential criminal activity, regulate traffic, and respond to emergencies. These professionals have special law enforcement powers, such as the ability to arrest lawbreakers and issue citations. Some police officers specialize in conducting investigations. Known as detectives, these individuals are plainclothes officers who are primarily responsible for solving criminal cases by gathering evidence to build a case and apprehend suspects. Detectives can also be called upon to testify in court proceedings.

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work with law offenders in various capacities. Those that work in prisons may regulate prisoners' schedules, determine their eligibility for parole, monitor their rehabilitation progress, and ensure their safety. Others may monitor formerly incarcerated persons to ensure they are abiding by the stipulations of their parole or release. In many cases, this involves helping an individual secure a job, inspecting their living arrangements, and maintaining close contact with their family members and associates. It may also require probation officers and correctional treatment specialists to develop individualized rehabilitation plans that set professional and personal goals for persons with a criminal history.

Security managers are responsible for the correct functioning of an organization's security policies. This usually involves ensuring that personnel and assets are protected from potential criminal or other harmful activities. Security managers may have several responsibilities, including developing protocols, assessing risk, testing equipment, creating budgets, and purchasing new technology. They typically communicate security recommendations to senior managers and make suggestions on how to improve protection measures for an organization. They may also direct the activities of other personnel, such as security guards, and typically work closely with law enforcement officials at the local and state levels. 

Social and community service managers help develop, implement, and evaluate public programs. Those with a criminal justice background may often work on programs that aim to improve public safety and order. As part of their job, social and community managers work closely with community members to identify their needs. They also work to secure funding and are constantly gathering evidence to determine whether a particular program is effective.

Criminal justice and law enforcement educators work at the college or university level, where they teach various courses on law enforcement and the legal system. They work with students at the graduate and undergraduate level, grade assignments, and may sometimes carry out administrative duties for their department. Some also conduct research on criminal justice issues, writing academic papers, presenting their findings at conferences, and giving public lectures.

Judges are an important part of the criminal justice system. They oversee all aspects of court cases, from determining how trials occur, maintaining order, admitting evidence, and hearing arguments, to approving warrants, delivering decisions, and imposing sentences. Judges may preside over various cases such as traffic violations, civil disagreements, criminal violations, and class-action lawsuits. Their main responsibility is to interpret the law in relation to the facts of a case, as well as ensure that the rights of all parties are upheld during legal proceedings. Judges may work at the local, state, and federal levels.

Lawyers work for individuals, businesses, and organizations in settings that require legal representation. These may include court proceedings, arbitration talks, contract negotiations, executing wills, and many other circumstances. In many of these cases, lawyers interpret the law, regulations, or previous rulings on a matter to best advise their clients on a course of action. Lawyers can be hired on a case-by-case basis or work as part of an in-house legal team for a business or organization. Many of these professionals work for the government as well, where they prosecute people who have broken the law or defend clients who are unable to afford their own attorney.