Why I Study Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice field is very vast and much more complicated than studying the

laws that guide the conduct of the society. To appreciate the criminal justice system, I have

realized the importance of understanding racial discrimination, lack of education, poverty, and

poor mental health. The whole Criminal Justice system and how it works is incredibly

fascinating to me, it is something I have always loved and I still want to learn about. That so

many issues in which the criminal justice system is heavily involved, are going on in the world

right now makes the field even more fascinating to me. There cannot be a better time to study

criminal justice than now, especially knowing that the course is critical to solving may problems.

The criminal justice system has influenced my desire in pursuing a career in the field.

Right from the time I came to the United States, I have always been fascinated and interested in

the way crime is solved and how peoples’ minds work. And I believe that is down to the work

and sacrifices that law enforcement officers and the entire criminal justice system has put in to

make America and the world a safer place. I have always admired so many inspiring officers

whose inspiring stories go to show that criminal justice can be served correctly and there are no

excuses to get to the peak of one’s career in life.

Having struggled for a while with stress and mild depression, I have witnessed many kids

going through the same thing I went through and I want to help them avoid being in place that

would jeopardize their future and freedom. Some kids grow up in homes where mental health is

inevitable either because it’s inherited through genetics or because the environment in which

they grew up is negatively influenced by social vices that can lead them to getting involved in

crime in the future. I am inspired by the great work done in the criminal justice system so much
that I have decided I want to be part of it to use this experience to help people cope with

circumstances around them to prevent getting involved in criminal activities.

There are three careers I want to explore and could potentially be the path I choose in the

future as my career in the criminal justice system. I am most interested in the field of Forensic

Psychology a career in criminal justice which applies psychological principles to investigations

to narrow down a suspect list or provide a motive for a crime. I find this interesting because it

combines my interest in criminal justice and psychology. I am also interested in Forensic

Nursing as a career in criminal justice. Nursing has also been a career path that I had been

interested in for quite some time now. Forensic nurses are tasked with combining their nursing

skills with investigative skills to preserve crime scenes, provide emotional support to victims and

their families, and even provide expert testimony in court (Sokanu, 2017). One specialty in the

forensic nursing career that mostly appeal to me is forensic mental health nursing, which also

requires knowledge of psychology or mental health training. I intend to do more research in

careers along these lines to help the younger generation who are mostly affected by mental

illness.

Finally, I believe the criminal justice system would be better served by treating mental

health issues outside of the criminal justice system. Mental illness and disorders can be

humiliating, causing a person to not seek treatment. I have witnessed this type of shame lead

friends down a path of violence and crime.

Reference

Sokanu. (2017, October 18). What does a forensic psychologist do?

CareerExplorer. https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/forensic-psychologist/