Criminal justice careers in investigation and court proceedings

Criminal Justice

What areas of criminal justice am I interested in and why?

I am interested in investigating crimes because it is always of interest to me as to why that particular crime was committed. Whether the crime was committed against property, people, an institution or animals, I am always curious to know who committed the wrongdoing and perhaps get an idea of why it was done.

In addition, the courts are also of interest to me, how they approach sentencing of the accused, what rights the accused has, what arguments his or her attorneys make in behalf of the client, and how it comes out in terms of whether the accused is found innocent or guilty. Reading about cases in the newspapers, and covering all the arguments made by the prosecution and the defense attorney, and the make up of the jury -- this is democracy at work, is the way I see it in the big picture.

The democratic system isn't just what happens in Washington with Congress and the executive branch and the court system. I have always been intrigued by what happens at the local level, with criminal justice being the part of our government that reaches down to the community level.

What does the world "Justice" mean to me. What does "injustice" mean to me?

When I think of justice I think of fairness. But what I also think of is what is right not just for the public and public safety. I think of what is fair and right for the suspect, the accused. If it is the first offence, and it was a crime that did not harm anyone ("victimless crime") than justice should be carried out with some understanding of the circumstances. Should the accused if found guilty of the crime be incarcerated? Or should he perhaps be given probation, and required to undergo some education that helps him understand why he cannot do this in our society.

"Injustice" in a case that I described above would be a situation where it was a first time offence and there were no victims but the courts put the convicted in jail for two years. The crack cocaine law a few years ago was very unfair and unjust, putting a person in prison on a mandatory sentencing situation because he sold a small amount of crack. Injustice also means that an innocent person is wrongly accused, or that someone was injured in a drive by shooting and the perpetrator was never apprehended. There are many, many injustices in life, and crimes are just one example of injustice. it's also unjust that some poor people are stuck without the resources to bring themselves up by the bootstraps.

What sets me apart from other students?

First, I don't claim to be any wiser or more ethical than other students. But I do believe my experiences in the military prepare me for a career in a way that other students perhaps aren't prepared for. I served in the United States Marine Corps. In a war zone. So it can be said that I have been trained to honor my country, to have the courage to face unknown and dangerous situations, and to be committed to the tasks I have been asked to complete. The military teaches not only discipline (which is a misunderstood word, because it often means just "structure" not punishment), but it teaches loyalty and how to perform competently and immediately under very stressful circumstances. I feel that training does set me apart from other students. Semper Fi, the Marine Corps motto, means "always faithful," and I live by that concept.

What do I see as the role of my co-op advisor?

I see this person as a helpful guide to the careers and opportunities that are out there, and which ones might be the right ones for me to pursue. This advisor will need to know my background, my experiences, my outlook on life and what particular skills and knowledge I possess; and then the advisor can perhaps do the research on positions and careers within the scope of what the advisor has learned about me and my aspirations. Often times a student doesn't really have a clear idea of what is out there as far as good opportunities; students are concerned with completing assignments, getting good grades, making sure to do the reading required for various classes, and this can curtail the time and energy a person has to check out the market and the field that is of interest after college.

Here is an example of an issue dealing with ethics, diversity, values, or harassment that I have encountered either personally or one that I observed. How did I handle it? What did I learn from it?

When I was in Iraq, I was obliged to provide emergency medical treatment to the Iraqi individuals that had been shooting at my group, and had wounded some of the Marines in my unit. This is part of the training that I received, to treat the wounded in certain situations, even if they are the hostile enemy. This is not an easy thing to do. The adrenalin that pumps through your body, even a well-condition body physically, mentally and psychologically, is amazing. But we are trained to use nerves of steel to calm down and do what you're trained to do.

Not everyone who is a well-trained soldier can remain calm and poised in a situation where there is a firefight and at any second an enemy round can slam into you, injuring you or killing you. It is almost too much to expect for a man -- even a well conditioned and well trained Marine that is loyal to his orders from his commanding officer -- to provide aid and medical comfort to an enemy that just moments before was trying to kill you. But I did that and it really wasn't an ethical thing so much as it was a me responding to my training. In this case it was the right thing to do. The diversity issue did come into play because the Iraqi people are from a different culture and they think differently than Westerners do, but in a war zone you do what you are trained to do. I learned that doing the right thing does not always make you feel good.

What steps would I take if a conflict happened while on co-op?

The best and most practical solution for this kind of situation would be to have it handled it at the lowest level first. Solving problems that can be worked out at the workplace level, one-on-one or otherwise through intervention by fellow employees -- before it blows up into a major conflict -- is always the best approach. An example would be an argument between two people that is causing a distraction or a disruption of the ongoing activities at that level. Two people brought their baggage from outside and it lingered and festered and finally one of them got hot and began going off on the other. People are disturbed when they see hostility and anger being played out near them; it's rude and unfair for those doing their work diligently, professionally.

The two should know better but their emotions got the best of them. In this case I would myself (or ask another person who knows the two) pull one of the two aside gently but firmly and ask that he take a deep breath and not cause commotion to the point where we all suffer. I would say, "Take a break guy, please cool your jets for a few moments because you are causing all of us to be distracted from what we are supposed to be doing here. You're forcing us to be involved and we aren't part of your problem, so please, quiet down…"

If that wouldn't work, the next step of course is to notify the supervisor or foreman that we need help -- or to follow company policy in whatever form is required in that situation.

Who are my heroes?

I don't have any "heroes" in the "heroic" sense of the word. But I have people I greatly admire, and my brother is one of those that I admire. He was encouraged while growing up to believe he could make it through school if he put his mind to it. He graduated from Northeastern University and has a good job with Cisco. And my father who only had a high school diploma managed to put three of his children through college at the same time. Again, that's not heroic in the classic sense of the word, but it is a huge accomplishment and I respect and admire my father for his hard work. I should mention that during the time he was putting his kids through college he was unemployed for more than six months. He never gave up, and his kids thank him for that. He was "always faithful" (Semper Fi) to his family's future.