This reflective essay examines what one student learned during a criminal justice associates degree program. The paper explores how coursework shifted the student's perspective on the field — from viewing it as a straightforward pathway to employment to recognizing its complexity. Key themes include the overlap between victim and perpetrator roles, the importance of protecting defendants' constitutional rights, and the nuances of criminal psychology and victimology. The essay also outlines the student's career goals, particularly a growing interest in victim services and human services, along with an honest assessment of knowledge strengths and gaps identified through the program.
When I entered the criminal justice associates program, I have to admit that my thoughts were not focused on what I would learn. Instead, I viewed the program largely as a means to an end — a necessary step I had to take in order to obtain my desired job in law enforcement. I felt it would provide me with the stepping stone I needed to get a job in an administrative sector of law enforcement, and possibly help me enter a police academy with reduced course requirements, if that was the route I chose to explore. However, once I began my coursework, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I was learning a substantial amount of genuinely helpful information. My instructors and professors brought a wide variety of real-life experience that provided an educational experience beyond what I could have received from a textbook or self-study alone. These experiences helped shape my understanding of what it truly means to work in criminal justice.
One of the primary things I learned is that criminal justice is not a black-and-white field. While there are victims and perpetrators, there is also a tremendous overlap between the two groups. For example, a woman may be working as a prostitute — and therefore technically a criminal — but she may also be raped by one of her clients, making her a victim; or she may be a victim of human trafficking, which likewise places her in the victim category. The idea that a person could simultaneously occupy two roles in the criminal justice system inspired me to think more carefully about crimes, their detection, their resolution, and their prosecution.
In many ways, the easiest crimes to prove are not necessarily the most serious crimes involved in a given situation. For example, a prostitute who is raped by a client should not be prosecuted for prostitution if she comes to police to report her rape. To do so ignores the magnitude of what happened to her and penalizes her for seeking help from law enforcement.
At the same time I was learning that some aspects of criminal justice are not black-and-white, I was also learning that some rules are not meant to be broken or even bent. I learned a significant amount about the protections afforded to the accused within our adversarial criminal justice system. Prior to taking these courses, I believed the exclusion of evidence obtained in violation of a suspect's rights was simply a way that criminals prevailed over their victims. However, a more careful study of how the law protects those accused of crimes helped me realize that if police do not respect a suspect's constitutional rights, the entire integrity of the criminal justice system is threatened. It is not enough simply to convict people; it is essential to convict the right people. Ensuring that a defendant's constitutional rights are protected helps guarantee that justice is accurately served.
I now believe I have a solid foundational understanding of the field. This knowledge places me in a good position for an entry-level job in criminal justice, and it has provided me with the foundation to make sense of much of what I will continue to learn while employed in the field.
"Procedural strengths and gaps in psychology and human services"
"Short- and mid-term goals in victim services"
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