Generally, choosing a career path is influenced by several factors or experiences that a person might get on his/her day to day activities. Most importantly, these experiences tend to shape the choice one makes. This is vital since making a career decision influenced by your experiences drives out your passion for a particular field. This paper reflects on me, my career path, the experiences that impacted my decision, my first choice of the job after graduation, and the career paths that I have eliminated.
Criminal justice career paths are generally tasked with delivering tasks to the people who have committed crimes. Notably, several factors have shaped my decision to pursue the career path I currently pursue criminal justice. Many of the factors are majorly external, and these experiences greatly influenced my choice of a career path. Having been brought up in a community with rampant crime activities, my dream was to always shape up the community by ensuring that the criminal activities were reduced and those community members would live in peace. Some of the criminal activities in the community included murder, theft, and terrorism, among others. The crime cases that happened every single day drove out the passion in me to want to have a role in the structuring of laws, rules, as well as in the designation of agencies to hold criminal accountable for their misdeeds and wrongdoings and give justice to the affected people in the community. Further, there was a need for legal aid to the communities affected, and through pursuing a course in criminal justice, I would be able to give legal aid to the concerned parties.
Majorly, due to the continued rise in crime rates, several needs influenced my decision to take this career path. First, the major influencing factor was the need to shape the crime policy. There was a need for law enforcement in investigating the committed crimes. Additionally, these experiences made me feel the need to administer justice to the offended parties, which would be a significant role for the courts. Additionally, the need for corrections was an essential factor in ensuring that the criminal justice system would ensure that the criminal gets corrected for their wrong activities, with the criminals’ rehabilitation where possible.
Besides, in the community affected by criminal activities, there was a need to identify and explain the patterns of criminal behavior and analyze society’s ability to control crime and delinquency. There was a need to combine legal studies and public administration to ensure a better society free from the threats and dangers provided by crime activities. Besides, I also wanted to learn and gain knowledge on the legal and correctional systems within the country, deterrence of crimes, the philosophy of punishment, and the ethical codes of behavior. Lastly, I felt the need to enjoy a career in court administration, corrections, law enforcement, and victim services by having a broad social science background due to my childhood experiences.
Specifically, my first choice of job or the type of job after my graduation would be being a probation officer. The job will task me to investigate the personal history of the offenders and the performance of background checks and then report the findings obtained to the court system, which would deliver justice. Further, as a probation officer, I will be able to make recommendations that revoke or serve to modify the terms of the offenders’ probation, maintenance of case records, offering assistance in courtroom procedures, as well as the maintenance and monitoring the payment orders of the court, which include fines, restitution, as well as support orders.
Additionally, the job position will also give me the responsibility of making planned visits to the offenders’ homes and workplaces. Besides, as a probation officer, another role is working with the neighborhood associations and also religious groups for the purpose of checking up on the offenders’ behavior. Lastly, my other role in the job position would be ensuring that the people I supervise get to enroll in substance abuse rehabilitation and several job training problems that would be as per ordered by the court. Some of the career paths that I have eliminated include being a warden, judge, or attorney. This is because of my vast interest in the law enforcement system and not necessarily in the court or corrections system.
What makes me qualified and suited for the probation officer job is first due to the broad knowledge I have on social science background as well as the passion that drives me in ensuring deliverance of justice to those who have committed crimes, as well as rehabilitating offenders, preventing other crimes, and also offering moral support to the victims. In the next five years, I want to work in the law enforcement system. My long-term plans are to play a vital role in discovering, deterring, rehabilitation, and the punishment of the people involved in the violation of rules and norms that govern society. Further, for the long-term plans, I aspire to shape the country’s crime policy and ensure an effective criminal justice system.