Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterrence of crime, or punishing those who violate laws with criminal penalties.
Criminal Justice is one of the most sought out careers to go into. There are numerous specialties that one can choose from when thinking about going into the field. Amongst those specialties include Law Enforcement, Judiciary, Crime Scene Investigation, Forensics, Lawyers, Psychology, Sociology, Homeland Security, Corrections, and Cyber Security.
What you get paid for working in criminal justice largely depends upon what kind of career you wish to pursue. Actual expected salaries will vary depending on your chosen career path, experience, and even your geographic location. Median salaries can range from $35k up to $102k a year.
In most cases an educational requirement must be met in order to get a job within the Criminal Justice Department. Most CJ fields require either a two year or four year degree, depending on your specific area of interest, and some specialties will allow you to go as high as your Masters or even Doctorate in the field.
Additional specialties within the Criminal Justice field that you can look into as a career:
- Law Enforcement
- Crime Scene Investigator
- FBI Special Agent
- Homeland Security
- Corrections Officer
- Forensics