Taylor Heger
12/12/2021
CJ 112 Module 7-1 Journal Entry Careers and
High Expectations
Policing- The career I chose to delve into within the policing unit of the criminal justice system is that of
a detective. Detectives typically investigate more serious crimes such as assaults, robberies, and
homicides. Other roles of a detective include examining records, conducting interrogations, monitoring
suspects, and participating in raids and arrests. To be a detective, their skillset should include critical
thinking, problem-solving, written, and oral communication, attention to detail, and ethical behavior.
Any profession in the criminal justice system is held to a high ethical standard, inclusive of a detective. In
addition to that, other professional standards expected from a detective are conducting oneself with a
level of professionalism along with honesty, sincerity, integrity, morality, and good conscience when
interacting with all clients. They are expected to conduct investigations within the realm of legality,
morality, and professional ethics.
Courts- For the courts, I choose the career of a criminologist. In relation to law enforcement,
criminologists take a deeper look at offenders, analyze their settings along with social encounters,
generational developments, and other trends. Criminologists examine why people commit crimes. As
with any other criminal justice profession, high ethical standards may be the most important
professional standard individuals in the criminal justice field must adhere to. Being a criminologist is no
different. Aside from ethical standards, criminologists must be aware of the moral dilemmas they will
face on the job and how they should deal with them in their research.
Corrections- In the field of corrections I chose the career of a substance abuse counselor. A substance
abuse counselor is a mental health therapist who works intensively with treating individuals who have a
substance use disorder to drugs or alcohol. Professional standards for a substance abuse counselor
include acting in the best interest of the client, building rapport, and offering support to name a few.
All three of the components of the criminal justice system play a critical role in keeping the
public safe. Each of these components go hand in hand with the others and would not be able to
function properly without one another. Although each separate component differs in jobs and
job duties, they can come together for the same reason of enforcing justice.
A current trend that I decided on is expanding opportunities for women in law enforcement. As
a woman, this is a trend I was intrigued to learn more about. It is also a trend that can tie into
any of the careers I chose to talk about. I know we like to think that there isn’t a double
standard between men and women in the workforce, but there is, with women usually getting
the short end of the stick. In my personal experience with my job history, I find that there is not
equality between myself and my male counterparts. There are many benefits of expanding
opportunities to women in criminal justice. The more we successfully recruit women, we are
achieving a greater level of gender equality. Pros of women being involved in the criminal justice
field include focusing on areas of concern in the area related to community relations, excessive
force, and crimes against women.
References
Thornton, W.E, & Voigt, L (1988). Clinical Sociology Review. Clinical Sociology Review l Open Access
Journals l Wayne State University. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/csr/.
Peak, K.J., & Madensen, T.D. (2018). Introduction to Criminal Justice: Interactive eBook. Sage
Publications.
