Social and Economic Characteristics of My Profession - Essay Example

Social and Economic characteristics of my profession of the of the Introduction This study shall reflect economic and social characteristics of a career. Criminal justice has been chosen as a career. It is a system of governmental institutions and practices which are directed towards enhancing social control and addressing criminal scenarios. Criminal justice professionals also punish those individuals who are involved in violating laws with rehabilitation efforts or criminal penalties. This career path encompasses wide array of responsibilities so as to serve the society. Safety is the major area of concern for criminal justice professionals. Good community relations can be developed through high performance levels of criminal justice professionals. These professionals are involved in patrolling in specific geographical regions. Criminal case files are maintained by such professionals in order to provide desirable service quality level to clients. Groups employed in the profession Employment condition in this professional field is based on three major factors such as education, race and gender. Criminal justice professionals usually need to possess certain important skills so as to establish their career in this particular field. Communication skills should be strong of individuals who are entering into this profession. They need to be a good listener, should have negotiation, persuasion capabilities and must be able to convey information across other individuals. Individuals also need to have critical thinking perspective both in context of reasoning and logic. Complex problem solving and decision-making skills contribute towards career growth. This field is not gender biased, hence male or female can apply for this career option (Hanes and Hanes, 2005). Race biasness in observed in some countries but it is not noticed in United States. Educational qualification constitutes post-graduation degree in criminal justice so as to enter into this professional field. Current state of the profession Criminal justice is a versatile profession and it includes wide array of job divisions. Criminal justice occupations are adopted by many individuals residing in United States and nearby locations. Detectives and police officers are mainly observed as criminal justice professionals. As per United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, this particular field has achieved an employment growth of about 10% in the past 5years. By 2018, it is expected that this employment growth would be enhanced by 18% in United States. This clearly indicates that it is a suitable career opportunity for individuals opting for criminal justice degree (Ferdico, Fradella and Totten, 2015). Average salary of patrol officers was about $51,410, whereas that of other criminal justice professionals was estimated to be $60,910. The current state of this profession denotes stability with greater scope for future growth. Criminal justice professionals have also established their career in Florida. Figure 1: Law enforcement professionals (Source: Hanes and Hanes, 2005) Figure 1 demonstrates the employment conditions in Florida with respect to criminal justice profession. The mean annual wage is slightly lower than other locations such as Texas, California and New York. Location quotient is 1.21 which indicates there are other occupations too in Florida apart from criminal justice. Hence employment conditions in this state cannot be judged only from criminal justice perspective. Current issues affecting the profession There are challenges being faced by this profession. Legislative frameworks can be stated as one such issue. There are new norms or regulations designed which creates problem for smooth functioning of criminal justice operations. Youth are getting actively indulged into criminal activities and criminal justice professionals cannot undertake measures if they do not have strong evidences. This in turn is increasing criminal offences. Three strikes legislation states that when an individual is arrested as well as convicted for about three times they are considered to be out (Fuller, 2005). This legislation does not take into consideration offences which could again be committed by such individual. People who are belonging to underdeveloped regions are the ones who actually need such services. They always look up to criminal justice professionals for providing them with justice. Reasons for choosing this profession There are various reasons behind choosing this profession. Firstly I wanted to do something for my country. I believe that being a criminal justice professional shall provide me with a platform to upgrade societal conditions and decrease percentage of criminal cases. I also have an inclination towards criminal justice cases, where I get to know offence committed by individual and proactive measures taken by personnel. Judgment and creative thinking skills forms my strength and it shall support me in this career path. In my school life too I have proved to be an effective leader by bringing forth coordination, monitoring and instructing team mates. These skills are necessary components for any criminal justice professional. Interpretation of information Criminal justice profession has future opportunities in certain locations whereas it is not an important aspect of employment in many regions. These professionals are not only confined to managing individuals with criminal offence but there are also additional responsibilities to be exhibited by these individuals. They have to respond to any form of emergency situation and even needs to document information. There critical thinking power needs to be strong since this profession is not only associated with acquiring information from relevant sources. Facts of any criminal incident need to be properly reviewed and then judgment should be undertaken. Apart from these basic approaches, public relations and communication are other crucial factors in criminal justice career. These professionals also operate equipment, vehicles and mechanized devices. Usage of concepts, theories and facts Criminal justice concepts and theories are greatly associated with needs and reasons behind punishment. Firstly reasons are derived whether an individual should be punished or not. Then the procedures are framed for punishing an individual. It can be stated that criminal justice is not about gathering information but also analyzing data in order to arrive at conclusion. Deterrent theory is a well-known theory in criminal justice field and has strong correlation with military strategy. It is about adopting best policies so as to safeguard a region from any form of harm. Preventive theory is inclined towards adopting precautionary measures so that an individual cannot cause much harm towards external society (Cronkhite, 2012). These theories can be related with tasks and responsibilities of criminal justice professionals. These professionals are trained to formulate creative strategies so that degree of criminal offence can be controlled in a region. Core value of social & community justice Community and social justice are closely knitted with economic and social development of a country. Criminal justice professionals have a common objective which is to establish security in a location and improve upon living conditions. The core value in relation to such justice systems is to incorporate equality within the society and community. Often people belonging to underdeveloped countries are seen to suffer from criminal activities exercised by people possessing power (Harr and Hess, 2009). However social and community justice framework establishes a legal standard that cannot be violated with people, and if exploited, offenders are subjected to punishment. In overall context, decorum is being maintained through such justice systems. The core value of such justice is to enable individuals utilize their respective fundamental rights. Right to live is addressed by community and social justice system. Conclusion As per the study, criminal justice profession is being adopted by many individuals. This profession is diverse by nature and offers high growth opportunity in future years. Criminal justice profession requires significant skills. These skills are communication, negotiation, decision making and critical thinking skills. All of these skills should be internal to any individual who are trying to develop their career in this particular field. In United States this professional field has achieved desirable growth margins in past few years. However in Florida the contribution of this profession towards overall employment is considerably low. This profession well addresses core value of social and community justice system. Average annual salary of such professionals is well aligned with their tasks or responsibilities. References Cronkhite, C. L. (2012). Law enforcement and justice administration: strategies for the 21st century. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Ferdico, J. N., Fradella, H. and Totten, C. (2015). Criminal procedure for the criminal justice professional. New York: Cengage Learning. Fuller, J. R. (2005). Criminal justice: mainstream and crosscurrents. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hanes, R. C. and Hanes, S.M. (2005). Crime and punishment in America. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomas Gale. Harr, J. and Hess, K. (2009). Careers in criminal justice and related fields: from internship to promotion. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More