Criminal Justice

LegalMatch Law Library Managing Editor, Ken LaMance, Attorney at Law

“Criminal justice” is a very broad term, and refers to nearly everything that has to do with criminal law.

 

Criminal law is the system of rules which society imposes to prohibit the narrow class of conduct which if determines is bad enough to warrant punishment. These laws are passed by state and federal legislatures, enforced by the executive branch of government, which includes police officers and district attorneys, and interpreted and applied by judges in criminal courts. In addition, there are a large number of other people who perform important roles in the criminal justice system, such as administrative personnel. Virtually all of these people have some form of criminal justice training.

 

Students who go to school and receive criminal justice training set themselves on a course to perform almost any function in the criminal justice system, from police officers to lawyers to judges.

 

Criminal justice training entails learning a wide variety of subjects. Most obviously, students receiving criminal justice training will learn the basics of criminal law, which will provide a broad overview of what a person can and can’t do in the criminal context. They will also study criminology, criminal procedure, and the inner workings of the criminal courts.

 

Countless schools across the United States have various degree programs that entail some type of criminal justice training. Everything from a simple paralegal certificate (especially for those who want to work for public defenders, prosecutors, or criminal defense law firms) to a Ph. D or law degree can focus on criminal justice. Whatever a student’s career or educational goals, it’s generally possible to pursue criminal justice training at virtually any level of education.

 

The work that criminal justice professionals do every day is extremely important. After all, the criminal justice system must bear two very heavy burdens: protecting society from criminals, while doing everything possible to ensure that innocent people are not punished. These two goals are important, but sometimes conflict with one another.

 

For the reasons discussed above, anyone who works with the criminal justice system must be diligent, knowledgeable, and ethical. Criminal justice training from a good school is essential in ensuring that all criminal justice professionals have these qualifications.

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