Today's Criminal Justice: Fight Crime from Home

By Stanley Rubenti
Career Colleges Columnist

Criminal justice is a huge industry that grows larger each year. In 2003, the federal government spent $30 billion on civil and criminal justice. State governments spent more than $60 billion. Local governments spent almost $100 billion. These figures only represent the public sector'private law firms, security companies, and volunteer organizations account a multitude of jobs as well. Want a piece of the action? Criminal justice schools are an important first step.

What Are Criminal Justice Schools, and What Can They Teach Me?

Criminal justice schools help prepare a variety of professionals to succeed, from paralegals, corrections officers and law enforcement officials to attorneys, social workers, forensic scientists, and crime scene investigators. What you end up doing depends on the curriculum and track that you pursue. You can turn any number of passions (medicine, accounting, automotive engineering, psychology, etc.) into a criminal justice career if you approach it from a purely forensic standpoint. Expert witnesses are pulled in all the time to help bring criminals to justice.

The New Face of Criminal Justice: Telecommuting Crime Fighters

Like business, entertainment, and communication, crime has fully embraced the power of the Internet. Cyber theft, hacking, and terrorism can all take place over vast distances, thanks to global networks. So in theory, you could be fully engaged with the Criminal Justice Department while sitting at some remote terminal in suburbia. Thanks to Internet technology, crime fighters have the same flexibility and freedom that modern-day criminals enjoy.

Online Training through Criminal Justice Schools

Not surprisingly, criminal justice schools have also gone online, and the training you'll receive won't just prepare you to go after cyber criminals. There are online criminal justice schools that can train you to become a paralegal or forensic scientist. Some particularly driven people even pursue law degrees online. The point is, you don't necessarily need to relocate to Quantico or Washington, DC to learn how to fight crime.

Source:
Department of Justice

About the Author
A freelance writer, Stanley Rubenti currently lives in Bangkok where he writes columns for a variety of publications. Stanley holds a B.A. in history.

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