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Will a real career in criminal justice be like the jobs I see on TV?

The answer to that query is both yes and no. While the people in the true crime dramas that populate prime time network television these days, criminal justice is dramatized to make it seem a lot more interesting and a lot faster because they jump from event to event along the course of the crime and the prosecution of the offenders. No matter what job you choose in the "criminal justice" arena ,you are going to have to be prepared to deal with inter office politics, which are further confused when you add real politics to the mix because sheriffs, judges, DA's and the like are elected to the top offices and there is often quite a shakedown of personnel and their responsibilities when a newly elected official is put into office. Also developments in criminal cases, investigation, and prosecuting the offenders are slow in coming. Sometimes a group of people who are working on a case will never get resolution on certain cases. In other cases you may have just enough evidence to point the finger of logic at the perpetrator but lacking enough physical evidence to make a charge stick.

Unlike the shows that depict the various lives and cases of the people who are involved in criminal justice, there is no scripting and there are no guarantees. There is a lot of hard work and effort involved and most people involved in law enforcement are not paid nearly enough while those at the top are paid for too much to administrate those who are at the entry levels and are risking their lives and wellbeing in order to see that in some small portion that justice is done. While they suffer with injustices like, interdepartmental bickering, positioning, and politics, victims, victim's families seeking justice, and those who think that they will outsmart or outplay justice and escape its grasp.

In short it can be a demanding and desperately difficult line of work to get into, and it is also fraught with perils. For the police who apprehend criminals and attempt to either protect or avenge their victims, they risk their lives often daily for complete strangers based on principle. Those who house them likewise put their lives at risk but the risks are more controlled and more calculated. People who are involved in the legal side of the equation such as the lawyers, judges, and even the staff can often be targeted for revenge from the criminals, their friends, and family members. The supporting roles in criminal justice such as clerks and medical examiners rarely participate in anything but information gathering and them giving their expert opinion if a suspect is ever brought to justice. There is little glory and precious little true benefit to a career in criminal justice except that as long as there are criminals there will be some sort of job security. Criminal justice is a calling much like priesthood, or working for non profits, it is demanding work but the reward is in believing that what you do really can make a difference and that you can help justice to be served.

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