Tag Archives: criminal justice

15 Criminal Justice Career Options for Social Workers

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I taught a graduate course a few years ago about psychopathology. It was designed as a mental health course that focused on severe mental illnesses but much of the discussion eventually centered on the role social workers have in the criminal justice system. Many students were interested in exploring the intersection of the mental health and the criminal justice system. They were particularly interested in whether or not they could work in the criminal justice system once they graduated with their social work degree.

Individuals who want to work in the criminal justice field and who are attaining a degree in social work may consider themselves forensic social workers. There are degree programs across the country that focus on forensic social work but they’re relatively sparse, compared to other social work programs. You can read more about those programs at the National Organization For Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) website.

One of the many benefits of having a social work degree is its versatility. Below is a list of possible jobs that one could hold in the criminal justice system with a social work degree. Many require a master’s degree in social work but not all of them.

15 Criminal Justice Career Options for Social Workers

1. Mental Health or Drug Court  Coordinator/Program Manager

2. Guardian Ad Litem (court-appointed individual who represents the best interests of the child in a divorce or parental responsibility case)

3. Parole or Probation Officer

4. Assisting a team of lawyers investigating a case of possible innocence (i.e. Innocence Project)

5. Victim Advocate

6. Sex Offender Therapist

7. Policy Analyst

8. Providing expert testimony in a legal trial

9. Assistant to a public defender

10. Forensic Investigator at the local Medical Examiners’ office

11. Custody Evaluator

12. Mental Health Evaluator

13. Mitigation Specialist

14. Case Manager for offenders leaving prison and transiting back into society

15. Conflict Mediator

Interested In Other Careers In Social Work? Check out [amazon_link id="0826154050" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]101 Careers in Social Work [/amazon_link]

Are you a social worker who works in the criminal justice system? If so, what is your role and what steps did you take to get there?

 

Crime Documentaries Worth Watching

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I made a list of my favorite documentaries focused on mental health and now I have a new list of favorite documentaries related to criminal justice. Many of these films can be viewed online for free. The links are provided below. Did I miss one? If so, let me know.

1. *The Real CSI: (PBS FRONTLINE): Investigates the reliability, or lack thereof, of the best-known forensic science tools.

2. *Top Secret America: (PBS FRONTLINE): Examines the top-secret world of government that has developed since 9/11. The documentary features Dana Priest of the Washington Post.

3. *The Interrupters: (PBS FRONTLINE): This documentary demonstrates a new approach to solving gang violence. The film offers a different way of understanding violence and poverty.

4. *Death By Fire: (PBS FRONTLINE): It is believed that the state of Texas executed an innocent person named Cameron Todd Willingham. This documentary investigates that case in great detail.

5. *Solitary Confinement: (National Geographic): This documentary explores the psychological effects of solitary confinement. You can view this on Netflix or by clicking on the link.

6. *The World’s Most Dangerous Drug: Meth: (National Geographic): This documentary explores the tragedy of methamphetamine and how it destroy lives. It is probably the best methamphetamine documentary I’ve seen.You can view this on Netflix or by clicking on the link.

7. [amazon_link id="B001CDEGWM" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Paradise Lost[/amazon_link]: (HBO Documentaries): This is the in-depth story of the West Memphis three, Damion Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr. & Jason Baldwin who were convicted of murdering three boys in West Memphis Arkansas but who were later found to be innocent. There are a number of subsequent documentaries that update the details of the story.

8. *The Released: (PBS FRONTLINE): This documentary provides an inside look at mentally ill offenders and their struggle for stability.

9. *Cocaine Cowboys: The very interesting story of the history of drug trafficking in Miami.

10. Most Evil: (Investigation Discovery Channel). This is a long-running series of one hour individual television shows on the Investigation Discovery channel. I would consider these “mini” documentaries about the science of evil. The show features Dr. Stone and his scale of evil.

12. *Post Mortem: Death Investigation In America: (PBS FRONTLINE): This documentary examines the status of autopsies and the doctors who provide them. The overarching conclusion is that it is a dysfunctional system with few standards and little oversight.

13. *The Iceman: (HBO Documentaries): This is a chilling look at Richard Kuklinski who is known to have killed many people as part of his “job.” Many consider Richard Kuklinski to be a “textbook case” of antisocial personality disorder.

*Indicates that it can be viewed online for FREE.

18 Best Criminal Justice Websites & Blogs

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Many websites and blogs have a great deal to teach their readers about elements of the criminal justice system. There are many great criminal justice blogs but not all of them are updated on a regular basis.  In no particular order, below is a list of my favorite criminal justice websites and blogs that are updated regularly and that will help you learn about the criminal justice system.  If I missed any of your favorites, let me know.

1. Matt Mangino: “A former prosecutors musings on crime and punishment in America.”

2. Solitary Watch: “News from a Nation in Lockdown”

3. The Crime Report: “If You Read It Here, It’s A Crime. America’s most comprehensive source of news on crime, and resources on criminal justice”

4. Karen Franklin, PhD: “Forensic psychological evaluations and psychological treatment, San Francisco Bay Area. Expert on motivations for violence and hate crimes.”

5. HuffPost Crime: “Get the latest on crime and justice. Follow missing person cases, the hunt for serial killers, breaking crime news and reports on newsworthy trials.”

6. Think Progress Justice: “Breaking news, original research, and hard-hitting analysis on legal issues.”

7. Doc Bonn: “Criminologist and media analyst.”

8. Crime Scene Training “A blog to teach the fundamentals of Crime Scene Investigation, and to encourage input, feedback and involvement from site visitors.”

9. Jonathan Turley ” …A nationally recognized legal scholar who has written extensively in areas ranging from constitutional law to legal theory to tort law.” His blog has won many awards.

10. The Wrongful Convictions Blog: “Addressing wrongful conviction and actual innocence issues from an international for them.”

11. The Charles Smith Blog:  Former reporter of the Toronto Star, Harold Levy writes about cases regarding flawed forensic pathology, junk science, the US death penalty and other forensic developments.

12. Bonnie’s Blog of Crime: “My Life of Crime, Murder, Missing People and such! Above all else, never forget the victim, that the victim lived, had a life and was loved. The victim and their loved ones deserve justice, as does society.”

13. The Crime Analyst Blog:  ”A blog of crime, law enforcement and related topics.”

14. Cops Alive: “Information, strategies and tools to help cops plan happy, healthy and successful careers, relationships and lives.”

15. The Sentencing Project: “Research and advocacy for reform.”

16. Vera Institute of Justice: “Making justice systems fairer and more effective through research and innovation.”

17. Prison Culture: “Prison Culture is an attempt to document how the current prison industrial complex operates and to underscore the ways that it structures American society.”

18. Death Penalty Information Center: “A national non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment.”