| There are few jobs in the world as rewarding | | | | Corrections Officer wears many hats. |
| as a career in the criminal justice field. I | | | | Counselor, disciplinarian, first responder, |
| remember when I first started. I was full of | | | | detective, manager, and secretary. There are |
| ideas and an attitude on how I was "going to | | | | so many tasks for a Corrections Officer to |
| change the world". I may have not changed | | | | complete and at the same time be aware of his |
| the world, but I know that I have left a | | | | surroundings with security on his mind the |
| lasting impression on some misguided | | | | whole time. |
| individuals. Before you decide to become | | | | |
| involved with criminal justice I will go over | | | | Dispatcher The dispatcher's job can be very |
| some details of a few of the most common | | | | stressful. It is more than just answering |
| fields and from my observations from working | | | | phone calls. A dispatcher must be able to |
| in the profession. | | | | communicate specific information to police, |
| | | | fire, and EMS. Most often at the same time, |
| Deputy/Police Officer The up side of this | | | | and answer the phones! Accurate and fast |
| career is that you come in contact with all | | | | typing skills are a must in this profession. |
| kinds of people, and have the opportunity to | | | | With the use of CAD (computer aided |
| impact their lives in a positive way. You | | | | dispatching) it has helped the dispatcher |
| also have a chance to bring criminals to | | | | organize the process much easier, but in a |
| justice that need to be off the streets. That | | | | crisis dispatching can turn from organized |
| is not the whole thing though. You can get | | | | chaos to a disaster if everyone is not on the |
| involved with different aspects of the job | | | | same page. |
| such as being a school liaison officer, field | | | | |
| training officer, swat, administration, K-9, | | | | Court Bailiff The bailiff has to ensure the |
| detective, academy instructor, and any other | | | | security of the court room Many of you have |
| duty your department has to offer. On T.V. | | | | seen on T.V. a bailiff just stand around and |
| they glamorize the cop catching the big crook | | | | does not do a whole lot. That is good. |
| or solving a crime with high tech. gear. All | | | | Imagine an angered family member in the |
| you have to do is stop a drunk driver from | | | | courtroom pulling out a gun to take out his |
| killing a family to be a hero in my opinion. | | | | revenge on the defendant who assaulted or |
| Corrections Officer A Corrections | | | | killed his family member. It has happened. |
| Officer is person that works inside a jail or | | | | The bailiff is always scanning the courtroom |
| prison. They are responsible for the inmate's | | | | looking for a potential problem. |
| well being and the security of the facility. | | | | |
| These are the unsung heroes of our | | | | This has been just an introduction to the |
| correctional facilities. Everyday they are | | | | series that will follow. In future articles I |
| locked behind the walls with potentially | | | | will analyze each of the above careers a |
| dangerous criminals. A lot of time the | | | | little closer. |