What is Criminal Justice?

I only got through about the first 15 posts on here before I realized that it had nothing to do with Criminal Justice. A majority of the posts in fact are people whining about racism.

You have people on here asking about the criminal justice field and instead of telling them how great it is even though sometimes it is hard and that it is worthwhile and often exciting, we are instead telling all these future criminal justice professionals that it is bull and that its all about race.

Bring on the 'Eye-For-An-Eye' system. You stab a person 15 times, you get stabbed 15 times! Justice shall be served.

So, what I gather from this conversation is no one knows what a criminal justice degree is. However, you know about racism! Good for you. I'm happy no one here has realized it's the new millennium. Why try to put the past where it belongs? Let's keep digging it up and causing more hate and discontent.

How about this? Leave the crap on a Trayvon Martin blog and actually converse about the subject everyone came here for: criminal justice.

I am still in high school, but I want to be a criminal justice major. What all do they do? I read the article but I'm still confused.

I talked to someone about the job and they said you don't have to go through police training but this says you have to. My mom and I are concerned because I graduate from my high school in two years and am not in shape. Will that affect me being a criminal justice major?

I want to do the forensic part of it but I want to be the person who goes to get the evidence, but not always in the lab, if you know what I mean. Other than being a pathologist (with the lab work) I don't know what to do.

Is it the same as crime scene investigation?

Justice. I tend to stay away from the arguments about law and order, because you start to hear ridiculous comments. I don't mind people saying that they have been mistreated by the law. Further, I don't think black people are its sole and only victims. That said, please don't try to compare your experience to the black experience at all. There is simply no comparison.

It's easy to say that racism and profiling doesn't exist when you've never been profiled. How could a white person know? Of course blacks are “crybabies” to some whites when the white citizen has been through nothing in comparison. I don't mean individually; I mean as a whole.

To oppress a group for God knows how many years, then say "Wow, how come they haven't caught up? No one's been bothering them for the last forty years!" Consider the length of time the people have been oppressed. Consider that only 50 years ago there were still places in this country that wouldn't even sell a black person a cup of coffee. The difference between a Black Panther and a white racist is the Panther has a reason to be upset. Black people were being terrorized in their own communities and then it's, "Oh, don't you dare fight back!" Seriously? The “law” has always been lopsided in its distribution of justice to people of color, and it still is.

To insinuate that a person is crying is to behave as though we made this stuff up? Are the Native Americans crying too? I guess they made that stuff up. Really? The “law” and its applications in this country are all one big joke. You can smell the hog crap as soon as you step in any courthouse in the good old U.S. of A!

Thanks. Very good information.

@post 57: That's exactly what racism is.

I'm a pretty white woman, but poor. I was sexually assaulted, tased, maced and brutalized by police. I reported what happened to me - and I ended up serving time in jail way out of proportion to others. I see a lot of posts about race, and all I can think of is Michael Jackson and O.J. Simpson. It has nothing to do with race. It's all about money. Sick country. I don't believe in amerika anymore.

Not everyone in jail or prison committed a crime and i honestly don't care about what color you are, it's time for the justice system to own up to their mistakes, but they don't do that, do they? all a cop has to do is not like someone and he can put them in jail by lying. cops get away with anything.

I've been a victim of the justice system here in america, and allow me to help you become aware we have the world's largest prison system for a reason. I was put on house arrest for a year simply by purchasing a cup of coffee and as i was attempting to get away from the one harassing me they charged me with resisting arrest. for what? buying a coffee with espresso at dunkin donuts. i was also arrested for battery on an LEO because i was having a hypoglycemic reaction on the ground at my house, which is a serious medical condition that causes seizures and my father was pouring soda down my throat.

A police officer with no warrant and with no reason to be there, claimed that my foot touched his face. I was denied a fair and speedy trial and forced to take a deal. over a year and a half going to pretrials. and in jail they also denied my insulin for three days, talk about torture.

Oh and I'm white, with some native american. this so-called justice system is no more than a scam to take taxpayers money while they solve no problems. Instead they place people in jail and let them sit there to waste away, instead of getting them proper therapy and training to take on the world when they get out. the justice system is a joke here, and the joke is on you!

the taxpayers, as well the so ones they call criminals, which isn't even a real word, it's a word created by the justice system so that they have rights to abuse them. as for rights, we really don't have any.

I believe we should bear arms and let no man take someone's life against their will without evidence and reason. I'd feel safer in a communist country. At least there, we know we have no rights. screw your stars, screw your stripes and all of the lies you lead along with it. oh, did soldiers die for our rights? or for government greed and power?

OK so I'm am a student and it is my dream to have a career in criminal justice. I'm doing a report on it and i was wondering if you guys had anything to tell me about this.

all right. I have read most people's comments and one in particular stuck out: the person who says he/she disagrees with the comments on here and says most of the blacks' more aggressive crimes comes from the anger they have because they were the whites' slaves, and whites treated blacks like animals and all that but that's a hot minute ago and nobody would have known that nowadays if they weren't told about it, But you still hear those excuses.

I'm not from a big city and i just recently moved to a big city and was shocked when i saw all the interracial couples. racism makes you mad but what makes it worse is when people are naive and act like it never existed because that just throws off addressing it.

racism is always going to exist, even though, instead of white people and black people it should be decent people and sorry, there's some decent whites and blacks and there's some sorry whites and blacks but that's how it is.

Honestly, i could say that race has a big part to do with it. Yes some police officer's pull you over but not only do they pull blacks over, they also pull whites over. I think it's certain parts of towns because i am from miami florida and i could say police officers will pull anyone over.

I have been arrested before and my judge dropped my case because of the fact there wasn't any real evidence so they couldn't go on with the case. But the truth of the matter is, it's not about who we are or where we from or even the color we are. it's about the things we do and why we do them!

I am a Jamaican moving to the states in a few weeks, age 23. I am interested in becoming a police officer. Can you explain the procedures that i need to start my career?

I have read a lot of articles,and yes there are a lot of injustices going on in the united states because I can say for myself that I have been there. my son was murdered when he was twenty years old, and you might think some of these people are out to help you but their justice system is completely different than what it's made out to be.

All of this color thing is called the blame game. follow the law, get a real job and stop using race as the reason you got caught. if you want to do the crime then man up and do the time. Quit the damn whining!

My analysis is this: For the system to work properly it has to fit the punishment in accordance to the crime. No more, no less.

All this talk about race cracks me up. since when does a dollar bill care what color a person is that is using it? Think of terrorists and drug dealers,and any corrupt politicians and/or cops. Then think has any mother's baby come out of them hating another because of color? I haven't seen babies in hospitals climb out of their beds and say so yet.

it's not about that they are being racist. It is about the crime they do. The whites are calm and the blacks are more out there. you see them in the middle of the night doing no good.

How many black people don't you see selling weed, smoking and getting into trouble? I think that it's not that they are being racist, it's that some people just like to get in trouble and a lot of those people are the blacks but it has nothing to do with being racist. It's all about the crime they do.

i was convicted of selling drugs, did the time finished probation, paid fines and restitution 10 years ago. I haven't been in any trouble since. That was my punishment for my crime, so why am I still being punished for the same thing. The system corrected that. What else do I need to do to say I'm as equal as the rest? Erase my record and let people judge me on who I am now not as who I was.

Yes I think color has a big part. White people don't understand because they are not black and they never will. Black people get blamed for things that they didn't even do. Some times you get pulled over by a white cop just because you're black or called the "N" word. And these are the people who are supposed to protect us.

White people will never understand because they are not black. And they don't know what black people go through. I saw this show on tv where a white women killed her kids and then told the police a black guy did it, do you know how many black people got pulled over and got blamed for things they didn't do.

Wake up people. And I hate when people say people of color -- just say black.

The people who are saying that color counts, well disagree. I am going into the eighth grade, and I may not know much, but still race has nothing to do with this. It has to do with what you did.

If two different people who happen to do the same crime and the white man physically touched the victim and the black guy just did harsh gestures, who do you think is going to get the harsher punishment? If you say the black guy just because of his race, you are so wrong. The white guy would because he would be charged with assault. I am of the African American race and I know Blacks tend to act out of character but that does not mean that they will get a harsher punishment.

I want to be a criminal lawyer so I can help people get their justice, because everyone's voice needs to be heard. --Mz. Wisdom

I agree with some of what has been state. All i would like to say is, some people no matter race has there head screwed on a little tighter than others. All the racism needs to stop ASAP. It's only making this country more complicated everyone is to be treated equal no matter color or religion, mexican, black, white, chinese, etc.

My daughter is bi-racial and people say she will have problems later in life as well as me, and my response to that is get over yourselves. If you have a problem with different races, it wasn't your choice, it was mine.

Some create more crimes, some get more or less time in jail or prison, some cops are racist and some aren't, but at the end of the day they're hurting themselves. There are people who get life in prison for something they didn't do everyone is to be treated the same, white or black.

I think a lot of people just want to make excuses for what happened to their people in the past: get over it. It's 2010. You committed the crime and you're going to do the time! It's not about color anymore, although some think so.

That's all i wanted to add. Think about it. Some stuff will never change -- you're right -- but it needs to.

I'm 17 years of age and i am an assistant at the High School of Commerce at Springfied, Ma. as a senior. At this moment i have 21 credits. And I'm really looking into the criminal justice career. For many reasons I'm a type of person who loves to help others and loves to look out for the other people and make sure they're doing well themselves.

I'm 16 and a junior this year and you all are right, most of you. It is all about the color green. Now days if the color green isn't involved these attorneys and judges could really care less if you go to jail or not!

So the best advice I can give you is to not break the law! I'm sure you're old enough to know what's right and what's wrong. Now you all have a good day.

I have read most of all your posts and found similarities, and I have to disagree with every last piece of it. None of you are thinking objectively. I myself am in college for Criminal Justice right now, and I know to follow the evidence.

One of the major arguments was color. First off, let's take a multi sided approach. Whites made blacks slaves, treating them like animals instead of humans. It was wrong and inhumane but who is to say that blacks haven't been holding a grudge against whites even today? Who's to say that blacks are not using that aggression in a crime?

For example, let's say two people rob two different stores. One guy is black, and he goes into the store waving a gun and demands money. The cashier refuses at first and the black guy pistol whips the cashier. The other guy is white and goes in the same way, waving his gun around demanding money. The cashier refuses and the white guy points the gun at the cashier more forcefully and demands again.

Both guys are arrested and taken to court. Who should get the harsher punishment? Do you think both guys should be tried equally?

If you say yes, you don't know anything about justice. Justice is supposed to be an eye for an eye, but in today's society we don't believe in violence, so the black guy who assaulted the cashier would not only get punished for armed robbery, but assault. The white guy never hit the cashier so why should he be in jail for the same amount of time? Now again, reverse the colours and repeat.

Everyone runs around saying it is proven minorities like blacks, hispanics and asians are given harsher sentences, and they link trials and whatnot, but no one ever reads into the evidence asking what did the minority do different to deserve a harsher punishment? You need to follow the evidence; nothing else matters.

Another topic was how justice is unfair because people can’t afford good attorneys. Hello! Wake up, people.

(Hypothetically speaking): Mr. Cochran spent 100,000 dollars to go to law school for eight years, he paid attention in school, got A's, studied hard, learned laws, loopholes and tricks from reading books and other trials. He later graduates and opens a firm and charges people $100 an hour to be their lawyer.

However, Mr. Public Defender was daddy's little man, got a ferrari at the age of 16, was carried through high school, daddy paid his way into Harvard, he got laid every week and drank all the time, his dad bought some dumb hall for campus and the professor gives him passing grades for the year because daddy is forking over 1,000,000 dollars a year for giggles. the kid graduates and opens a firm and charges $100 an hour.

Who are you going to go with? Obviously, Cochran.

Well as the Public Defender keeps losing and losing trials, no one wants him, but he needs money and keeps lowering his rate until he is affordable for broke people.

Justice has no control over which jack ass charges what amount to represent you. When you are the best, you have the right to charge the best and make a living. After all, you paid 100,000 dollars to go to school. Why would you work for peanuts for some jackass who broke the law in the first place?

And anyone who really cares will look around. There are many lawyers who are very good and work because they want to help people, (some people care about others) and those people only charge you if they win. Anyone has access to them, so if you need a lawyer don't be lazy, look around ask questions and prices, believe it or not, sometimes the Cochrans will even take your case if they think its a slam dunk and charge you when they win, just to add another victory to the bed post.

As for prisons and jail, again it’s not the control of the justice system to make things rough for inmates. America is a free country, and because of that, we have jack asses who start humanity groups saying, I don't think the guy who stabbed your wife 47 times and raped her in front of your children while you were away really meant to do that. He is sick in the head and should still be treated like a human, so let’s give him a TV and a serta mattress and four meals a day. Oh wait -- we don't want him to get fat and have heart problems, so let’s let him exercise too. Poor guy is already behind bars, isn't that bad enough? Those same people killed ernie because they thought Bert and Ernie should sleep in the same room, that promotes being gay which is wrong.

I hate to tell you all this, but the country is being destroyed by the people, not the system, and it won’t change because of how people interpret things. If you give the government to much power then we’re another USSR. If you don't give them enough, fat people sue McDonald's for burning their crotches with coffee.

The only way to resolve the issues is to go back to natural selection. We would have to be barbaric and kill off all the dumb people. You know, this is Sparta!

Anyway, it was fun debating with you all and whatnot but it’s time to go now. Lol. I am sure I will see a lot of hate replies after posting this, but it’s a free country so feel free to post a rebuttal.

just so you know, I'm white. O.K. let's get this straight. Race will never be a resolved issue in America. This is because, with millions of people in one area, there is too much diversity in beliefs and ethics.

Is the idea nice? of course! I'm a devout christian and pray for this. But we must be realistic about our expectations. Barack Obama is not the start of ending racism -- he's not the start of ending anything. We can see clearly what he wants in this health care bill: government power.

If you don't agree, then do some research and you will find out why. Yes i believe white people do get lighter sentences than other races. But the problem is that everyone gets too light of a sentence. Why are there so many repeat offenders? because the legal system gives them a "slap on the risk" for their first five offenses. The idea of prison is wasted, considering all of the treatment they get.

Prison is supposed to be a place where you pay for your debts to society, not to have a place to live and support you. I also think that this idea of whites having less punishment is accurate, yet over idealized. There is a point where each race has something more given to them than others -- that's called probability and percent.

I agree with all of you on some points! First let's state the obvious: there are many cases documented that suggest minority groups receive harsher sentences than the majority. It is not a cop out it is a fact merely being stated!

With that being said, there are a variety of disparity issues that plague our justice system. The system is broken, it has been acknowledged, yet nothing has changed!

Don't down play issues such as race because of the stench behind it. It exists! Be real with yourself!

What we need to focus on is all injustice within the system, not just racial disparity! If there is no Justice then there is only one other alternative, Injustice! We have a criminal injustice system.

Something needs to change!

Hi my name is Robert,I and agree with some of you who say "green" talks but why do people have no money is because of the economy and the people losing their job.

If we were not at war then maybe we will have more money. I also agree with number three, that one day it will not be on your race but what's in your heart, and yes it started with Obama.

yes, color is a big part of it -Bianka

I am loving all of these responses, and most of them make sense. But when it comes to justice, has anyone ever thought about the phrase "You're innocent until proven guilty"? In all actuality, you're technically guilty until proven innocent. I mean think about it: you get arrested, read your rights, then interrogated for hours at a time, until maybe, just a little piece of evidence appears that might prove your innocence.

Even if you are released, you're still being watched constantly by the investigating officer or whoever. So "technically" no one is ever "innocent until proven guilty." They are actually "guilty until proven innocent"!

i am interested in a criminal justice degree and am agree that you have to put all your effort in what you want to be.

For example, I really want the people who did this page to put more information because I am really interested in what you wrote about criminal justice.

I am in ninth grade at West High School and i want to hear more so when I am in college or in a criminal justice school i can know something about it. also, thank you for taking the time to do this page like this.

The people who are interested in criminal justice can learn by reading this page. Thank you.

It don't matter what race you are, we all are equal and if you do something against the law you are to face what you did.

Color is a big part when it comes to crime.

i think that the justice system tries to be fair but when there is money involved, it changes everything about the justice system and it should be fair. No matter what race you are, it should always be fair.

My concern is about the poor ones who have no access to justice as they can not afford. if we can say justice to all.

is the system of practice and institution of government directed at upholding social control.

I've read most your comments and the majority of them are ignorant. Before you become offended by the word, please look up the word's definition. It's not bad, it just means lacking knowledge!

Now very briefly I will tell you that the justice system in the United States is statistically proven to be unfair and to be racist and very biased. If you are black, you are fighting an uphill battle! If you are from a lower income bracket, you are also screwed!

Look at the so called drug war for instance. 70 percent of drug usage is done by white americans, 18 percent hispanic, and 12 percent african american. Now for rates of incarceration for possession of drugs the numbers are dramatically different. 60 percent are African american and 25 percent Hispanic and 15 percent white!

Now i don't have a lot of time and i have a cast on one of my hands so excuse my grammar, but if this doesn't show a huge disparity than I don't know what does.

I would urge you people to consider why we invade countries in the Middle East but refuse to invade Mexico, being that they are responsible for 94 percent of all drugs coming into the U.S. The short answer is the government allows it for monetary reasons and it is a major way to incarcerate blacks and latinos.

How could you spell "justice" in killing? Yes, sometimes we may get too angry at someone but it's too risky to have a behavior that killing is a must (traditional law). Some humans act like idiots nowadays. Don't make a foolish response to a foolish move. My friends, let's just say the way is no way and having no limitation is no limitation.

When looking at the percentage of whites vs. blacks on death row, you can't compare just the ones on death row. You have to look at the entire population.

For example, if 70 percent of Americans are white and 30 percent are non-white, then it would stand to reason that that would be close to the percentages on death row.

If it's a larger percentage, then that means there are a disproportionately larger number of non-white inmates on death row. (I am against the death penalty by the way.)

Now in days justice is color "green." You do not have the money and even if you're arrested, they will tell you to plead because no one wants to work for free.

People go to jail because they have no money to fight their cases. Usually judges give you a harsh fine knowing you have no money or you go to jail. Now does that not deny you of some of your rights? Like no harsh fines are to be given to an individual for punishment. Or no one should go to jail for owing money. Well that is our green system.

i'm glad i'm reading all of this. you people are really supporting an essay i'm making at this moment.

I am seventeen years old, and in my senior year of high school, planning on going to college to get a degree in criminal justice. I'm neither white nor black, but i believe that the race card is pulled out more than necessary.

The thing is no matter what the situation is, whether an authority [police officer, etc.] is being racist (though i highly disagree with racism), if you break the law, you break the law. It doesn't matter what you think whether or not it is fair. It just means that you haven't learned your lesson. Yeah sometimes a punishment seems harsh for the crime you did, but if you didn't want to be punished then you shouldn't have done the crime. Point blank.

Sooner or later, biased people will learn that there is no difference between racism besides genetics. Until then people are going to be closed minded and ignorant. So if you're going to do a crime, suck it up and learn from it. Authorities are just doing their job the way they think is the right way. Don't blame them for your (criminals) stupidity. It is a title they have, not who they are.

I agree it's not a black or white thing any longer. The color is "green" now. Money talks, and it is sad but true. It seems you can pay your way out of anything these days. That's our government's fault!

Justice should be for all,and it should not have anything to do with money. People were put in their positions to protect the people. It should not have anything to do with race either. People that hold positions with authority should do their jobs! They should be held accountable! Protect the people!

Even though i am an American citizen i would have to strongly agree that justice really isn't justice, strictly because there are biased and judgemental people in all areas of the law who use the law to make other people's lives a hell hole even if those people are in the right. There is not right or wrong in society anymore, it's just how you happen to "feel" in the moment of injustice.

you know it's dumb that people are using race against each other and that the law is the law. and i just want to say that the flowing people are right in what crime you commit is the payment that you shall serve as an individual. using excuses is not right but definitely wrong to try to manipulate the problem with the law and the crime committed.

I am a Nigerian and i am very interested studying criminal justice. Presently, i am a student of The National Open University of Nigeria, studying criminology and security studies. I would like to do my masters in criminal justice, to focus mainly on drug law enforcement,or i will do my masters in Forensic Psychology, as well as focusing on fighting crime in my country. Please tell me the possibilities of my combinations. thanks

anon 46088 did you learn a valuable lesson? Good. Now use that degree and help the ones who don't have what it takes to understand the difference!

I am a white female and was arrested for selling 1 gram of meth to an informant who sold me out so she would not be punished. This was in 1997 and my first offense. I did not receive a bond for 60 days and when I did it was for 1 million dollars. That is a $1,000,000 bail for a gram of meth sold to someone who had been caught breaking the law. Oh, and I did not come from money so I waited in jail until my bond was finally reduced to $500,000. I learned from that time in jail. I received a harsh sentence (10 years)and have now completed that sentence. Don't tell me about your poor little race problem. The playing field is much more unfair for whites now than it is blacks. Reverse racism is over coming not only our neighborhoods and communities but also our governments. Ironically, I have decided to get my Criminal Justice degree. I don't care what race you are, you break the law, you do the time.

The color of our justice system is intrinsically "green". i'ts for whoever can afford the best defense. You get what you pay for. which is wrong in itself. We should only allow the best in our justice system -- those without agendas, political or otherwise. There should be a better gamut of "checks and balances" to ensure this; this way the poorest of the poor to the "Bill Gates" of the world can get the best criminal justice care. Maybe then it won't be so lucrative to get justice according to your wallet rather than the penalty for the crime.

are you guys serious? i mean really? it is not that of people being black or white that will have sentences worse than others. it is the crime. if you want me to be honest, how many black people you see out on the streets doing and selling drugs? how many white? i'm not saying that white people don't do that because i'm from a place where they do. but the black "mobs" completely outnumber the white "mobs." also, the sentence doesn't matter. you did the crime, and now you're going to pay for it. people who complain about that, get over it, and own up to your mistake, because you are in jail for a reason.

how can blacks be sentenced to death much more often than white when the naacp even acknowledges that out of the 2948 inmates on death row in the us 49 percent are white and 40 percent are black? get your facts straight before you cry about something

Everyone likes to use race as an excuse! I don't care who is what color, when evidence is presented that you committed a crime you must pay for it! And lets not forget that racism goes both ways! These days it's *money* that talks. The only color with any influence is green!

In the past that was true.I believe that now justice is more considered by financial status.That a poor white man will get a more severe sentence than a rich black man. I.E OJ Simpson TMC.

I hear the same old thing some minority complaining about his/her right's being violated as an American citizen. People of ethnicity or of a foreign race always say white white what you have to remember is that when there is a case there is a jury and it is made of a melting pot of people! There are Black judges and white judges they all give equal treatment because that's what they have sworn to do. There are black and white cops yeah maybe some are racist, but I think it's slim about 5% maybe.

It could be true about race being unjustly treated, but the same thing could be said about poor people who can't afford lawyers; white, black or any race. One day there will be an America where race is no longer an issue. It has started with Obama. It will never happen while people excuse people because the color of their skin.

This may be so true about races. White people get away with a lot of the same crimes that other races do and while it seems fair to some people it may not be for other i say give it to equalizing it everyone should pay for have done and not for what their race is.

It may be called "justice" but in many countries, including the United States, there is a lot more justice for white people and very little for those of other races. People of color are often sentenced to longer prison terms for the same crimes as whites, and are sentenced to death much more often than white peopl.