Apathy is the worst quality someone can have, especially when it pollutes a community. Luckily, many communities are full of people who care about their peers and neighbors. This can contribute to a great, positive society, especially when people in social and criminal justice embody that sentiment.
The best social and criminal justice professionals want to advocate for victims, rehabilitate criminals, and improve their communities. Luckily, several criminal justice careers and adjacent career paths focus solely on that. Follow along as we explore the best justice careers for caring, compassionate people who want to make a difference.
Justice Careers Rooted in Compassion
Many people think of the justice system in reductive terms. For example, some people simply think of police officers arresting criminals and corrections officers keeping them behind bars. That is a part of the justice system, but many criminal justice careers are rooted in compassion.
Whether you work in criminal or social justice, you must have a great deal of care in your heart. You cannot enjoy a long, successful career unless your heart is in the right place. If you care about others in your community, you can excel at one of many compassionate justice careers, such as:
1. Forensic Social Worker
Social work is built around compassion and social justice, no matter which facet you pursue. However, a forensic social worker can make a huge difference in someone’s life who has recently experienced major trauma. This includes victims of crimes, neglected children, and incarcerated people.
The wide range of people they help, from victims to perpetrators of certain crimes, means they must have a special type of compassion. Forensic social workers are vital to the justice system in many ways, and some are less obvious than others. For example, society often neglects the toll that incarceration takes on people’s mental health.
As a forensic social worker, you can counsel people who feel hopeless because they’re incarcerated and prepare them for reintegration. It’s also a privilege to help domestic abuse victims feel heard, and consequently, feel much better. This career covers all bases and gives you the chance to help people dealing with the worst situations they’ve experienced.
2. Child Welfare Caseworker
Sadly, many children face neglect, abuse, and uninhabitable circumstances. Child welfare caseworkers care for such children and treat them with the compassion they deserve. They not only investigate abuse allegations and assess their conditions but also counsel them.
Child welfare caseworkers can then make important decisions regarding the child’s safety. Sometimes, they may recommend that the child be removed from their home. In other cases, they may make routine home visits to ensure stable, safe conditions.
It can be a tough job in many cases, as you must see some dark, harrowing situations. However, the ability to improve a child’s life and show them that someone cares is invaluable. This is a unique justice career that focuses on helping the most vulnerable people: children.
3. Homeland Security
Homeland security is a field that requires lots of compassion, care, and thoughtfulness. After all, homeland security professionals have the safety of their fellow citizens in their hands. It may not focus on criminal justice, but the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) exists to protect U.S. citizens.
Instead of focusing on catching and rehabilitating criminals, DHS professionals work to identify and prevent threats to national security. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a part of the DHS as well. FEMA agents help communities recover from disasters and protect them from further dangers in the aftermath.
You can also work as a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or Transportation Security Officer (TSA) through the DHS. In some ways, the DHS has more unique branches and options for justice careers than other organizations.
4. Probation Officer
Few criminal justice careers focus on keeping people out of prison as much as probation officers do. Probation officers supervise people in the system who have avoided jail and prison sentences. When a judge puts someone on probation, they must report to a probation officer.
It’s up to the probation officer to supervise and support the individual for the duration of the sentence. This often entails drug screening, routine meetings, and check-ins. Compassionate probation officers often go above and beyond, even counseling their assignees.
Being on probation is tough, as one too many slip-ups can land you in prison. However, caring probation officers try their best to rehabilitate and help people.
5. Public Defender
In the United States, everyone has the right to an attorney, but many cannot spend a fortune on representation. That’s where public defenders come in and represent people in difficult situations. Many people who find themselves in the criminal justice system simply don’t have the means to defend themselves.
Public defenders ensure everyone can get a fair chance in the courtroom. They uphold their client's constitutional rights and help them navigate the justice system. Public defenders are critical to both criminal and social justice.
Historically, some people have faced unfair charges and allegations based on race, gender, or sexual orientation. Public defenders work hard to push through such obstacles and give their clients a fighting chance. The outcomes may vary, but public defenders being there for their clients is a necessary part of social and criminal justice.
Make a Difference with a Fulfilling Career
You can make a difference in your community and many individuals within it if you put your compassion to professional use. Many justice careers let you counsel, advocate for, defend, and rehabilitate people who need it. You can utilize your caring nature to counsel children, domestic abuse victims, and incarcerated adults.
Others use their compassion to monitor and guide criminals to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Whether you’re a forensic social worker, probation officer, or child welfare caseworker, you can drastically improve lives.
