Three Main Components Of The Criminal Justice System

The Criminal Justice Career Day was a great event where many professions in the criminal justice field relied an abundance amount of valuable information to Penn State Berks students. Being the major I chose to dedicate my time and education on, it was essential for a bigger understanding of the type of work possible in the three main components of the criminal justice system. Law/Courts, Corrections/Probations, and Law Enforcements are the three main components of criminal justice system and many different work forces are intertwined in and out of them. A group of 18 professionals all ranging from different job title, experience, and background spread into each component to talk about their careers and just the overall benefits of the careers
available. I came into the event with many questions lingering to be answered, many misconceptions looking to be debunked and the career day did just that.
I left with a lot of valuable information and new found knowledgement of things prior to the event I was curious in learning about. For the morning session of the activity I attended the Law/Courts portion of the career day because that component was the one I had less prior knowledge of of the three. The court system deals with a structured process that must be fairly represented into all individuals that will be confronted with a law or court issue. The panel consisted of a four court personnel, who all varied job title, experience, and background that were ready to provide as much information about their profession to the group attending. One thing they all agreed to be true about why are passionate about their job is the belief that, ‘everyone deserves a second chance.’Marlee Searfoss, a case manager with the Berks
Connection and Pretrial Services, detailed how protecting the defendant through in the court of law and making sure they receive the most fair & just treatment is her most rewarding feeling about her. Even if a defendant may be ultimately deemed guilty in whatever case they may be working on, their responsibilities to provide the most challenging defensive where the defendant can receive a fair & just justice, whether it may lead to jail time, rehabilitation center, or even releasement. Attending the Law/Court breakout room changed a misconception I had and reinforced it into something I now find interesting and willing to embrace. That would be the thought of courts being a boring and tedious path to withtake. Matthew Thren, assistant district attorney of Berks County, responded by giving examples of the multiple different cases his works with and pledges that working in courts is never boring. From a simply civil dispute to even a murder case, you can always find joy in the job while getting a greater appreciation for what you do. The law enforcement panel was one I was most eager and excited to attend, I prepared myself to absorb in as much information from that day as possible.
I have always wanted to join the law enforcement side of the criminal justice system, but hesitant to make it my career goal. I found speaking with Martin Armstead very useful and the recruitment opportunities really interesting. As a recruiter for the Pennsylvania State Police, he introduced a sting operation opportunity for students my age to help crack down on soliciting alcohol to underage minors, and it was a great way to began developing a rapport and experience in undercover investigation techniques. Kelly Beauchamp, special agent under the United States Secret Services was another interesting speaker I was able to interact with during the session of speaking with panel members. Attending the career day and being able to network and speak to someone in working as a special agent changed a lot of what I imagined the profession to be and it became a frontrunner of my specific path in the law enforcement side of the criminal justice system. During the group session a lot of great questions and answers were circulating throughout the whole hour collaboration. Hearing detailed account from each panel members about their path into the profession is a key aspect that makes career day such an important event that I attended growing my aspirations in my course of
study. The PSU Berks Criminal Justice Career Informational Panel was a great event providing students like me valuable information and knowledge about the three main components in the criminal justice system. Attending a morning session with several of Berks County's court actors talking about their experience and benefits of their profession. Ended the day attending the afternoon session with law enforcers across Berks County, explaining the in-and-out of their careers along with providing career opportunities and advice that come essentia when entering the workforce.