Why I Want To Pursue A Career In Criminal Justice

I come from a family of law enforcement. I have always wanted to continue the family tradition and work in criminal justice, but I was never sure exactly what field I wanted to focus on. My view on law enforcement, specifically police officers, has been narrow. In the past, my uncle was involved in a shooting in which his partner lost his life and my uncle was shot and left in critical condition. Growing up knowing this has helped me to understand how dangerous it can be for law enforcement. However, it was not until my brother, Charles, was involved in a shooting that I realized the impact a situation like this can truly make on a family and on individual people. Experiencing first-hand the effects of a police shooting impacted the way I view law enforcement and changed the plans I had for myself in the future. Charles works as a sheriff's deputy for Harrison County. On the day of this shooting, he was at our house while on duty, sitting with me in our living room. He often does this when work is going slow. He turned to

This shooting helped me decide that my career would involve establishing successful criminal reentry programs throughout Texas. My goal is to lower the rate of repeating offenders in the state and attempt to make a change regarding the way past offenders are treated once they leave the system and enter back into society. I want to do this not just for the offenders, but for their families as well. My thought is that if these people are offered recovery and therapy programs, employment opportunities, and housing arrangements when they are released, that they would be less likely to return to a life of crime and more likely to become successful members of their communities. Ultimately, this could save someone in a situation like my brother, and possibly avoid similar situations all