Criminology Personal Statement

The investigation of crime, society’s reaction to it and approaches to prevent it are all areas that have interested me from my adolescent years. I have an interest and passion for Criminology studies for the strict purpose of wanting to fulfill a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of crime and exploring how crimes affect our society. This shady interest in the criminal world has encouraged me to pursue the subject at degree level and to seriously consider a career in a related field. At the beginning of the course my understanding on crime and criminology was mostly derived from the internet or media. These tools became very useful for me to learn different subjects of crime.

My mother has always asked me what I wanted to be when I get older. For so many years I was not able not able to answer this question. She is not the only one that have asked me this question. I have found that this question has become to be common to many of us. On the other hand, after working for fifteen years as a security officer, I know exactly what I want to do with my life. I want to further my education and skills to pursue my career. I have chosen Criminal Justice as my choice of studies. I have already obtained an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Ashworth University. My intention is to continue to go to college and obtain a bachelor degree in this field and work hard in order to gain as much information as I can. I am a

The major courses of the Criminal Justice curriculum that interest me most include CJ 801 (Crime Causation, Prevention, and Control), CJ 809 (Issues in Criminal Justice), CJ 822 (Comparative Criminal Justice), CJ 823 (Globalization of Crime), CJ 847 (Global Risks, Conservation, and Criminology), CJ 855 (Delinquency Prevention and Control), CJ 866 (Adult and Juvenile Corrections Programs), and CJ 873 (Legal Issues in Criminal Justice). I will thoroughly enjoy all my subjects and apply myself fully to them with the analytical and empirical skills they require. In addition, I plan to take opportunities to be engaged in advanced Criminal Justice research, creative activities, and internships. To me, there has never been a more exciting or more important time to study the Criminal Justice program to maximize my graduate experience.

The search for causes of crime forms the basis of most criminological studies. There are numerous explanations for crime: psychological, evolutionary, genetical,

As a senior in high school, the reality of entering the “real world” and job market is becoming more apparent. It is time to put our strategic and critical thinking skills into practice to help us create a plan after high school. I knew that I wanted my career to be associated with Forensic Science. However, I did not want to be the person to actually go capture the criminal and be on the clock anytime of the day or night. I wanted to be involved behind the scenes of a criminal case.

The courses I took as a criminal justice major provided me with a solid foundation of the inner workings of the criminal justice system and the laws and rights of individuals. My concentration in forensic psychology required me to take numerous psychology courses in addition to my criminal justice courses. At first, I was fascinated by the criminal justice courses, but slowly I found myself favoring the psychology courses. I preferred to learn about the inner workings of the mind, theories of personality, mental health problems, and relationships between children and

Masters of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology at San Diego State University Description of the Program: This program is to help prepare those with an interest in the criminological field for a wide variety of careers that require expertise in criminological theories and practices. The San Diego State website specifically denotes that the program “prepares them to teach at the community college level or engage in criminal justice research in government or non-profit agencies; it also prepares them for further academic work in a doctoral degree program; or to work in the field of criminal justice as a researcher or policy analyst.”. A benefit of SDSU’s curriculum is that they offer this program jointly with the department of sociology

A common theory in criminology and in sociology suggests that class and race are vital roles regional crime rates. Previous research indicates that the distribution of class and race within certain residential areas has a key role in the outcome of certain violent acts. In his study, Income Inequality, Race, and Place: Does the Distribution of Race and Class within Neighborhoods Affect Crime Rates, John R. Hipp states “Specifically, studies have tested how the distribution of economic resources across neighbor-hoods, as measured by income or poverty, affects neighborhood crime rates or the how the distribution of racial/ethnic minority members across neighborhoods, as measured by the percent nonwhite, and so on, affects neighborhood crime rates (Hipp 2007). While one may traditionally assume that minorities neighborhoods yield a more intensive crime rate, this is not necessarily true.

My interest in criminal justice goes back to when I was child. Growing up in the South Bronx seeing my people getting arrested for petty or serious crime, not only inspire me to help my community but to help make the criminal justice system better for everyone. I know that John Jay College will be the school to enhance my knowledge in justice and crime. I remember taking SAT pre classes in John Jay College when I was I high school. Looking at the classroom seeing the professor engage with the students and the diversity in the student body helped md understand that this is the environment I want to be a part of.

Studying Law has allowed me to explore relevant Legal content which I am able to comprehend and apply to factual scenarios. Additionally, it has provoked my curiosity further surrounding the Legal system, which has inspired me to conduct an EPQ where I will base my dissertation on the effectiveness of Juries in the Justice system. This is not only a fascinating topic that is fiercely debated, but an area of Criminal Law and the Justice system that I am eager to develop my knowledge on, which I hope I will explore further as part of my Law Degree. History has enabled me to develop my evaluative skills, whilst allowing me to analyse evidence in an argument. Sociology has allowed me to investigate the social effects of introducing Law, whilst enabling me to examine the effectiveness of it. In addition, I have attended my Colleges Law Professional Programme which was an extracurricular activity provided to those who wished to further their knowledge and understanding beyond their A Level

1). Criminology arose from the social scientific community over the year and has since come into its own discipline, it examines the entire process of lawmaking, law breaking, and law enforcing” (as cited in Akers, & Sellers, 2013). Criminology seeks to discover the depth of crime at both the micro and macro levels, from the individual’s natural biological and psychological characteristics, the nurturing of social and structural institutions, to policy, prevention and control.

The criminal justice system is composed of three parts – law enforcement, Courts and Corrections – and all three works together to protect an individual’s rights and the rights of society to live without fear of being a victim of crime. Without these three we would have a bunch of chaos in the world. When these three parts function together it makes the criminal justice system work like a well tuned machine. The first component of the criminal justice system and perhaps the most important and dangerous is legislative, (law enforcement), which creates laws’ is put into place for the government and the citizens. It is designed to create laws, which people and or state should follow. This includes the local police department with all

Figuring out why people commit crimes is one of the central concerns of criminology. Do most criminals act rationally after weighing the costs of crime? Is society ever to blame for an individual to commit a crime? Do mental diseases or even genetics factor into whether a person will live a life of crime. Over the years, many people have developed theories to try to answer these questions. In fact, the number of theories of why people commit crimes sometimes seems to equal the number of criminologists. I explore these questions and much more in the paper that follow.

My ambition has always been to work in Criminology. I am applying for this course as crime, criminal justice, law and the psychology behind why people commit crimes has interested me since early childhood. Working within criminology requires a wide range of skills that include dedication, reliability, concentration and the ability to remain professional and I believe that I posses these skills.

Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals. Criminological theories have provided empirical insight into factors that explain crime. However, as research developed they noticed that not just one theory can adequately explain crime and delinquency. In the early stages of research, they found the neoclassical theory that evolved from the classical school theory that made the assumption of “free will,” and that humans acted on rational choice. It was later developed that biological theories rejected the idea of “free will” and believed that human behavior could be due to genetics or human development starting at a young age. I will be going into better detail about the theories and their underlying assumptions, and how both theories play a significant role into our current knowledge of crime today.