AStudents with a criminal justice degree can work in a variety of careers in New York. Law enforcement opportunities exist at the city, county, state and federal level. Local agencies include the New York Police Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (protecting public transit, bridges, tunnels, airports, and sea ports in the New York metropolitan area), local police departments and sheriff’s offices. State law enforcement opportunities include New York state troopers, environmental conservation, and criminal investigations. Several federal law enforcement agencies have offices in New York including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Patrol, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals, Air Marshals, and Transportation Security Administration. Other law enforcement careers include private detective and/or private security work or specialized fields, such as cybersecurity or information security analysts. These careers often require additional specialized education.
Students who want to work in the criminal court system can go to law school and become either a prosecutor or defense attorney. They can also become judges at the local, state, or federal level. Other careers in the court system include paralegals, court clerks, and court officers charged with keeping the peace within the courtroom as well as transporting those accused of crimes between the court and jail.
Within corrections, students can find careers as a correctional officer in prisons, jails or juvenile detention centers. These careers can potentially lead to supervisory roles up to and including prison warden. For those interested in working with offenders in the community, careers in probation and parole are available at the state and federal level. Students can also find jobs in community residential placements, halfway houses, or working with private service providers who work with offenders such as mental health or substance abuse providers.