For those interested in pursuing as career in the criminal justice field, it is possible to obtain a criminal justice degree online.  In most cases, a criminal justice degree or a bachelor’s degree in social work or psychology is necessary in order to pursue a career as a parole officer, pretrial service officer, or probation officer.  Some employers also require a master’s degree and previous experience in the area of correctional treatment in order to become employed.

In order to become employed as a correctional treatment specialist, it is often necessary to pass a written and oral test, as well as a physical and psychological examination.  Most State and Federal Government positions also require completion of a training program and passing of a certification test.

Most agencies also require applicants to be at least 21 years old in order to become a correctional treatment specialist.  The Federal Government also generally requires applicants to be 37 years old or younger in order to be employed.  In addition, those with a felony criminal record are usually ineligible for employment.
 

A person working in the criminal justice field can find employment as a probation officer, a parole officer, a criminal treatment specialist, and a pretrial service officer.  Probation officers are sometimes referred to as community supervision officers.  The role of the probation officer is to supervise those who have been placed on probation. 

A probation officer, who is also referred to as a community supervision officer in some States, is a person who oversees individuals who have been put on probation.  A parole officer, on the other hand, works with individuals after they have been released from prison while a probation officer works with those who were assigned probation instead of prison. 

A correctional treatment specialist is also sometimes referred to as a case manager.  The correctional treatment specialist counsels offenders and develops individualized plans in order to work toward rehabilitation.  The correctional treatment specialist also works an offender after being released from prison or are he or she has been taken off of parole. 

A pretrial service officer is responsible for completing investigations on suspects before they have a trial.  This investigation is completed in order to determine if the suspect should be released before the actual trial.  If the person is released before the trial, the pretrial service officer supervises the individual until the trial takes place.
 

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment opportunities for criminal justice specialists will grow as fast as the average occupation through 2014.  Many openings for criminal justice specialists will be the result of retirements.  At the same time, the competition for these jobs is not high because the career tends to be stressful and is not accompanied by a high salary. 

Similarly, there is a potential for an increased need for criminal justice specialists because prisons are facing budgetary problems that are placing a restriction on the number of individuals who can be incarcerated.  In addition, an emphasis is increasingly being placed on rehabilitation.  Of course, the final amount of positions available in the field is largely dependent upon government funding. 

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median income for criminal justice specialists in 2004 was $39,600.  Those who work for the State government earned $39,810 during that same period.  Those working for the local government, on the other hand, earned $40,560.  Those earning the highest incomes worked in urban areas.