5 careers in criminal justice that don't require you to work with criminals

What Criminal Justice Careers Do Not Involve Working With Criminals?

• Computer Forensic Specialist
• Forensic Science Technician
• Fraud Analyst
• Forensic Accounting
• Forensic Nursing

Some people may be interested in criminal justice careers but might not want to work directly with criminals. Criminal justice is a broad field that encompasses far more than law enforcement work, working at a correctional institute or becoming a lawyer. There are a number of behind-the-scenes careers that are important to building a case but that involve little or no contact with criminals.

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1. Computer Forensic Specialist

Computer forensic specialists know that it is very hard to permanently delete anything from a computer. They analyze computers to gather data about how it has been used and to find information that the accused person might have deleted. Computer forensic specialists may investigate cybercrime or they might examine computers for evidence that can be used in the prosecution of other types of crimes. This is a good job for people who love technology and enjoy working alone.

2. Forensic Science Technician

This is a broad category of people who do laboratory work to analyze fingerprints, DNA, blood spatters and other physical evidence and draws conclusions. While some may visit the crime scene to gather evidence, others may spend all their time in the lab. This is detail-oriented work that usually requires a bachelor's and sometimes a master's degree in a science-related field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, opportunities in this field are expected to grow quickly in the years ahead.

3. Fraud Analyst

Fraud analysts work at identifying and preventing financial crime. These crimes might include forgery, identity theft, phishing and other activities meant to defraud individuals, businesses or financial institutions. Essentially, a fraud analyst would focus on one of two areas. One would be on prevention and building systems that are harder to defraud while the other would be a more investigative role that examines what went wrong after the fact or involves gathering evidence in a fraud case.

4. Forensic Accountant

Another criminal justice career that is unlikely to involve contact with criminals is that of a forensic accountant. Financial crimes are the focus of forensic accountants. They may investigate crimes such as embezzlement, securities fraud and tax fraud, or they might oversee procedures that have the potential to become fraudulent such as complicated bankruptcies or contract disputes.

5. Forensic Nursing

Forensic nurses do not work directly with criminals, but they do work with their victims. Their job is to care for victims of criminal acts while also gathering and preserving evidence. They might specialize in working in certain areas such as with rape victims or victims of domestic abuse. They might store clothing, collect bullets taken from victims and take photos. Some may work with medical examiners if a victim is dead. It is necessary to first become a nurse before moving into the specialty field of forensic nursing.

There is a possibility that people working in these positions will be called upon to discuss or interpret evidence in a trial, but for the most part, they do not involve contact with criminals. Criminal justice careers in which people analyze evidence or data can be both interesting and lucrative, and the work is critical to law enforcement for resolving criminal cases.