Help people help themselves

As a community corrections professional you’ll oversee offenders both inside and outside of correctional facilities.

Many correctional institutions today focus not just on punishing offenders and keeping them away from the public, but also on rehabilitation to help individuals adjust to society and reduce rates of repeat offenders.

Focusing on rehabilitation, the criminal justice field has shifted to an emphasis on community social services for nonviolent offenders rather than incarceration. With this degree, you’ll be trained to work in the corrections field as a correctional officer or work in a correctional facility such as a halfway house or rehabilitation facility.

You’ll work with the courts and social services agencies to develop a plan of action for each individual. You can help a person transition from a correctional facility back into society or work with community agencies to prevent incarceration and help individuals overcome mental health issues such as anger, substance abuse, other mental and emotional disorders, and lack of job skills that will help them live up to their full potential.