I’ve been working in the criminal justice system in some way or another for the last few years. I’ve changed roles a couple of times to get a change of venue, often working directly with offenders involved with the criminal justice system, which is what I’m doing currently.

I’ve realized how supremely unhappy I am working with criminals. I used to have optimism about helping them, and think how grateful they’d be and how I’d be turning people’s lives around. I’m sorry to say but I have absolutely no hope of getting through to anybody or changing them.

And it’s getting very disheartening to see what kind of blatant disregard for the legal system and the victims that these offenders have, and yet nothing ever happens. I don’t know how much evidence I’ve gathered, reports I’ve written that go nowhere. The courts are far too busy to deal with everybody.

I still go in and work as hard as I can and get recognition from my supervisor and manager that I am doing a great job. But it’s hard to go in and deal with people who have no desire to change, and try to get through to them.

I was at a work training function with a lot of young, new employees. And they all spoke with such optimism and desire to try and change people, etc. And how they hope to get more training and what kinds of skills and resources they will use on people. I felt like a total impostor since I didn’t share any sort of optimism or hope for anybody. I sincerely doubt 99% of them can change. I just want to go in, do what I have to do, get my paycheck and get out.

It’s starting to get frustrating to just deal with people high as shit on drugs all the time, rat-infested drug recovery homes, people having kids they’re not taking care of, people racking up new charges without caring, etc. People coming in with their pregnant girlfriends while they just do drugs and sit on welfare, etc.

To make matters worse, we’re facing budget cuts and my job security is in serious question. I only know with certainty that I’ve got guaranteed employment until the end of April.

I’ve got lots of money saved and invested, so not too worried, but would be nice to know WTF is going on for the long haul.

On my days off, I try to get out and do some fun stuff, hit up the range, take my car for a drive, etc. But a lot of the time I just find myself in front of the TV downing all too much liquor. A few months ago I thought I had a problem with alcohol and really scaled back and have been eating healthier and exercising more and whatnot, but I still go through a bottle of bourbon quicker than I should.

I suppose a change in field is desperately needed.

The other cow's grass tastes of onions...

(jk)


If you have financial security, then I would recommend you find a thing you have always wanted to do, research it and see if you can go do that for a while.

I have seized such things and never regretted doing so, only regretted the things I never did try to do, given they called me.

Too often, I listened to the so called "well grounded and centered", and look back and realize they were those who were stuck in the ditch of life and spinning their wheels.

If you have your responsibilities covered, be bold... live.

Sounds like you need to pull the Big Red Lever. Soon.

Don't know enough about your background to give advice...but there's no reason to go through life miserable.

You could always switch sides, though. Turn the apathy into drive, get a job within the district attorney's office, supporting victims rather than offenders. Most areas have several employees that do that. Or get on with a private investigator, since you likely have the street smarts at this point.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Sounds like you need to pull the Big Red Lever. Soon.

Don't know enough about your background to give advice...but there's no reason to go through life miserable.

You could always switch sides, though. Turn the apathy into drive, get a job within the district attorney's office, supporting victims rather than offenders. Most areas have several employees that do that. Or get on with a private investigator, since you likely have the street smarts at this point.

What Chongo said about switching sides: my younger is a lawyer. He worked for the Public Defender's office for a while and much like you, he got fed up and burnt out, dealing with scumbags.

He switched sides, went to work for the District Attorney's office as a prosecutor. He likes that better.

No advice on options, except to say bail out now.
It wont get better. And I would guess you may wind up hating not just the element of society you are dealing with, but everyone.
Walk away.

A guy who I worked with decided to become a police officer. I supported him and told him I respected his decision but I could never do it. About a year later he told me he spends 90% of his time dealing with 10% of the population.

IMO, the criminal justice system in the USA is a huge revolving door. I began to burn out after 10 years but hung in there for another 10 when I reached retirement at 62 years old with a pile of cash in the Credit Union. I retired with a nice pension and early Social Security.

Afterward, I turned down security jobs in Arizona, California and Oregon.

The joke at my last position at a maximum security state prison was a sign posted that says: "Bang head here".

quote:

Originally posted by kent j:
A guy who I worked with decided to become a police officer. I supported him and told him I respected his decision but I could never do it. About a year later he told me he spends 90% of his time dealing with 10% of the population.

Among other reasons why I couldn't be a LEO, is that I'd be afraid of taking it home with me.

I did 11 years exclusively criminal defense (71 jury trials to verdict in those 11 years), 5 years as a public defender then private/Special Public defender. I pulled the plug and went into real estate in '03, call it burn out or whatever. In 2002 I tried 11 jury trials, 7 of which were life felonies, 1 1st degree felony, 2 2nd degree felonies and on DUI. I was done.

I still have friends who stayed in the criminal arena, every one of them has had some type of substance abuse issue. If you care, that line of work will cook you. Time to move on.

quote:

A few months ago I thought I had a problem with alcohol and really scaled back and have been eating healthier and exercising more and whatnot, but I still go through a bottle of bourbon quicker than I should.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I still have friends who stayed in the criminal arena, every one of them has had some type of substance abuse issue. If you care, that line of work will cook you. Time to move on.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

You have gotten some good advice. Time for a change. Good luck and hope you pay attention to the above from a previous post.

Worked in public safety 8 years. Ruined a bulk of my life in the process.

Left the county and would never EVER work for them again, or put myself in that position again.

I'm still completely mind blown with the company I'm at now. It is amazing what it's like to have an employer treat you like a human. I think I'm still in shock and I started there in October of 2016.

Work/life balance has a whole new meaning. Change can be amazing.

Thank you for all your replies. I don't want to work with anything crime-related any more, no matter who I'm working for. Just thinking about the existence of crime and misery is no fun.

Even working for victims; hell, i've been yelled by victims, and lots of domestic situations where the offender has a no-contact order with his ex...she will often get mad at the existence of said order and encourage him to break it and then get mad at the cops when he gets arrested.

I've always, my entire life, known I should be self employed. Maybe it's time to finally take the plunge.

quote:

Originally posted by acidjazz:
I've always, my entire life, known I should be self employed. Maybe it's time to finally take the plunge.

You have mail.

I'd love to be self-employed, but the issue I face is finding a way by which I can do so without taking a huge blow to my current income.

I know the feeling. I have spent the last decade working in the Disabilty Services in one form or another. I just don't want to do it anymore. You can only help people all day, everyday, only to have them, their families, communities, and the government turn on you for so long before you just begin to resent everything related to it.

I've had a few thankless jobs like that earlier in life. I was glad to have had the experience but also glad I didn't stay around for more.
Sounds like one of those learning experiences that may have taught you something for later but I would take the advise that earlier posters have given and find something else.
Life's too short...

I felt that way about being in education. Started off as a teacher and then just a very few years later, after earning a master degree I became a principal. This was all in small schools in flyover country. The only thing that wags the dog there is athletics. I said to hell with it and left. When I left, my wife was a secretary at an oil company and earned more than I did supervising 40 employees and 535 students. The whole thing from start to finish was bullshit.

I left, went to the oil company and worked in land which really should require a law degree, I had a music education degree. Made four times as much in salary and came away with a good retirement and plenty of money in the bank.

Leav e. Don't look back.

Sounds like education is a lot like the criminal justice system.

I had a few days off and I went out for coffee with a relative today. He told me he left his truck unlocked and a neighbor caught somebody rummaging through it!
He was livid. He told me he'd love to catch the asshole and have him prosecuted.

I told him he'd be wasting his time, that the guy wouldn't even see jail for it, if convicted. That he'd be out doing it again and unless he died of a drug OD or somebody shoots him, or he magically fixes himself, he'd be doing it for some time to come.

Then I got pissed off and tense for the rest of the day, to know how powerless the system is to fix it.

You had better get your ass busy and get to living and find you something where you can make a living enjoying something that is fulfilling that puts money in the bank too!

Man, I was stuck as a Patrol Sergeant making good money in a very good city but was topped out! I had a dickhead of an alcoholic Chief who didn't know whether to wind his ass or scratch his clock..

...that peckerwood was hanging on by a thread, would get liquored up, call the female dispatchers up at night and hit on them, try to hit on one of the probation ladies, and then poked one of the ugliest bulldog Road Sergeants we had! Promoting his beer drinking buddies was his SOP...

Man, I had fell into the towing business years before as a part-time job because I was asked to work crashes and accidents so I went to all the "schools" for this. Little did I know by going to the tow yards and body shops would I later land my true calling.

My step-grandfather had a Shell Station in Newnan on Greenville Street (Hwy 29) from 1947 to 1971 and my wife's grandfather had Mac's Towing in Pinellas Park (around 60's-90's) and both did towing but I never figured on doing it full blast too!

It is a very tough profession but once you figure it out, buy new, top notch equipment and keep it well maintained and clean, and run a straight operation, people will come and call-day and night!

Surround yourself with good people, good workers, and a good reputation and it will all work out.

Nothing will be easy but you will have to work hard to get what you want! Some days I come in to the office, some days I work on the road, some days I stay home, some days I go to the beach where my kin folks live, and some days I don't do a damn thing!

Get busy and get out of that shit hole! I still see those people you are talking about coming to claim their raggedy ass stinking, filthy cars...

You think Education is bad, try Special Education. I've been doing it for ten years and have seen such minimal progress for great expenditure of time, money and just force of will. It is agonizing to see so much work put into kids who (through no fault of their own) might be a fry cook or a bagger at a supermarket and that's about it. But if you make even a minimal difference, at least it is something. It actually matters that you went to work each day. Doesn't always make it better, but you are contributing, trying to leave the world better than you found it.