Legal Careers

Another group of workers who offer services to people in conflict with the criminal justice system is community justice workers. They work in organizations as both volunteers and paid staff. These organizations offer various services including supervision and counselling to persons on parole, and assistance to help recently released prisoners readjust to life in the community.

Such organizations also provide counselling for prison inmates, counselling and assistance for families of prison inmates, advocacy services for both inmates and persons released on parole, educational services to the community at large, supervision and management of alternative measure programs for offenders and mediation services for victims and offenders.

One program offered by some of these organizations is a court worker program. The court worker program provides information about court procedures and counselling and support to offenders who are not represented by lawyers. Most of the paid workers in these areas have a degree in social work, human justice, sociology or psychology.

Many individuals who volunteer their time to work for such organizations receive on-the-job training.

For further information, you can contact organizations such as the John Howard Society, the Elizabeth Fry Society and other community-based groups providing help to offenders and their families.