Criminal Justice Personal Statement Examples

was sitting in the corner of the court room as the Child Protective Service (CPS) caseworker read back a recent interview she had with a young teenage girl. In excruciating detail, they read aloud the intimate confessions of how this girl had been sexual abused by her father. I cringed, as the case worker quoted the girl's description of her abuse to the court; explaining when and how everything had happened to her. My whole body tightened as knots formed in my throat and my hands tightly gripped the bottom of my chair. The caseworker then explained how their investigation had found physical evidence to support the testimony they had received and with the help of the judge they would be able to keep her out of contact with her father. For a moment my muscles relaxed,but before I could feel any relief the case worker added that the girl had three younger half sisters that were still in contact with this same father. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me when I heard this and at any second I would burst into tears. After this point, I didn't process much else of what was said, I focused on not crumbling in my chair under the force of my emotions. When the CPS workers and attorneys left the courtroom the Judge turned to me, shook her head and said it doesn't get much worse than that. I had been interning at the Monroe County Family Court for Judge Gallagher for over a month but none of the cases I had heard had effected me the way this one had. How could I ever pursue a career in this field and not lose total hope in society. I didn't know how these judges and attorneys did it, how were they able to listen and defend people who had done such horrific things. As I drove back to my dorm that day my mind was enveloped in what I had heard. My emotions were flowing between anger and grief over the trauma this young innocent girl had been put through. When I arrived to my dorm room I was praying to find my roommate there inside, …show more content…
This experience tested the strength of my belief in humanity and has only motivated me further rather than hold me back. During my undergraduate studies I have pursued the study of peace and justice alongside my legal studies degree. The Peace and Justice courses I have taken have given me an important perspective on those we have labeled as criminals. I believe that we are all born with the capacities to do terrible things and that anyone placed under particular conditions could commit a crime. The fact that they broke that law doesn't make them any less human or less deserving of fair justice. The moment we see it as us against them, as good guy versus bad guy we lose sight of our common humanity and become capable of making cruel choices ourselves. I have always had an idealist view of core goodness of people and although this experience shook that belief it has made me stronger and better prepared for what I might face in the future. Songwriting is the way I am able to keep my hope and understanding towards others even when I witness a situation that I may truly never understand. As I reflect on this instance of personal growth I am reminded of lyrics I