What Challenges do Crime and Criminal Justice Professionals Face?

Want to play a role in putting criminals behind bars?

Criminal justice professionals have never been in higher demand. Police are solving the lowest-ever number of crimes on record; resulting in offences reaching an all-time high. Only 5.4% of cases ended up in a charge in the first half of 2022 - a figure that equates to one in 20 crimes being solved.

A degree in crime and criminal justice can help you make a positive impact and uphold the safety of society. But first, it’s important to be aware of the challenges that criminal justice professionals are experiencing daily. This blog explores what the biggest ones are…

Cybercrime  

In 2022, the UK had the highest number of cybercrime victims equating to 4,783. This is an increase of 40% from the figure back in 2020. If you’re wondering what the reason is for this increase, it’s because of the rise in technology. If you have a mobile phone in your pocket, an open bank account or important files saved on your computer for instance; you could be at risk of cybercrime. Additionally, one of the major issues from a criminal justice perspective is that despite cybercrime being a growing issue, it’s still not fully understood by researchers and policing or law enforcement communities. This is because technology is increasing at such a fast rate, it’s difficult to determine exactly what is possible for cyber criminals. Something deemed impossible a few years ago is now only a few clicks of a button. Losses to fraud and cybercrime have also reached over £3 billion, so criminal justice professionals certainly have their work cut out to reduce this figure. 

Mental Illness   

With mental health affecting one in four UK adults, it’s something that we need to be aware of in every part of society. One sector that flies under the radar is in the criminal justice industry. Around 45% of adults in prison are known to suffer from depression or anxiety, and 60% have experienced a form of traumatic brain injury. This increases the importance of prison psychiatrists. They ensure criminals have access to help they need treat their mental health problems. And this is vital in terms of helping them re-adapt after release. Getting their lives back on track after prison is something that many people struggle with if they don’t have a supportive family or friend network to help them. In fact, ex-prisoners with mental health issues are around 20% more likely to re-offend than those who don’t experience mental health symptoms. Therefore, if you’re looking for a rewarding career at the heart of the crime and criminal justice sector, then looking into the mental health side of crime is well worth it.

Drug Crime 

In 2022, England and Wales police reports revealed a total of over 165,000 drug reports. If there’s one thing for sure about drug abuse, it’s that it is one of the most common forms of crime to commit. There’s supply and peer pressure around every corner for those who want it. Most users don’t receive treatment for drug abuse either. But, for those looking to help reduce the crime rate, then collaboration among law enforcement, health and social service agencies can play a part in reducing demand. Basic drug prevention strategies also include: 

- Information dissemination 

- Prevention education 

- Problem identification and referral  

- Community-based process 

- Environmental approach 

Protect your Future by Studying Crime and Criminal Justice

Ready to start upholding the law?  

Your BA (Hons) Crime and Criminal Justice course at the University of Bolton is waiting to help you kickstart your career! Focusing on investigating the approaches that are applied to crime, deviance, and victimisation; our industry-experienced lecturers are here to support students in developing the core skills needed to effectively work with offenders, crime intelligence, investigation and interviewing, crime scene management, preparing for court and presenting a case profile.  

Our students gain a thorough understanding of the causes of crime and criminal behaviour, as well as how to combat crime in a way that helps safeguard the public and support victims.

Let’s look at some of the course highlights:

- Our courses have been voted first in the Northwest for Teaching Quality*    

- Students get to learn interviewing techniques from experienced specialists   

- We work closely with organisations like the College of policing, the Crown Prosecution Service, Public Health England, the Home Office, and many more. This means that our course offers a holistic view of crime and criminal justice in the UK 

- We offer opportunities for you to visit criminal justice workplaces, such as prisons, law courts, police stations and rehabilitation centres so you can gain a first-hand understanding of these environments and how they operate 

- We work with experienced forensics professionals who train crime officers for the police and offer you the chance to visit crime scene training locations to learn about securing crime scenes and evidence collection and preservation 

Interested in finding out more? Let the University of Bolton help you crack the case by looking at the full BA (Hons) Crime and Criminal Justice course details.  

#UseYerLoaf… and choose #UniAsItShouldBe; the positive and supportive learning environment that puts students’ needs first!

For more information, contact us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call us on 01204 903903.  

*The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide – Teaching Quality – Northwest - 2022