10 Foods With a Really High Price Tag

August 2nd, 2010

We like to think about slavery as a thing of a past, at least that’s what our school books often teach us, but the reality is that there are just as many people enslaved around the world today as in any point in history. Just how many? Estimates put it at over 27 million worldwide. Much of this slavery revolves around the sex trade, but what doesn’t is often centered on agricultural production. While much attention has been given to foods lately to ensure that they are green and sustainable, few consider the human costs of what they eat. Whether you’re trying to be a more responsible consumer or want to learn about the issues that could inspire you to earn criminal justice degree,these facts will show you that some of the everyday foods you buy and consume may be supporting systems that enslave people around the world and perhaps right in your own backyard.

1. Tomatoes: The delicious tomatoes you put on your sandwiches and in your spaghetti are very likely picked and packed in conditions that are unacceptable to anyone with even half a heart. During the winter and spring months, as much as 90% of the tomatoes we eat come from south Florida. These tomatoes are picked by an immigrant workforce, who are paid little if at all and live well below the poverty line. They are kept indentured to their bosses by a system that charges them for even the most basic of daily necessities and many are threatened with death or abuse if they try to leave. There are no days off, the work is hard and backbreaking and many have nowhere to go even if they do leave. Sound hard to believe? There have been numerous court cases and arrests made with stories just like this, and many more who get away with it because their victims are too scared to speak.
2. Chocolate: Consumers should research the kind of chocolate they buy very carefully as there’s a good chance that even some of the major brands found in supermarkets use chocolate that was the product of a system of slavery. We don’t often associate chocolate with bad things or bad experiences, but others around the world sure might. In places where chocolate grows well, like the Ivory Coast, children and young adults are often tricked or kidnapped into slavery. Children on these farms work 80-100 hours a week, endure beatings and are given little to no food in return, even at one of the largest cocoa producers in the world. This slavery harvested cocoa makes its way into 43% of the world’s chocolate and is in products from big names like Hershey and Nestle as well. Chocolate lovers don’t necessarily need to give up their sweet treat to avoid supporting slavery, just look for packages that are marked as being fair trade.
3. Soybeans: If the soybeans and soy products you eat are coming out of Brazil you might just be consuming legumes harvested by those without a choice of whether or not they want to do so. While slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, some estimate that over 50,000 people in the country may be working under slavery-like conditions. Foods like soybeans are grown in fields that are cleared out of rainforests, often by those who have little means to escape from their captors, work at gunpoint and are given little food or medical care. Additionally, consumers should watch out for Brazilian processed meats as these can be packaged and slaughtered in horrible conditions by enslaved workers as well. Authorities in Brazil are working to counter the problems of slavery in the country, but it’s often difficult to find the offenders within millions of miles of rainforest and there are few repercussions for those working so far out of the public’s sphere of interest and the reach of the law.
4. Oranges: That orange might put a sour taste in your mouth when you learn a little bit more about how it got from the farm to your table. Over the past 20 years, over 1,000 slaves and indentured workers have been freed through court-action in Florida. What were they harvesting? The very oranges and tomatoes you buy in the supermarket every day. In one case, workers were recruited from homeless shelters through promises of a good wage then forced into labor harvesting oranges. They were kept indentured through "company store" debt and those who tried to leave were kidnapped and beaten into submission. It sounds like something out of the 1800′s but it’s still happening right here in the United States every day to workers who have little legal recourse.
5. Sugar: Since it was brought to the New World along with Columbus, sugar cane has been a product that has been associated with slave labor as it is notoriously hard to plant, harvest and process. Unfortunately, little has changed today and slaves produce sugar on plantations around the world. In Pakistan, 7,500 bonded laborers on cane fields have been freed since 1995. Yet this is only a fraction of the 50,000 more that are estimated to still be working in the fields of the Singh region. In Brazil, more than 1,000 workers were freed from a sugar cane plantation in 2007, the largest anti-slavery raid in modern times. These countries aren’t alone, with numerous places in Africa, the Caribbean and Central America putting people to work in sugar fields against their will. Make sure your sugar truly is sweet by finding out where it’s from and whether or not it’s fair trade.
6. Coffee: If you aren’t aware of problems with slavery and coffee production you might have been living under a rock. Coffee is a product that is notorious for its association with slavery, something that’s responsible for the growth of fair trade and ethically produced varieties in grocery stores around the world. If you don’t know where your coffee is coming from, there’s a good chance it’s been planted and picked by a slave laborer, and an even better chance that that laborer is a child. In places like the Cote d’Ivoire, children wake at the crack of dawn to work in the field, are starved, beaten and even killed if they don’t work long or hard enough. If that doesn’t wake you up, no amount of coffee will.
7. Strawberries: Strawberries are tiny and hard to pick, so it’s hard to find workers who are willing to work in the fields for the low wages farm owners want to pay. As a consequence, many strawberry fields become sites of slavery, exploiting the migrant workers who do the difficult but extremely profitable (for the owners) job of harvesting the berries. During the strawberry season you might enjoy the sweet, summery fruits, but for those who work in the fields it’s a season of backbreaking labor, cruelty and often starvation. Problems with strawberry harvests occur around the world, and slaves have been found in the United States, Germany, Poland, and even Japan.Those strawberries don’t taste nearly as good as not being responsible for the suffering of others, so pay close attention to where you’re getting your berries.
8. Poultry: Few of us would want to work in a plant processing poultry as it’s a dirty and often disgusting job, however much we love our chicken nuggets. Because it’s such hard and unforgiving work, the jobs often go to undocumented and unprotected immigrant workers. There is little government oversight so workers often put in long hours, get little pay, receive no medical care and are mistreated and abused. Some who do speak out simply disappear. Think the poor conditions of poultry processing are an exaggeration? In a case in Iowa, a Texas-based turkey company was found to be paying mentally handicapped workers a mere 44 cents an hour for their work, and housed them in an ancient and unsafe bunkhouse. This went on for over 30 years with no interruption or government intervention, and might make you think hard before you buy any poultry.
9. Tea: Much like coffee, the tea industry has seen a lot of slavery over the years, and with tea being the most popular beverage in the world, the demand is there and the profits from growing and selling tea on the back of enslaved laborers are high. Again, much like coffee, a good deal of this hard labor is done by children who are sold into slavery by their parents and work long, backbreaking hours in the fields picking tea leaves. Make sure to look carefully at the teas you buy to ensure that they are not produced under these conditions. If it doesn’t say, don’t buy it.
10. Seafood: Sustainability isn’t the only thing you have to worry about when it comes to buying seafood. The fishing industry in places like Southeast Asia and Africa is riddled with trafficked children, forced to work for little or no pay at jobs that are hard even for adult workers. In Thailand, the industry is largely supported by slave labor from migrant workers, children and those who have been smuggled into the country. If you think it seems farfetched that fish from such far flung destinations would make it to your plate in the U.S., do a little research. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, food from Asia or Africa could easily end up in a U.S. processing plant. So, think before you eat and by locally sourced and ethically produced seafood when you can.

Ever-Changing Criminal Justice Jobs and Salaries

August 2nd, 2010

Criminal justice jobs are in constant fluctuation because laws and court battles are revised nearly every week.  While most criminals are acutely aware that they are breaking the law when they commit a felony, some laws are more recent than others (such as registering as a sex offender immediately after you move states), which can produce a warrant unbeknownst to the “criminal”.  Using this type of new law as an example, it is obvious that criminal justice is one area which is able to constantly produce jobs, even throughout a recession, and will be in no danger of shutting down in the next few years. 

The industry as a whole encompasses many different steps that are all related to criminal actions and the justice system.  Law enforcement and the judicial system work hand in hand to guarantee that every guilty criminal is prosecuted to their fullest extent and every person who is innocent is allowed the chance to prove their innocence before a court.  New laws that are implemented with every legislative session call for new court decisions and new law enforcement positions, which in turn creates higher salaries for current law enforcement officers who have to learn new tactics, as well as new positions within both law enforcement and the judicial system. 

Every new law yields changes within the criminal justice system, both throughout the state and federal systems, a concept that most people do not comprehend.  Criminals can commit a wide  variety of felonies, but the way our government is set up, both law enforcement and the judicial system will determine whether the criminals are tried in a federal or state court (according to the nature of the offense).  When new laws are enacted, sometimes these two jurisdictions have to work together to administer justice, entailing the current courts to learn new parts of law and jurisdictional requirements.

The criminal justice system helps ensure that we all have a safe life, free of crime on our streets.  Even the smaller careers within the criminal justice system are important in securing our well-being.  In a time of such economic uncertainty, criminal justice careers remain one of the most stable industries to enter into, despite the changes which are constantly made to each position.  Criminals are an ever-present force in society, despite our best efforts to stop them, and only with the help of law enforcement officers and the judicial system will we be able to keep our communities safe and continue to live in this type of society. 

Criminal Justice Jobs that Work to End Disparities in the System

July 29th, 2010

While our criminal justice system is supposed to be the model form of equality and justice, there are many instances in which it strays from these constitutional principles.  One of the greatest controversies within the criminal justice system, one which recently worked its way up to Congress, is that of the different punishments given to crack offenders versus cocaine offenders.  The threshold for each conviction is vastly different, making it a tough case for criminal justice advocates to change through the legislative system.  However, we finally made headway in this change today, through one of the more surprising forums for criminal justice jobs – the legislature. 

Many of us consider criminal justice jobs to revolve mainly around law enforcement positions or criminal defense lawyers.  However, criminal justice can range in stature around the world, and with that range are a multitude of different career options.  Currently, the disparity in convictions for drug users is one that many people have tackled within the criminal justice system.  It is extremely easy to receive a felony conviction if you have a different form of cocaine, a system which was based on the economic status of drug users, as well as their demographics.  Simply looking at the convictions defendants have received based on their drug use is shocking enough, as it tends to prove how biased our system can be – a system that has for years prided itself on its ideals of equality. 

However, with each new generation comes a new outlook on the criminal justice system and new jobs are created as a result of these changes.   The drug war remains an essential part of the criminal justice system, and has produced countless amounts of legislation, court decisions, and sentences for repeat offenders.  However, we have yet to come up with a stable answer for drug offenders and the ease with which drugs are available throughout our country.  Criminal justice jobs work to deliver justice to every defendant in the criminal court system, but sometimes this is difficult considering the background of each offender, and the lifestyle they were brought up in.  It is much easier for a judge to let a suburban kid off the hook for a drug conviction than an urban city kid who he assumes will undoubtedly get arrested again.  This large disparity within our system is one which should no longer be as prevalent as it is.

Hopefully the progress that we are beginning to make will not go to waste and other generations will pick up from where we are leaving off in their own criminal justice jobs. 

Stable Careers in an Unstable Economy

July 28th, 2010

Over the last few years a variety of industries have had to drastically downsize their workforce to stay competitive in the recession, giving recent graduates one of the worst employment outlooks in decades.  With this downturn in the economy, college-age students are increasingly looking toward finding the ‘right’ degree to major in that will lead them to steady employment after graduation.  For many of these students the answer is a degree in criminal justice.  

Criminal justice degrees can prepare you for a wide variety of employment options serving the largely recession-resistant American criminal justice system.  There will likely never be outsourcing of Police Officers or Customs Agents, no matter how bad the economy gets.  Degree options range from a two-year Associates degree all the way to multi-year Doctorate programs.  The Associates degree is usually a minimum requirement for most law enforcement agencies, and is ideal for those looking for the fastest route to employment.  Many options exist to obtain a degree online, enabling many to work while completing their studies.  

If you’d like to continue your studies further, Associate degree credits are often transferable towards a Bachelor degree, further expanding your employment options and promotional eligibility.  Supervisory roles in law enforcement and many governmental agencies usually require a Bachelor degree at the minimum and is a good option to those seeking leadership positions or those wanting a greater variety of employment opportunity should.  

Finally graduate level degrees such a Masters or Doctorate in criminal justice can prepare you for the highest levels of employment in law enforcement and governmental agencies such as Police Captain or FBI agent.  Most Masters Programs require a Bachelor’s degree before admittance and can be completed in about two years.  So for those wanting to advance to the highest levels of criminal justice administration, obtaining a Master’s degree would be a good option.  Doctorate degree programs are typical research-based and usually require a Master’s degree before admittance.  These can typically be completed in another two-years after obtaining a Masters.  Along with preparing you for the highest-level criminal justice administrative positions, a Doctorate degree can also be a ‘stepping stone’ to many Professor positions in colleges and universities. So for those who enjoy teaching along with a passion for criminal justice, completing a Doctorate degree would be a wise decision.

Regardless of the time period in which you want to earn your criminal justice degree (whether it be this year or in the next few years), you can rest assured that a career will be waiting for you.  It would be a surprise if these careers ever became scarce, even in the least populated areas.  

Jobs in the Criminal Justice Field for Recent Graduates

July 12th, 2010

Most long-term careers require decades of experience in order to get anywhere in the specific industry.  As a result, it may take a while to worm your way up the ladder in a corporate industry – criminal justice being no different.  Criminal justice is a field that is constantly changing, and as a result the degree programs are changing at the same rate as any available jobs.  This makes it difficult for most recent graduates to get a handle on where they should focus their job search.  However, focusing on a broad section within the criminal justice industry should aid you in your search for a job, especially in an uncertain economy. 

An area such as law enforcement may be constantly changing to add new departments and careers, but it will remain relatively stable throughout the coming years.  Taking a look at this section after you first graduate or possibly interning with a law enforcement office will increase your chances of landing a job after graduation.  Law enforcement careers range from specific to broad, although broad positions such as police officials have remained relatively unchanged over the years, only adding various duties to heighten or lower their responsibility.  If you want to choose a specific career within law enforcement, many departments are popping up every year.  Forensics teams are constantly honing in on new specialties as technology produces crime that is in desperate need of a revamp every year.

Aside from law enforcement, the criminal justice field is constantly abounding with changes within the administration and enforcement of justice.  Laws are always being modified by Congress, implemented by law enforcement officers, and enforced by the judicial branch.  As there comes a need for revision, these laws are altered and new jobs are created.  Finding your niche in the criminal justice field really depends not only on the time you join the industry, but also the location and jurisdiction.  Each state comes entwined with its own laws and manner of enforcing them, making the job of a criminal justice graduate dependent on the state and their background knowledge of its criminal justice system.

While laws and crime may be constantly changing, the criminal justice field as a whole will stay the same for years to come.  Criminals will continue to be prosecuted while criminal justice officers administer the justice of the community.  Finding your way into the complex system and beginning your career is only step one of admiring the intricate way it continues to work.   
 

Criminal Justice Careers in the Courthouse

June 28th, 2010

Criminal justice careers typically seem to be set within law enforcement, but can in fact take on a wide range of potential jobs within the criminal justice system as a whole.  Many of the top ranked criminal justice jobs are found within the meat of the criminal justice system – the criminal courthouse.  Criminal justice judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, bailiffs, process servers, and law clerks help make up the meat of the criminal justice system.  Just a peek inside this world indicates how often justice is served and to what end it can reach. 

Starting off with the center of the courthouse scene, the criminal justice judge typically holds an extensive background in the criminal justice system, usually as a former defense attorney.  This is an important aspect in the career because the criminal justice system can expose you to the most grotesque crimes or the most innocent defendants.  It is important to be able to tell the difference between the two vastly different realms of criminal justice, and a judge especially has to be able to differentiate between the two.  While many critics accuse judges of either being too lenient with their sentencing or too harsh, very few realize the important and demanding role criminal justice judges play in our society.  They are, in fact, in charge of deciding what defendants are released back into society and which ones have to be sent to prison.

The attorneys who both represent the state and the defendants are also integral parts of the criminal justice system.  Their jobs require entirely different viewpoints and opinions but also require the same background in criminal law.  It is this similarity that ties the criminal justice careers together and helps prove that the defense and prosecution are not that dissimilar from each other!  Law clerks are an additional part of the courtroom setting and can be the right-hand of the judge in many instances.  They are typically responsible for organizing the numerous cases that enter the courtroom, as well as checking any previous cases that may set a precedent for the cases at hand. 

Finally, the bailiffs and process servers who are within the courtrooms at the time of trials and hearings play a major role within the criminal justice system.  Differently from typical law enforcement officers, the bailiffs and process servers must know the rules of the court as well as the rules of criminal law.  Additionally, they must have a strong background within law enforcement so that they are able to handle any disruptions that may occur within the courtroom from any unruly defendants. 

The criminal justice system is a complex organ, with much of the decisions stemming from courtrooms and the many careers that help make the process continue to run smoothly. 

What to Expect from Criminal Justice Careers and Salaries

June 22nd, 2010

Criminal justice careers are fast becoming a go-to future choice for many students around the nation, as more and more opportunities open up in the industry.  Law enforcement used to be one of the only choices in the criminal justice world, as police officers and detectives helped bring criminals to justice every day, but the criminal justice system now encompasses a vast array of prosecutors, criminal defense lawyers, judges, and specialists within police departments.  With increased technological advances, the positions within law enforcement offices seem to double every year as there is a constant need for renovation within the ranks.

Criminal justice used to simply entail a police officer, a lawyer, and a judge only a few decades ago.  However, as crime has become more sophisticated, law enforcement officers have had to expand and hone in on different criminal areas in order to keep up with the abundance of criminals.  As a result, students of criminal justice can now expect to have a large spectrum of options available for them to choose from upon graduation.  The many different specialties include work in forensics, homicide, law, and many other intricacies of criminal justice.  Students additionally now have the option of going on to gain higher education within criminal justice or accepting a job directly out of college.  As with most industries, higher salaries will be given along with higher degrees, but most criminal justice careers start between $50,000 to $60,000 with only a bachelor’s degree.

Law is also an important part of the criminal justice system, and with lawyers sprouting by the hundreds around the country, both criminal defense and prosecution have taken on a new face.  The criminal laws are different in every state, and it is the job of the lawyer and everyone who works for them (legal secretaries, paralegals, and clerks) to know these laws, now the case background, and any precedent relating to the case.  Because most criminals have to attend hearings and trials, lawyers and judges have become an integral part of the criminal justice system and work to free the innocent and imprison the guilty.  While many law students who start out in the public defender’s office do not get paid nearly what they should get paid, for many it is rewarding work as they help to rehabilitate and revitalize much of the criminal population. 

There are many different routes to take with criminal justice, and some may not even lead to the “nitty gritty” parts of the system, but simply to the legislative world that works to make changes within the system.  No matter what area of criminal justice you choose to pursue, it is a welcome fact that any job you take will have a direct impact on justice and preventing dangerous crimes. 
 

The Creation of a National Criminal Justice Commission

June 4th, 2010

The United States Congress is hoping to soon pass a law that will create a National Criminal Justice Commission. This authority will have the power to review the current federal and state justice systems, conduct research into the areas of incarceration, prison administration, the impact of gang activity, mental illness and more, then offer suggestions as to the betterment of these systems and present a comprehensive report to the public. The Commission is being hailed as a much needed entity for a Justice Department that is suffering for lack of funding, overcrowding and a severe lack of consistency.

The US Department of Justice spends around $6.8 billion dollars on the prison system alone, the most expensive component of their budget just behind the FBI. That number will only increase as President Obama has already raised the DOJ’s budget by $600 million to pay for prison renovations, the hiring of more corrections officers and the construction of new facilities for the ever growing inmate population.

Overcrowded prisons and the growing number of mentally ill inmates are also major concerns of state and federal officials. It is estimated that the United States consists of 5% of the world’s population and has around 25% of the world’s prisoners. It’s also believed that the 115 federal prisons in circulation are operating at 34% above capacity and that number is growing steadily. This means poorer living conditions for inmates and dangerous work conditions for corrections officers. The federal prison system also has a history of acting as a mental health facility for many inmates. Reports show that about 16% of all adult inmates are mentally ill and require extra care.

Also, the lack of national standards for the criminal justice department means gross inconsistencies between departments and a greater chance of error from police tactics to evidence analysis. So far, over 400 inmates have been cleared of their convictions due to recent DNA testing. Enforcing a higher standard of procedure and action from all officials could less the chance of a person being wrongfully incarcerated and having to spend many years in prison for a crime they did not commit, while the real criminal remains free.

With the criminal justice system currently struggling to operate effectively, it seems as though the creation of a National Criminal Justice Commission couldn’t come at a better time. Any suggestions by the Commission to address the problems of overcrowded prison facilities, lack of sufficient funding and lack of national standards would hopefully provide states and the federal government with a clear plan of action.

Surviving Your Commute to School

June 4th, 2010

The sight of slow-moving cars, bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions, and a clock that indicates you are dangerously close to being late to school can send any typically mild-mannered college student into a raging frenzy. It doesn’t matter if you commute just once a month or three times a week – driving to school can be absolutely stressful, especially if you are unused to getting up early in the morning and battling it out with the other rush hour attendees. However, there are ways that you can reduce the nightmarish factors in your commute.

Do not take the seemingly discourteous actions of other drivers as a personal attack. In fact, try to avoid the "worst case scenario" mindset altogether. Oftentimes, when a driver cuts you off or is driving too slow or too fast or committing any other slew of rush hour offenses, chances are that these actions are not done maliciously or even intentionally. For example, a driver who cut in too close to your vehicle may simply have forgotten to check his or her blind spots before making the move. Though that same driver may feel regret, he or she cannot express their apologies to you. In face-to-face interaction, someone who accidentally stumbles over your feet can quickly apologize, whether it is verbally or with brief eye contact. On the road, however, a car that makes a wrong move cannot apologize, making every wrong action seem laden with malicious intent. So take a breath and let it go the next time something small happens – the driver may feel sorry, but you just cannot tell.

The best way to avoid commuting nightmares is to make sure that you do not have to be on the road during prime traffic time. This means that you should try to pick classes that are not scheduled to where you have to fight through rush hour traffic. Being stuck in traffic is a volatile situation that typically leads to tempers flaring and wasted time. Though you may want to get all your classes out of the way in the mornings or take them all in the afternoon, remember that scheduling them this way will mean that you will have to spend a lot of time idly sitting in your car either on the way to school or back from school. To cut down on commuting nightmares, cut down on commuting time and you’ll also cut down on the chances of someone else using their criminal justice degree-earned skills to issue you a ticket.

Finally, no matter if you’re commuting during rush hour or during more free-flow conditions, be courteous to others. If someone is trying to scoot into your lane, the best thing to do is to allow them in. If more drivers were courteous, commuting as a whole would be that much more bearable.

Organization Breeds Success

June 4th, 2010

An organized college student may sound like a rarity, but if you do find one, you will find a successful student. Being organized may sound like an easy task to accomplish, but it can be an exceedingly difficult one for a college-aged student. Self-discipline becomes a major factor in whether a student succeeds or fails at the university level. The stakes are higher than in high school and the structure of a college schedule is much looser. Students cannot expect the same routine day after day in college as they did in high school. The key is to figure out early on in your college career that if you are organized you are putting yourself in a better position to get the most from your experience.

One of the first things you should each semester is to sit down with the syllabi from all your courses and carefully go over the calendar provided by your professors. Pull out all the key due dates and put them on your own master calendar. This will help you get a feel for how your semester is going to unfold. You can start anticipating what might be your busier weeks and you can plan ahead. If you see that you have two 10-page papers due at the beginning of October, you can start planning to get one of them out of the way by the third week of September. A big part of organization is time management.

Keeping an orderly workspace is another crucial element of being organized. This may sound like an absolute impossibility given the state of your dorm room. However, if you can keep your desk neat to the point where you can find materials when you need them, then you are ahead of the curve. Invest in binders for each class so you are not mixing up handouts. Keep your books for each course together. At the very least, take some time one night a week to clean up your desk. You will probably unearth some important resources. Remember that if you are frantically looking for something at the last possible moment you are going to put a lot of undue stress on yourself.

Ultimately, being organized relieves some of the mountain of stress college students feel on a daily basis. Admittedly, staying organized takes some serious effort. However, the positive effects are worth taking that little extra time. You will thank yourself come exam time.