A penologist studies penal systems, criminal punishment, and rehabilitation to reduce criminal activity. They work in prisons or jails and are responsible for designing self-help programs and suggesting changes in prison policy. To become a penologist, a degree in criminal justice, criminology, administration of justice, or psychology is required. Patience, perseverance, and unflappability are also necessary as penologists deal with prisoners with social, drug-related, and mental problems.
A penologist is an individual who studies penal systems, management, reform, criminal punishment, and rehabilitation en route to suppressing criminal activity. Penologists often work in prisons or jails, alongside wardens, prison guards, probation officers, and criminologists, among other law enforcement professionals. Typically, penologists are responsible for a range of tasks – from designing and implementing self-help programs for prisoners to suggesting changes in prison policy – that are expected to be beneficial to the prison community and by extension, reducing behavior. and facilitate the work of penitentiary professionals. To become a penologist, certain requirements are needed, including a degree, patience, perseverance, and imperturbability.
Typically, a person would need to earn at least a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, administration of justice, or psychology to become a penologist. Criminal justice and administration of justice are generally preferred because they provide the specific skills needed by the prison or corrections system. In these programs, you will learn about its many aspects, which include reasons for imprisonment, the history of prisons and the criminal justice system, life in prisons, and administrative issues such as budgeting and overcrowding. You will also learn the different causes and types of illegal behavior, the duration and types of punishments meted out for that behavior, state and federal laws, and important policy issues affecting the prison system, such as the death penalty.
To become a penologist, however, the field of psychology must not be overlooked. Psychology is a social science that involves the study of human behavior. Thus, the penologist acts as a kind of psychologist, as he assesses criminal behavior to determine the best course of treatment. These penologists can learn to study phenomena such as attention, cognition, emotion, perception, motivation, personality, and interpersonal relationships. This is done to better understand why criminals exhibit illegal behavior. To become a penologist who wants to focus more on the psychological aspect of criminal rehabilitation, you would need to major in psychology in college.
As a penologist you will be dealing with a variety of people, including prisoners with major social, drug-related and mental problems. Indeed, some prisoners may show aggressive behavior towards you, sometimes without provocation, and some professionals you work with are not always receptive to your overtures. To become a penologist you will typically need to have patience, perseverance and unflappability, especially in situations where things are constantly in a state of flux.
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