Folks who work in the criminal justice system

[The Captain]

Be it as an attorney, court reporter, law enforcement, etc...

How do you do it day in and out?

I have a very close relative who works for a Federal prosecutor.  They do a lot of the prep work for trial including preparing exhibits, reviewing evidence, etc.

Their boss usually gets the priviledge of prosecuting the worst of the worst, so they get to see the worst of what humanity has to offer.

My relative is very close to getting completely burned out and quitting their job.  It would be a disaster financially.  If they could stick it out for 10 more years they will be eligible for a full pension.

We are trying to think of something they can get involved in that will be more upbeat for them.  My relative used to volunteer at a nursing home and animal shelter but can't do that anymore because it's too depressing for them.

I know mental health is important, but jobs are scarce where they live and a job move would mean a significant reduction in income as well as adding at least another 7-10 years of working until they can retire.

So far we're drawing a blank...

[midjd]

What is your relative's job? Attorney, paralegal, legal assistant? Could s/he move to another area of prosecution, like white collar crime?

I think it takes a very specific personality type to work those cases and not get burned out. You have to be able to totally compartmentalize (which is hard to do in litigation, anyway) and leave work at work when you get home.

My sister is a pediatric oncology nurse and I don't know how she does it, either (I can't even watch the St Jude's commercials) - but she loves it. She says her job is to help and comfort those kids, and she does her job well, so why should she be sad? I think her attitude is key in her ability to be around dying children 13 hours a day and then go home and enjoy life.

Maybe your relative could take a similar tack - it's his/her job to see that these monsters are put away and society is made safer. I know it's a lot easier said than done, though...

[The Captain]

They are a legal assistant who basically also does paralegal work (small office - they perform 100% of the support work for both the district attorneys). 

I reminded them of the important role they serve, and they get it.  Apparently it seems the level of depravity has increased in the past few years due to a large uptick in meth activity in the area.  Details (of course) cannot be shared but kids are being used.

[dannylion]

Does your relative have time to care for a pet?  S/he could volunteer to be a puppy raiser for dogs being trained as service animals.  Service animals can be taken pretty much anywhere, so with approval from the workplace, the animal can be taken to work so it could be acclimated to many different environments.  Having a dog around generally cheers people up, so that might be just what s/he needs on the job.  I would think a government workplace might be amenable to allowing a service dog in training to come to work, but maybe not.  The only bad part is that the animal has to be given up at the end of a year or so to continue its training, but once it's trained, it goes on to help someone in need, often a disabled veteran, so that might ease the pain of parting. 

Otherwise, if there is a service dog breeder nearby, they often need puppy holders and petters for new litters to get them accustomed to being handled by humans. 

Volunteering in a hospital might be less depressing than a nursing home.  I volunteer in the ER at our local hospital, and it's really interesting.  The ER staff is very appreciative as well, so something like that might lift your relative's spirits.

I hope some means can be found to brighten your relative's world.

[Deleted]

You know, I think that folks that truly love their jobs are the luckiest people in the world. I mean to go to work everything not only looking forward to it but once you get there to actually enjoy it. That has got to be a wonderful feeling! I think that I remember that a few people on these boards have said that they are that way & love their jobs.

On the other hand, I don't think that I have ever met someone in person that always loves their jobs & I know that I didn't. I put in 20 in the military & during that time I reenlisted 5 times. Four of those times I had to think about it because I just wasn't having that much fun (aren't we suppose to have fun at work?).  Because getting out or staying in was kind of a complex problem I figured that I needed to break it down to something simple so that I could make the right choice. Is food & shelter all that important? Well it wasn't that important to me but it was important to the wife & kids so I sucked it up & stayed in. I think that most people do the same thing for the same reasons.

In the end I don't think that most people do their jobs because they love it. They do them because they need to make a living. If you lose sight of that fact you can really screw up your life. (just my opinion).

[Deleted]

I'll add to my post. Over the years I've come into contact with a LOT of people that got out of the military (mostly because the job sucked). My estimate is that of those I've talked to a full 80% were able to look back & say that they wished that they had stayed in. It wasn't that they missed the job, it was because of life & money issues that came up after they got out. Also some of the problems they had in the military they also faced working on the outside. So just changing jobs didn't solve all of those problems but it generally added in more problems.

I find that 80% number that I threw out kind of interesting. When you think about the problems you face in the military (low pay, family separation, a high alcohol abuse problem, irregular hours, the complete inability to control your working environment, constant moves, stress with spouses,  & a lot of others. Well with that many people wishing that they had stayed in it just seems to me that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, it just looks greener from where your at.

[mrsdutt]

My SIL is an officer.  He chose to work in the poorest part of a city.  His attitude is what keeps him going.  He'll attach humor to things and has a 30 minute drive to home.  He uses that time to relieve pressure and turn into dad.

The key is not to get emotionally involved.  People can do some awful things, but not getting emotionally involved is the key.  Just do the work, collect a check, and go home to enjoy life.

[swamp]

I dunno. I just do it.

[constanz22]

Jul 8, 2013 8:32:17 GMT -5 The Captain said:

They are a legal assistant who basically also does paralegal work (small office - they perform 100% of the support work for both the district attorneys). 

I reminded them of the important role they serve, and they get it.  Apparently it seems the level of depravity has increased in the past few years due to a large uptick in meth activity in the area.  Details (of course) cannot be shared but kids are being used.

I can say the same for social work.  You pretty much see it all and have to find a way to leave work at work.  And many in the field develop a kind of sick sense of humor, but it's almost required to continue to do what we do and see what we see every day.

How about her moving into a paralegal job that is more centered on real estate, business law, land/environmental law, and things like that.  I would think getting out of criminal law would help.

[genericname]

As others have stated, I have developed a rather morbid sense of humor. It is either that or go utterly bonkers when you realize the actual futility of continuing to pursue the same perps for the same beefs, rinse and repeat. Does your relative have access to a counselor who specializes in trauma counseling? Sometimes just talking to someone who is impartial and who can listen to horror stories without comment can be very helpful.

A team sport is a good outlet for pent up frustration.

I wish I had a better answer than "just deal with it." I don't know where I picked it up, but I am able to compartmentalize work and home away from each other, and leave work on the desk when I leave. Duty weeks are the worst, because every time the phone rings your heart sinks because you know you will be up for the next two days dealing with crap.