Seton Hall University Commemorates National Criminal Justice Month with Discussion

As National Criminal Justice Month came to a close, almost 50 Seton Hall University students and community members gathered for Facts and Fictions of the Criminal Justice System on March 24, 2015 in the University Center.

The discussion, part of a national effort to inform the public about the criminal justice system, featured Senior Faculty Associate in the Criminal Justice Program John Paitakes, Ph.D. and criminal justice students Mackaully Presutti ’17 and Anjelica Mitchell ’15.

“The majority of individuals form their perceptions of the criminal justice system from the media,” said Paitakes. “However, it’s important to know the facts before making final judgement.”

Paitakes, a 40 year veteran of the criminal justice system who served as a probation officer and with the state parole board, positioned his discussion on clarifying misnomers about the criminal justice system, including: once a criminal, always a criminal; some prisons are like country clubs; being on probation is a ‘slap on the wrist’; and there is no rehabilitation in prison.

Presutti ’17 inspired the crowd by sharing why she picked criminal justice as her minor. As a freshman, she participated in the Division of Volunteer Efforts’ (DOVE) Petey Green Prisoner Assistance Program. Once a week for the entire semester, she tutored student prisoners in Northern State Prison’s law library where she learned that inmates have the ability to change and recover if they have two key ingredients: desire and direction. “I also learned that we cannot provide that desire, for that must come from an internal hunger, but we, as teachers, administrations, officers, agents, employers and even students certainly can and need to be the ones to give them that direction.”

Mitchell ’15 also added her experience as an intern for Somerset County Superior Court’s criminal division. “I believe a lot of the public thinks the criminal justice system is too harsh, cruel to alleged offenders and slow moving. However, during this internship I found the complete opposite,” she said. “Though there are unfortunate false beliefs by the public of the criminal justice system, I believe it is our job as criminal justice students to inform as many people as possible of the truths and strengths of our criminal justice system.”

In agreement was criminal justice major Doug Walker ’16. “This discussion served as a reminder of our responsibilities as the future of the criminal justice system and opened the door to the many career opportunities available in the system.”

For more information about Seton Hall University’s criminal justice program please visit https://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/criminal-justice/.