More Than Deputies: Career Paths for Criminal Justice Majors

So, you’re going into criminal justice. And then what? Western provides students the opportunity to stay close to their community, but to let their degrees carry them further into the future. One such future can be seen with the Sweetwater Detention Center. Rich Kaumo, a lieutenant with over eighteen years of experience in the field, emphasizes the different opportunities that await from deputies to sergeants, to first line supervisors to nurses, to central control workers, and even different departments like search and rescue. 

For people getting into the career, Kaumo has a few recommendations. Firstly: learn about the agency. There’s a fitness standard that varies depending on age and gender, found at Fitness Standards | WLEA. Applicants can also expect several stages of interviewing, starting with the ability to pass a fitness test, a background check, psychological testing, and a medical exam. 

If a student can pass these, it’s important for them to know what to expect in the detention center. These are often people having the worst days of their lives. Being skilled in deescalation and having empathy, but a strong backbone, goes a long way in maintaining order. At some point, job-shadowing in the detention center is required, enabling students to see a snippet of what goes into this. 

Secondly: Kaumo recommends strong communication and listening skills. Especially as this job deals heavily with safety and people of different backgrounds, flexibility is important. 

Importantly, and finally, Kaumo is quick to point out that criminal justice is not a static field. It's changing all the time. He’s seen firsthand how Gen Z workers tend to be dependable, adaptable, and open to learning on the job. Bringing in graduates from Western, he says, gives the agency new energy and new ideas. As he explains, “What you’re trained to do isn’t always what you’re supposed to do,” meaning that real-world work demands flexibility, not just memorizing procedures. 

Are you interested? Go ahead and take the plunge here: Detention Officer - Rock Springs, WY - Sweetwater County Jobs.