Criminal Justice is a wide ranging field that involves many different kinds of professionals, from lawyers and judges, to law enforcement officers, support staff, and private investigators. This is a list of the thirty top criminal justice themed blogs from a wide ranging sample of professionals within the industry.
The blogs offer readers insight into the various aspects of the criminal justice field, providing them with perspective especially valuable to those within specific areas of the field, or those still deciding which aspects of the field interest them.
Best Criminal Justice Blogs
1. Cop in the Hood is the blog of Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer, now an assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Peter’s blog covers the challenges that face police officers with a sympathetic and informative eye.
Highlight: Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down
2. Cops Alive is a blog devoted to helping law enforcement professionals plan for a happy, healthy, well adjusted life both while on the force and after they leave the force. The blog provides readers with information and strategies to help them cope with the unique stresses of the job.
Highlight: Searching for Best Practices in Mitigating Occupational Stress
3. Bad Luck Detective is the blog of Suzie Ivy, who became a police officer at the age of 45, and a detective two years later. The blog chronicles her experiences as a female law enforcement officer, and as an officer that came to the career late, in addition to her primary subject: life as a small town detective.
Highlight: End of Watch 2012
4. Sgt. Says is the blog of an army veteran with over thirty five years of experience in both public and private law enforcement. Sgt. Says offers perspective on everything from the enforce-ability of new laws, to law enforcement practices across the country.
Highlight: People Control
5. Law Enforcement and Security Consulting is a hybrid law enforcement blog and consulting company. The blog focuses on publishing articles devoted to helping law enforcement professionals achieve their full potential in their field.
Highlight: To Be a Positive Cop…
6. Blue Sheepdog is an online training resource for law enforcement officers. The site provides readers with training tips and updates and up-to-date news on best practices. The site also reviews firearms and gear. While all content on the site is free, the blog also offers officers a subscription service that makes subscribers eligible for discounts with some of the biggest brands in the business.
Highlight: Ankle Holsters, Convenient but Deadly
7. The Crime Analyst’s Blog is written by 20 year law enforcement veteran Scott Dickson and is devoted to casting a critical eye on law enforcement policies and deficiencies within the legal system.
Highlight: Is Prison Cost Effective for Criminals?
8. Criminal Convictions is the crime blog of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. The blog shares details and insights on major cases past and present, as well as law enforcement history and the stories of how some of the highest profile criminals in history have been brought to justice.
Highlight: Advancements in Forensic Science
9. Take All Prisoners is a blog of Psychology Today and primarily features content addressing the mental health needs and issues of criminals, from serial murderers to child criminals.
Highlight: What is Forensic Psychology?
10. Positive LEO is focused on positive news regarding law enforcement officers. The site is primarily focused on showing the good that is being done on a day-to-day basis, and providing the public with a look at the humanity of police officers nationwide.
Highlight: Trenton Native Earns State Police Trooper of the Year Award
11. Officer Smith is a blog featuring the personal views of a California Peace Officer. While many blogs take a broader look at the field, this one provides an up close and personal look at the beliefs and feelings of a law enforcement professional.
Highlight: I Think Imma Faint
12. Connected Cops is a blog designed to help law enforcement professionals become more effective when using social media, whether as a tool for investigation, or a way to get out there, network and relate to people on a different level.
Highlight: What LEOs Must Know About New Facebook Privacy Settings
13. Chris Uggen is a sociology and criminology professor at the University of Minnesota. His blog provides analysis and commentary on various current events relevant to the criminal justice field.
Highlight: A Broader Based Response to Shootings
14. Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice has a blog focusing exclusively on issues in juvenile justice and juvenile perpetrators. The blog advocates for reforms it deems necessary to the successful integration of juvenile offenders back into society as healthy, productive individuals.
Highlight: District Attorneys and Criminal Justice Reform: A Necessary Partnership
15. Matt Mangino is a defense attorney and former prosecutor. Matt has provided legal commentary for numerous media sources and he shares thoughts on various laws and the execution of them on his blog.
Highlight: PA State Police Suspend Use of Breath ‘Intoxilyzer’
16. Johnathan Turley is a legal scholar who has written extensively on a variety of legal matters. His blog focuses on the criminal justice field from the perspective of a professional of the legal system.
Highlight: Texas Judge Under Investigation for Alleged Prosecutorial Misconduct
17. Vera Institute of Justice is an organization devoted to helping improve the systems through which our government protects its citizens. The institute accomplishes this goal by combining the skills of its members in research, public speaking, and technology to provide civil servants with the information they need to accomplish the task of effectively protecting citizens.
Highlight: Quantity Isn’t Quality: A Look at the Complex Costs and Benefits of Policing
18. Ask a Forensic Artist is the blog of Lisa Bailey, a professional forensic artist. The blog explains the role of forensic art in solving crimes and provides tutorials and advice for those new to or considering the field.
Highlight: Forensic Artist Q&A: Michelle Hinojosa
19. Removed by Editor.
20. Crime Prof is a member blog of the Law Professor Blogs Network and is one of few criminal justice oriented collaborative blogs featuring contributors with a wide range of experience.
Highlight: Koenig on Cruel Conditions of Confinement
21. Schneier on Security is the blog of internationally acclaimed security technologist and author Bruce Schneier. Bruce primarily covers public and private sector computer security and technologies. Such technical concerns are not typically linked to Criminal Justice, but Bruce recognizes that with our society’s rapid technological advancements comes the potential for criminal abuse and fraud.
Highlight: New York Times Hacked by China
22. The Justice Department blog features criminal justice news, analysis, and relevent statistics. The site also focuses on in-depth coverage of Justice Department actions from within.
Highlight: Sex Trafficking – Closer to Your Neighborhood Thank You Think
23. The Crime Report is a collaborative blog devoted to providing criminal justice professionals with the information they need to optimally execute their jobs.
Highlight: Court Approves Consent Decree to Desegregate Tucson Public Schools
24. Brian Cain Online is a law enforcement leadership blog devoted to helping leaders in the industry better understand their position and responsibilities.
Highlight: Cop vs Debt: Week 1
25. Police Mental Health covers a wide range of the mental health issues facing police officers. The blog deals with ways to mitigate some of the effects that come with the job, and to improve police mental health care through advancing understanding and debunking stigmas.
Highlight: Interview With Former Cop About PTSD
26. Duke’s Daily Blotter covers many issues facing criminal justice professionals, from effectively taking advantage of union resources and protecting your retirement, to honoring fallen law enforcement officers and calling attention to abuses and flaws in the system.
Highlight: Convicted Murderer Mistakenly Released in Chicago
27. Cold Case Squad is the blog of a team of experienced cold case investigators. The blog advocates for change in policies regarding cold case investigation, and also chronicles the inherent challenges faced by cold case teams.
Highlight: The Trifecta of Evil: Mass Murderers, Spree and Serial Killers
28. Criminal Justice Online features analysis of a wide range of criminal justice news items. The blog follows high profile trials and convictions while providing the reader an in-depth perspective on the inner workings of the system.
Highlight: Former Maryland Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
29. Crime and Consequences is a blog sponsored by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation. The blog consists of coverage and analysis of news pertaining to the criminal justice field.
Highlight: DOJ Goes Stark Raving Mad
30. The ACLU is a civil rights watchdog group, the blog of which is devoted to covering the most pressing civil rights concerns of today.
Highlight: Worried About Police Accountability in New York? There’s an App for That
