Criminal Justice Grad Inspired to Keep Communities Safe as Criminal Investigator

Receiving his bachelor鈥檚 in Criminal Justice with the Class of 2024 in May, Sam Trieber is only a few months away from also earning his master鈥檚 in the 4+1 Criminal Justice program

By Grace Boland
Sam Trieber standing in outside on a sunny day, smiling.

A Criminal Justice major and double minor in History and Psychology, Sam Trieber 鈥24 is drawing on his hands-on experiences at 六合彩开奖直播 to propel him on a path to becoming a criminal investigator. Having completed his undergraduate degree this past December, Trieber, who lives in Boston, is on track to attain his M.S. in Criminal Justice by December 2024 through 六合彩开奖直播's 4+1 program.

Industry Experience: 鈥淚 got the opportunity to work part-time at the Tiverton, R.I., police station as a Community Service Officer. We don鈥檛 have weapons or do arrests, but we do drive around police vehicles, which is pretty fun. I get to go around and talk to people to make sure they feel safe around the town. It鈥檚 been a great experience so far. Once I complete my graduate degree in December, I want to work at a local police department in a criminal investigations capacity 鈥 investigating people who have been confirmed guilty and help with finding people to keep communities safer.鈥

Powerful Combinations: 鈥淢y two minors, History and Psychology, have allowed me to expand my understanding of Criminal Justice. I think U.S. history lends itself to criminal justice because of its heavy influence on contemporary policies. Psychology and Criminal Justice just connect. I served on a jury a few years ago in a case involving civil commitment, and it made me realize how much psychology and criminal justice intertwine in the real world.鈥 

Discovering His Passion: 鈥淧rofessor Beck Strah had us listen to podcasts for homework assignments. That is when I had the idea to use podcasts to create an empirical design research project that analyzes how inmates are doing in the current prison system. I chose four podcasts that were produced by inmates or someone who interacts with inmates. I analyzed the prison system structure by listening to them using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and it made me see the realities of the prison systems in the U.S.鈥