All Rise And My Journey Into Criminal Justice
Hey daydreamers! I recently started watching All Rise and I’m not even going to lie, I love it. I didn’t expect to get this into it, but now I’m locked in. Every episode has me sitting there stressed, emotional, and inspired at the same time. And the crazy part is, it’s actually making me want to be a public defender. Watching the show made me realize how intense and real the courtroom can be. It’s not just about winning cases, it’s about people’s lives. The public defenders stood out to me the most because they are really fighting for people who don’t always have a voice.
I’m also in a criminal justice class right now, and we are part of something called the Ignite Program. We go into jails and talk to inmates who are about to re-enter society. We give them information about the challenges they might face and resources that can help them avoid ending up back in the system. At first, I didn’t really know if we were making a difference. But after our presentation, one of my groupmates asked them if our program was actually helping them. They said they loved our presentations. They said they felt blessed and grateful that we were even there giving them that information. That really stuck with me. I also asked them about their relationship with their lawyers and if they liked them. A lot of them said they don’t feel like a priority. They feel like they are just another case on a checklist. They wish their lawyers were more helpful and actually cared about them. Hearing that changed how I see things.
Watching All Rise shows the complete opposite. You see public defenders like Emily fighting for her clients and actually caring about what happens to them. She treats them like real people, not just cases. Being in that jail and talking to real people made everything feel real. These are not just criminals. They are people who made mistakes, and a lot of them just need someone to actually help them and guide them.
I think that is why this show is hitting me so hard right now. It is making me realize that I don’t just want a career in law. I want to actually make a difference. I want to be the kind of person who makes someone feel like they matter, not like they are just another file. I don’t know exactly where this is going to take me yet, but I do know this. Experiences like this are changing how I see everything. Watching All Rise made me interested, but actually being in that environment made it real. It made me realize that being a public defender isn’t just about knowing the law or winning cases. It’s about people. It’s about showing up for someone who feels like nobody is on their side.
And after hearing those inmates talk about how they feel overlooked, I know I don’t ever want to be that kind of lawyer. I want to be the one who listens, who cares, and who actually tries to make a difference. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I think I’m starting to understand the kind of impact I want to have.