NCJ Number
160207
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This overview of America's criminal justice system outlines case processing from the initial response to crime through the corrections system and considers the use of discretion in the criminal justice system as well as differences among jurisdictions.
Abstract
The initial response to crime may come from any part of the private sector, such as individuals, families, neighborhood associations, business, industry, agriculture, educational institutions, the news media, or any other private service to the public. The government responds to crime through the criminal justice system. Although criminal cases may be handled differently in various jurisdictions, court decisions based on the due process guarantees of the U.S. Constitution require that specific steps be taken in the administration of criminal justice. This chapter's description of the criminal and juvenile justice systems portrays the most common sequence of events in the response to serious criminal behavior. The aspects of criminal justice processing discussed are entry into the system initiated through police action; prosecution and pretrial services; adjudication, including arraignment, pleading, trial, and sentencing; and corrections. The juvenile justice system is discussed in a separate section. Specific policy issues noted are that the response to crime is founded in the intergovernmental structure of the United States; the response to crime is primarily a State and local function; discretion is exercised throughout the criminal justice system; more than one agency has jurisdiction over some criminal events; the response to crime varies on a case-by-case basis; and differences in local laws, agencies, resources, standards, and procedures result in varying responses to crime in each jurisdiction. A chart portrays the sequence of events in the criminal justice system. Questions for discussion and suggested applications for students