What Is the Sequence of Events in the Criminal Justice System?

• NCJ Number: 168629
• Date Published: January 1998
• Length: 5 pages
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance)

Annotation

This poster and accompanying narrative depict and describe the sequence of events in the criminal and juvenile justice systems, starting with the private sector¦s initiation of the response to crime and continuing with the suspect's entry into the justice system, case processing, and sentencing.

Abstract

The discussion emphasizes that the first response that occurs in the community involves both crime prevention and participation in the criminal justice process once a crime has been committed. It notes that a variety of public and private agencies as well as individuals supply services related to public safety. It explains the steps in case processing, starting with apprehension and arrest, prosecution and pretrial services, adjudication, sentencing, and corrections. Recidivism is also discussed. The discussion emphasizes the governmental response to crime is based on the intergovernmental structure of the United States and that the response to crime is mainly a State and local function. Reference notes and chart indicating the types of discretion used by different criminal justice officials