NCJ Number
101138
Date Published
1981
Length
49 pages
Annotation
This citizen guide to the criminal justice system covers the law, law enforcement, courts, and corrections.
Abstract
The discussion of law encompasses the general legislative process, differences and similarity in State laws, and the functions of law and its enforcement. The section on law enforcement briefly describes the various types of U.S. law enforcement agencies and provides an overview of the operations of the county sheriffs' and municipal/county police departments. The operations described include patrol, investigation, crime prevention, and crime analysis (analytical processes which provide timely and useful information on crime patterns or trends). The description of court structure focuses on the Federal system: trial courts, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The explanation of operations and key personnel functions addresses the magistrate, prosecutor, defense attorney, grand jury, judge, petit jury, court clerk, bailiff, and court reporter. Volunteer victim-witness programs are briefly discussed. The discussion of corrections covers probation imprisonment, parole, pardon, and capital punishment. The concluding section notes the importance of citizen input and involvement in increasing the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Glossary of criminal justice terminology, 5 references, and 23-item bibliography.