What is Criminal Justice?

the system of law enforcement, involving police, lawyers, courts, andcorrections

, used for all stages of criminal proceedings andpunishment.

. Criminal justice is an intertwining of agencies and processes which seek to achieve control of
crime, minimization of crime and the imposition of penalties for the commission of crimes.

Criminal justice is a broad term covering topics such as the procedure by which criminal conduct is
investigated, evidence gathered, arrests made, charges brought, defenses raised, trials conducted,
sentences rendered and punishment carried out. Research studies issues such as examinations of
adult and juvenile offender characteristics, sentencing trends, correctional facility overcrowding,
justice system expenditures, treatment programs, minorities in the juvenile justice system, juvenile
court cases, criminal history records, and much more.

People who study criminal justice may seek a career as a law enforcement officer, adult or juvenile
probation officer, investigator for the public defenders office, community treatment facilitators,
correctional officer, program evaluator, court administrator, customs agent, crime scene technician,
or private security guard, among others.