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The Components of the Criminal Justice System

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The Components of the Criminal Justice System
Michael Jinkerson
CJS200
2/28/2014
Craig Levins

The criminal justice system is made up of the various different organizations and processes created by State and Federal Governments in an effort to control crime and inflict penalties on individuals who break the laws. A single universal criminal justice system does not exist in the United States. What we do have are many similar, individual systems. The criminal justice system works differently in each area depending on the jurisdiction that is in charge. These systems vary from city, county, state, federal or tribal government or military installation. The different jurisdictions have various laws, agencies, and processes of managing criminal justice procedures. The main systems are comprised of the State system and the Federal System. The state system is responsible for handling crimes committed within their state borders. The Federal System is responsible for handling crimes committed on federal property or occurring in more than one state. Most criminal justice systems are made up of three major components being Law enforcement, the courts and Corrections. They also have two other components being Prosecution and Defense Attorneys.
The first major component and the front line defense against criminal activity is Law Enforcement. Law enforcement officials are responsible for recording reports on crimes that happen within their jurisdiction. Investigators review data from crimes and gather evidence. Street level officers are responsible for physically arresting offenders, giving testimony about the information collected through the course of the arrest during the court procedures, and also conduct further investigations if needed.
The second component is the Prosecution. Prosecutors are lawyers who are responsible for providing evidence against the

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