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The Components Of The Criminal Justice System

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Criminal justice system refers to a system of law enforcement directly involved in apprehending, sentencing, defending, and punishing individuals convicted or suspected of criminal offences (Burns, 2007). Chapter 1 mainly focuses on the United States criminal justice system, its components, and other related aspects. Criminal justice system is broken into three major components which are: law enforcement, courts and corrections. All these components are connected only by the rule of law, which has been clearly explained in the chapter. Every individual regardless of his/her position is subject to law including those who make the laws.
Information concerning the three key components of criminal justice system has been given. Police have more roles besides enforcing laws including collecting evidence and investigating crime. Roles of prosecutor, defendant, judge, court, and trial by jury have been highlighted. The difference between local jails and state prisons were stated. People awaiting first appearance in court, those convicted of minor misdemeanors, those awaiting transfer to state prison, and those serving short duration sentences are usually held in local jails. Prisons hold individuals that have been convicted of very serious crimes. Another major disparity between jail and prisons is the fact that prisons tend to be more secure, relatively larger, and offering more services (States, 2005). Individuals involved in the correction component and their roles have not

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