Criminal Justice Law and Legal Definition
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.
Legal Definition list
Related Legal Terms
- Abuse in Later Life Program [Department of Justice]
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences [ACJS]
- Administration of Criminal Justice
- American Association for Justice [AAJ]
- American Board of Criminalistics
- American University Justice Programs Office
- Armed Career Criminal
- Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA)
- Arrest Program [Department of Justice]
- Associate Justice
