Political Science

Criminal justice system comprises of social as well as legal institutions whose main function is to enforce the criminal law according to the set rules and limitations. The criminal justice system in the United States carries out its functions through five major components. In case a crime is so difficult for the local law enforcement agencies to resolve, it progresses to the next level. The five components of the Criminal Justice System include the Local Law Enforcement, where all criminal cases observed by citizens are reported. The police force then acts by bringing the law offenders to the Criminal Justice System. Minor crimes can be resolved at the Local Law Enforcement whereas others are so extreme that they need to be taken to the next level.

The Court System is the next level of the Criminal Justice System after the Local Law Enforcement. Facts and evidence of a certain case are presented to the prosecutor by a law enforcement officer and other witnesses. The prosecutor then decides whether the case should be filed or not. If the case is filed, it proceeds to the other level, the Court Case, and then it is brought to a judge in a court of law. If the criminal pleads guilty for an offense, a punishment is offered by the judge, but if the criminal does not plead, the case proceeds to the next level. Trial with Grand Jury is the next step in which the grand jury listens to both sides of the case in order to determine guilt as well as sentence. Decision as well as punishment is the last step of the Criminal Justice System. The decision concerning the guilt of the offender is made by the jury after hearing the case (EduDecisions, 2010). 

According to Law Jrank (n.d.), the local law enforcement plays a major role of bringing law offenders to criminal justice. They thereby make sure that no reported crime goes unpunished. The prosecutors are very important in the criminal justice system because they evaluate a case critically in order to eliminate chances of prosecuting an innocent person as well as obtain tangible evidence of a particular crime. The court after hearing a case decides whether to sentence or set a prosecuted person free.

There are three forms of government in the United States, the federal government, the state government, and the municipal government. The Federal Government of the United States is composed of three branches namely the executive, the legislative and the judicial. The main role of the legislative branch is to make laws. The legislature also allocates funds for the running of the federal government. After laws are made, by the legislative branch, the executive branch of the government makes sure that they are carried out and enforced in order to facilitate the functioning of the federal government. The judicial branch, which consists of the United States Supreme Court, performs the interpretation of the laws (Trethan, 2010). State government is the other form of government in the United States. Each state has its own form of criminal justice system. States and federal criminal justice systems are similar in their major roles, but differ in their details. The other form of government in the United States is the municipal government whose main role, in the criminal justice system, is to impose measures that are aimed at reducing crimes and maintaining public safety.

The major role of the law enforcement agencies in the criminal justice system is to safeguard the security of the public as well as investigate all committed crimes. The law enforcement agents are the first to arrive at a crime scene where they interview witnesses in order to gather evidence. They assist in investigations, prevent and respond to criminal as well as terrorism activities. They arrest offenders and carry out follow up investigations. They collect all the vital information necessary for prosecuting a law offender. The law enforcement agencies train intelligence personnel and other law enforcement agents (Cole, and Smith, 2006).

The role of the criminal courts within the criminal justice is to determine whether the complaint brought before the court is a genuine one. Dates for hearing a case are set by judges. If the case presented before the court shows doubtless proof involving a legally written law, the defendant is declared guilty. It is the responsibility of the court, after finding a defendant guilty, to offer deterrence to the defendant. This ensures that the individual is encouraged to change his behavior to observe the law. The court also issues fines for minor offences. Criminal courts take critical examination for serious crimes such as domestic violence. By doing so, the court fulfils its primary role of maintaining domestic peace (Criminal Law, 2002).

The correction institutions in the United States, as indicated by the New York City Alliance against Sexual Assault (2010), are physically isolated from the rest of the community. Community supervision may also be carried out as a correctional measure. The functioning of the correctional institutions is seldom governed by any except for the broadly written acts. The major role of the correctional institutions is the rehabilitation of offenders. They are also responsible for maintaining security and accountability of offenders. They do not have any law enforcement role outside the correction centers. If an offender is not incarcerated, he may be put on probation. During the probation period, the person may be supervised directly by the court or by an officer from the community or state corrections branch. Probations restrict the movement of offenders from their locality.