1. Running Head: THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Criminal justice
The major components of the criminal justice system
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2. THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 2
The major components of the criminal justice system
The criminal justice system forms the vital part of societal existence. Through this system,
justice is administered to those who are offended. The offenders are brought to law by a
punishment that is an equivalent to the offence committed. Ortemeier (2005) indicates that the
system is established to protect society. To make the criminal justice system more effective, it is
designed into three components namely; the law enforcement/police, the court system and the
corrections department.
The law enforcement/police is the first component in criminal justice system. This is the
component that enforces law to the people. It includes the police force and detectives. They are
the once who arrests those who break the law and investigates the crimes. After the
investigations, they bring charges against those who are accused of having committed the crime.
The second component in criminal justice system is the court. Here, we find the prosecutor,
judges, juries and the defense lawyers. They are there to ensure fair trials for those who have
charges pressed against them by the law enforces. After getting and verifying the facts from the
plaintiff and the defendant, they make a fair judgment based on the facts at hand or order further
investigations. They then decide whether the accused is guilty or innocent. This stage is the
critical since it passes judgment that may send an individual to correction or set him free to join
the society as an innocent person.

3. THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 3
The final component of the justice system is the corrections. They carry out the sentence given
by the judges to the guilty persons. They ensure that all the punishments to the defendant are
carried out and try to make the individual fit back into the society after finishing the term. This
component is usually made up of; prisons, jails, correction officers and probation officers.
The justice system is fundamental in ensuring coexistence in the society. The society is made to
respect the set rules and laws. Individuals enjoy their fundamental rights as a result of well
established justice system. This kind of system also protects the society from false accusations.
There are those who might be haters or wants to settle some scores. If an individual is found to
be giving false accusation against the defendant, the law punishes such people hence ensuring
balance and fairness in the society.

4. THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 4
Reference
Ortemeier, P (2005), Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, 2nd Edition.
London: Pearson-Prentice Hall.