This document summarizes key aspects of the criminal justice system in the United States. It outlines the five main components: law enforcement, prosecution, defense attorneys, courts, and corrections. It then provides brief descriptions of the roles of police, public prosecutors, defense lawyers, and judges. Finally, it discusses the process of filing an FIR with police to begin an investigation and the role of prosecutors once a chargesheet is filed in court.

1. BY;
R.MadhanRaj

2.  The criminal justice system is the set of agencies and processes established by governments to
control crime and impose penalties on those who violate laws. There is no single criminal justice
system in the United States but rather many similar, individual systems that have five
components:
 Law Enforcement
 Prosecution
 Defense Attorneys
 Courts
 Corrections
 This offers extensive opportunities for jobs and careers of graduates who major in Criminal
Justice that offer a substantial income starting from $38,000, and even more for those with a
minor in other areas such as psychology and sociology.

3.  The basis of our Criminal Justice system is highly influenced by English law and
customs that spread from the settlement people of Colonial America.
 Modern police forces began with Alfred the Great, an English king who ruled within the seventh century.
Families that swore their allegiance to Alfred organized patrols in their regions, and appointed an official to
oversee them which was called the “reeve” of the shire, later called a sheriff as we know today. Later on,
between the American Revolution and Civil Wars, population growth and industrialization spurred the
development of metropolitan police departments.

4.  Modern-day courts can date themselves back to the Pre-Revolutionary
courts of America, which followed the laws of Great Britain.
 The American court system was plotted out by the U.S. Constitution that the states
adopted in 1787.
 Fifth Amendment
 Sixth Amendment
 Fourth amendment
 Fifteenth amendment.

5.  Apart from our current ways of corrections, during Colonial times, the British penal
system was used, which relied heavily on punishment and execution.
 During the 1800s, more states turned to imprisoning offenders rather than executing them or
subjecting them to whipping, pillorying, or the stockade. Soon, the idea of reforming criminals
took hold but was short lived as by the mid-1800s, reformers lost patience and focused on
deterrence and rehabilitation. Many penitentiaries became reformatories. In time, Zebulon
Brockway, created a system of inmate classification and parole. It was thought that criminals
could be treated for their criminal habits with corrective therapies such as imposing total silence
on the prison population and requiring inmates to wear striped uniforms.
 Today’s criminal justice programs focus on rehabilitating offenders who will
eventually be released. Rehabilitation services ranging from job training to housing
assistance are provided to offenders as they near their release dates.

6. Course Number & Title Semester Hours
CJ 205
Issues in Criminal Justice
4
CJ 301
Criminology
4
CJ 350
Introduction to Social Research
4
CJ 387
Criminal Law
4
CJ 489
Senior Integrative Assessment
4
Six additional courses at any level, including one or
two from the allied course list: CJ 210, 250, 300, 340,
348, 360, 385, 388, 389, 393, 400, 420, 460
24
Internship (optional)
CJ 483
Internship Preparation (2 sem. Hrs.)
CJ 484
Internship in Sociology & Criminal justice (8 semester
hours)
10
Suggested Allied Courses (see advisor):
SOC 270 Social Problems
SOC 227 Social Psychology
SOC 353 Applied Sociology
POLS 371 Constitutional Law II: Substantive Rights
PSY 350 Psychology and the Law
MBE 203 Accounting II
MBE 204 Accounting II
MBE 216 Taxation
SW 384 Drugs of Abuse
SW 385 Substance Abuse & Chemical Dependency
ART 208 Photography I
COMM 222 Public Speaking
SPAN 307 Topics in Advanced Conversation &
Composition
MATH 210 Statistics
CHEM (any course)
CS (any course)
Total W/
Internship
Total W/o
Internship
54 hours 44 hours
A student majoring in Criminal
Justice at Virginia Wesleyan
is required to complete a
minimum of 39 credit hours in
specified coursework, 24 of
which must be in criminal
justice courses. The
remaining 15 hours may be
completed in areas of social
science, humanities or natural
sciences and mathematics.

7. General Studies Requirements
105 English or English 001
Fall 120 Chemistry Intro
L
Spring of Odd Yrs 233 Religious Battles in Court
V
Aftr ENG 105 (Selctd
Sem)
259 Literature of Mystery, Crime, & Nior
T
Required Courses Of Criminal Justice Major
All Year 205 Issues In Criminal Justice
Spring 301 Criminology
All Year 350 Introduction to Social Research
All Year 387 Criminal Law
Junior/Senior 489 Senior Integrative Assessment
I
Spring 385 Applies Criminal Profiling
Fall of '15 & '17 388 Global Terrorism and Homeland Security (4)
Spring (after 2 CJ
classes)
389 Criminal Investigation (4)
Fall 483 Internship Preparation
All Year 210 Mathematics Statistics Intro
Q
Spring 270 Social Problems & Social Solutions
All year 100 Computer Concepts and Applications
Required Courses of Sociology Minor
All Year 100 Introduction to Sociology S
Spring 270 Social Problems and Social Solutions
Spring after SOC 100 345 Foundations of Sociology
(SAME as ENG 319) 319 Feminist and Gender Theory W
Fall 311 Family W

8.  Students may complete a 9-credit, 300-hour
internship during the course of the semester.
 Examples of internship sites include:
 Local police departments
 State social services
 Probation/Parole District
 Corrections
 Courts
 U.S. Pre-Trial Services

9.  Skills You Will Gain as a
Criminal Justice Major:
 Mediating/negotiating conflicts
 Understanding complex
problems

Conceptualizing/implementing
projects
 Interpreting issues and data
 Listening critically
 Engaging in appropriate
ethical and professional
behavior
 Understanding and
appreciating human, socio-
economic, cultural, and
intellectual differences

10.  In VWC:
 Close to a 100% retention rate
 Between 80 and 85 percent of seniors in internships
receive job
 offers upon graduation
 Employed in a number of fields
 and agencies, including:
 CIA
 FBI
 Secret Service
 Diplomatic Security
 Marshal’s Office
 Local and state government

11.  Fully aware that solving crime in reality is no-where near as perfect as on TV, since I
was a child I was always drawn to mystery. I enjoy analyzing things and having
physical evidence, and logic in order to support a claim, not just theory. I also have a
passion for fairness and justice. Too many people lose loved ones and have no
answers as to why or how. I want to do something to my best abilities to help.

12.  Sociability
 Honesty
 Reasonability
 Analytical Skills
 Attention to detail
 Resolution

13.  Do you think that this Criminal Justice major is distinctive?
 “It is very different, unique, just as any other major is. Because of this, there is much effort to
show that there is a separation from others while maintaining a pride in community. We focus on
teamwork within the liberal arts for good training and making connections to other majors, not
just within the Criminal Justice and Sociology departments. We promote diversity.”
 Quote:
 “I am a proud recovering lawyer, I’m still sober.”
 - Associate Professor Scott Liverman

14.  - Khadijah Andrews:
 “What drew me in was the fact that I could help get the dangerous people of this
world off of the street, also watching the work of a detective and a CSI drew me in. A
pro is helping the [innocent] citizens and a con is the stereotypical thoughts of
people outside of the criminal justice [system] view.”
 - Brittany Brandon:
 “I decided to venture off into another major because I decided to change my career
path and take more specific classes. What I did like about the Criminal Justice major
is that the classes are easy, and the terms seem like basic information. What I didn’t
like was that in order to start the career I wanted, I had to go to school for a lot of
years.”

16. Criminal justice is the system of
practices, and organizations, used by
national and local governments,
directed at maintaining social control,
deter and controlling crime, and
sanctioning those who violate laws
with criminal penalties.

17. COMPONENTS
prosecution judiciary corrections
Law
enforcement

18.  POLICE
 PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
 THE DEFENCE LAWYER
 THE JUDGE

19.  One important function of the police is to
investigate anycomplaint about the commission
of a crime. An
investigation includes recording statements of
witnesses andcollecting different kinds of
evidence
 On the basis of the investigation, the police are
required to form an opinion.
 If the police think that the evidence points to the
guilt of the accused person, then they file a
chargesheet in the court.

20. Article 22 of the Constitution and criminal law guarantee to
every arrested person the following Fundamental Rights:
 The Right to be informed at the time of arrest of the offence for which
the person is being arrested
 The Right to be presented before a magistrate within 24
hours of arrest.
 The Right not to be ill treated or tortured during arrest
or in custody.
 Confessions made in police custody cannot be used as
evidence against the accused.
 A boy under 15 years of age and women cannot be called
to the police station only for questioning.

21.  It is with the registration of an FIR that the police can begin their
investigations into a crime. The law states that it is compulsory for
an officer in charge of a police station to register an FIR whenever
a person givesinformation about a cognizable offence.
 This information can be given to the police either orally or in
writing.The FIR usually mentions the date, time and place of the
offence, details the basic facts of the offence, including a
description of the events.
 If known, the identity of the accused persons and witnesses is also
mentioned.
 The FIR also states the name and address of the complainant.
There is a prescribed form in which the police registers an FIR and
it is signed bythe complainant.
 The complainant also has a legal rightto get a free copy of the FIR
from the police.

22.  The role of the Prosecutor begins once the
police has conducted the investigation and filed
the chargesheet in the court.
 He/she has no role to play in the investigation.
The Prosecutor must conduct the prosecution
on behalf of the State.
 As an officer of the court, it is his/her duty to act
impartially and present the full and material
facts, witnesses and evidence before the court
to enable thecourt to decide the case.

23.  The judge is like an umpire in a game and conducts the
trial impartially and in an open court.
 The judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence
presented by the prosecution and the defence.
 The judge decides whether the accused person is guilty or
innocent on the basis of the evidence presented and in
accordance with the law.
 If the accused is convicted, then the judge pronounces the
sentence.
 He may send the person to jail or impose a fine or
both,depending on what the law prescribes.

24. Thank You
By Madhan