Criminal Justice Practitioners

Practitioners in the criminal justice system have specific responsibilities and function within three subsystems. They work in federal, state, and local jurisdictions within the subsystems of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. The roles of practitioners differ depending on jurisdiction and subsystem assignment, which are interrelated in some instances. For example, the federal government has primary jurisdiction regarding terrorist activity, yet federal officers and prosecutors work with state and local agencies to collect information, locate suspects, and make arrests. Federal prisoners are housed in local jails while they await trial.

Although the criminal justice system is interrelated in the United States, it is also purposefully decentralized. Federal and state practitioners work together to solve and prevent crime, collect crime statistics, and provide training services, but the decentralized ...