U.S. Criminal Justice System
Structure and Sequence of Events
The following describes the most common events in the criminal justice system, including entry into the system, prosecution and pretrial services, sentencing and sanctions, and corrections. The Response to Crime The Private Sector Initiates the Response to Crime. This first response may come from individuals, families, neighborhood associations, business, industry, agriculture, educational institutions, the news media, or any other private service to the public. It involves crime prevention, as well as participation in the criminal justice process once a crime has been committed. Private crime prevention is more than providing private security or burglar alarms or participating in neighborhood watch….
