criminal justice
Courts and corrections
Criminal justice is the system of laws, institutions, and practices through which societies respond to crime—police, courts, and prisons working together to enforce laws, prosecute offenders, and administer punishment.
The term also names an academic field studying this system: She's majoring in criminal justice.
Criminal justice reform addresses perceived failures or inequities in how the system operates.
Judicial examination of claims
- verdictOfficial court decision
- judgeOne who decides
- juryLegal decision-making body
- defendantParty facing charges
prosecution · defense · testimony · evidence · courtroom · arraignment · sentencing · plea
Licensed legal representative
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- public defenderAttorney representing those unable to afford one
- defense attorneyLawyer representing the accused
- judgeOne who decides
barrister · solicitor · counsel · district attorney · advocate · paralegal · plaintiff · defendant
Firmly held belief
- mandatory minimumLegally required lowest sentence
- capital punishmentExecution by legal authority
- death penaltyLegal execution for crimes
- fineAcceptable in quality
community service · probation · parole · suspended sentence · life sentence · plea bargain · aggravating factors · mitigating factors
Confinement for offenders
- jailDetention facility
- inmateConfined facility resident
- wardenSupervisory custodian of place
- correctional facilityInstitution housing convicted offenders
custody · detention · solitary confinement · cell · penitentiary · convict · guard · sentence
Reducing imprisonment rates
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- reentryComing back in
- reintegrationRestoration to a group
diversion · bail reform · equity · disparity · advocacy · activism · abolition · alternatives
Seize by law
- patrolRegular surveillance route
- officerAuthority figure in uniform
- policeCivil law enforcement
- investigationFormal examination of facts
detective · warrant · handcuffs · surveillance · interrogation · suspect · apprehension · booking
Enacted written rule
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- jurisprudencePhilosophy governing legal systems
- ordinanceOfficial government regulation
- due processGuaranteed judicial fairness
precedent · case law · constitution · amendment · felony · misdemeanor · mens rea · burden of proof
trial
Judicial examination of claims
defendant · prosecution · defense · testimony · evidence · courtroom · arraignment · sentencing · plea · appeal
attorney
Licensed legal representative
- prosecutorGovernment's trial lawyer
- public defenderAttorney representing those unable to afford one
- defense attorneyLawyer representing the accused
judge · barrister · solicitor · counsel · district attorney · advocate · paralegal · plaintiff · defendant · witness
conviction
Firmly held belief
- mandatory minimumLegally required lowest sentence
- capital punishmentExecution by legal authority
- death penaltyLegal execution for crimes
fine · community service · probation · parole · suspended sentence · life sentence · plea bargain · aggravating factors · mitigating factors · guidelines
prison
Confinement for offenders
correctional facility · custody · detention · solitary confinement · cell · penitentiary · convict · guard · sentence · maximum security
decarceration
Reducing imprisonment rates
- rehabilitationRecovery from injury/addiction
- recidivismHabitual return to crime
- reentryComing back in
reintegration · diversion · bail reform · equity · disparity · advocacy · activism · abolition · alternatives · oversight
arrest
Seize by law
investigation · detective · warrant · handcuffs · surveillance · interrogation · suspect · apprehension · booking · Miranda rights
statute
Enacted written rule
- legislationOfficial enactment of statutes
- jurisprudencePhilosophy governing legal systems
- ordinanceOfficial government regulation
due process · precedent · case law · constitution · amendment · felony · misdemeanor · mens rea · burden of proof · legal theory
- social justiceprivilege, white privilege, equal opportunity, systemic racism, intersectionality
- forensic psychologyforensic evaluation, forensic interview, insanity plea, psychological assessment, legal insanity
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, guilty
- justicecourtroom, trials, courts, gavel, judges
- lawlaw, lawyer, lawyers, attorney, attorneys
- college coursesbiology, calculus, chemistry, physics, quantum physics
criminal justicevigilantism
Extralegal enforcement by civilians
vigilante justice · mob justice · lynch mob · frontier justice · vengeance
criminal justicerestorative justice
Conflict resolution through mutual healing
community justice · reconciliation · truth and reconciliation · mediation · healing circles
criminal justicecivil justice
Legal remedy for wrongs
civil law · civil litigation · tort law · administrative law · contract law
just, crime, justice, criminal, criminals, incriminate, criminally, incrimination, incriminating