Which are the three elements of the Criminal Justice System?

• A. Police, Courts, Prosecutors
• B. Legislation, Courts, Juries
• C. Courts, Law Enforcement, Corrections
• D. Corrections, Police, Courts

Answer: (C)

The three broad functions that make up the Criminal Justice System are law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Law enforcement detects and investigates crimes and enforces laws. The courts adjudicate cases, determine guilt or innocence, and impose sentences. Corrections carry out those sentences and oversee rehabilitation and supervision of offenders. This trio shows the path a case takes from policing to adjudication to punishment or rehabilitation. Other options mix in law-making or jury roles, which aren’t treated as one of the three main systemic components, and “police” is just another way of saying law enforcement. So the correctly named trio is Courts, Law Enforcement, and Corrections.