Federal Vs. State Policy Comparison

Federal vs. State Policy Comparison

In this paper, there will be a compare and contrast in the area of differences and similarities of federal and state government policies as it pertains to their role in the implementation of criminal justice. The policies on both federal and state are both put into place to help protect business and individuals from harm. The United States Constitution is known for the Supreme law of the land in the United States, which creates a federal power system of government and shared between the state and federal governments (United States Court, 2011). This policy comparison will provide information on the policies of the Federal and state governments, such as the similarities, differences, and implications for the criminal justice system as well as the potential effectiveness and limitations.

There are three known agencies in federal law enforcement: the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the United States Marshal, and United States Border Patrol. The FBI is responsible for major criminal investigations such as counterterrorism, cybercrime, organized crime, and major violent crimes. The United States Marshals are responsible for protecting federal judges and courts, fugitives, transporting high-risk prisoners, and protecting witnesses. Last, the Border Patrol prevent from illegal entry of aliens and lawful travel and trade (Gil, 2009). State and federal law enforcement go by the same rules. The only differences are the jurisdictions, staffing, and operations of their own agencies.

The federal court government has its own court system. Federal courts only hear cases that violates the United States Constitution or federal laws and case that involves bankruptcy, copyright, patent, and maritime law cases (Find Law, 2011). As stated in the readings, “federal courts may hear cases concerning state laws if the issue is whether the state law violates the federal Constitution” (Find Law, 2011, p. 1). According to the information on state versus Federal prison system, the federal prison has been less dangerous than the state prison (Cartmell, 2011). The federal prison deals with criminals such as drug dealers, bank robbers, and anyone who violates the immigration laws. The federal prison system operates five levels of security with minimum to maximum.

State Law enforcement agencies are in charge of keeping rural areas, highways, and other areas within the state safe. State agencies are also responsible for keeping motor vehicles inspected by United States regulations (Gil, 2009). The state police agencies deal with criminal investigations, public relations as well as community initiatives (Gil, 2009). State courts have broad jurisdiction and most cases most individuals would be involved in would be robbery, traffic violations, family matters, and broken contracts (Find Law, 2011). In accordance to the readings, “the state courts handle by far the larger number