Criminal Justice Agencies Policies

Criminal Justice Agencies Policies

Policies are basic principles that criminal justice system and security use as a guide to seek and preserve the interest of the community. Whether it is an organization or a governmental entity, they need a set of rules or guidelines that need to be followed. This is done by implementing policies. There are many agencies that have policies in place at the state and federal level.

Federal Level

U.S. Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice is part of the executive branch and is headed by the Attorney General. This office is responsible for giving advice and assisting the president in legal matters and enforcing laws. The U.S. Department of Justice has many agencies under them which include, Community Oriented Policing Services - COPS, Criminal Division, Drug Courts Program Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. Attorneys, and U.S. Marshals Service.

U.S. Postal Inspectors

Another agency at the federal level is the U.S. Postal Inspectors. They are one of the oldest law enforcement agencies and are responsible for “supporting and protecting the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail” (U.S. Postal Inspectors Service, 2011, p.1). Postal Inspectors ensure that the postal service is stable and sound by investigating and providing security.

U.S. Department of Treasury

The U.S. Department of Treasury is an executive agency responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the financial security of the United States. This agency oversees a wide range of activities such as advising the President on economic and financial issues, encouraging sustainable economic growth, and fostering improved governance in financial institutions. This department is a very influential part of the world’s economy. The agencies that are under this department include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Secret Service.

State Level

At the state level the agencies that have policies in place include law enforcement agencies, court systems and the department of corrections. These policies differ state to state and county to county unlike the one’s established at the federal level.

Policies

Drug Policy

Curtailing