Law enforcement and criminal justice are two of the most generally misunderstood and interchanged terms. Even if they are commonly used and heard in practically every case, understanding their differences could be the only solution to assist anyone confronting a court of law or an indictment.
Law Enforcement vs Criminal Justice
The main difference between law enforcement and criminal justice is that Law enforcement is just a term that refers to any event or activity that requires the public to follow or obey the laws of a specific jurisdiction. On the other hand, criminal justice is the practice of dispensing justice to those who engage in illegal activity, prosecuting and rehabilitating them while also providing comfort and support to those who the crime has touched.
The investigations and apprehending of a suspect fall under the purview of law enforcement. They’re the ones who are there from the minute a crime is perpetrated, collecting evidence, analyzing, and ultimately prepping and catching the culprit, regardless of how frustrated they are, also to escape going to jail.
Criminal justice is the process of bringing persons who’ve already committed these crimes to justice. A multitude of governmental departments within an organization make up the criminal system. The retraining of perpetrators, preventing other offenses, and spiritual assistance for victims are all goals.
Comparison Table Between Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
| Parameters of Comparison | Law Enforcement | Criminal Justice |
| Meaning | The term law enforcement is used when a police force tasked with enforcing the law and maintaining public and social order through the legal use of force. | Criminal justice is a network of governmental policies and institutions aimed at maintaining control over the masses, discouraging and reducing crime, and punishing those who break the law through criminal penalties and rehabilitative programs. |
| Nature | The essence of law enforcement ties it to those who discover and catch offenders on the spot. | Criminal justice, on the other hand, includes all security agencies and also the procedural components of dispensing justice. |
| Composition | The policemen and every other enforcement agencies established by the legal system make up law enforcement. | Law enforcement, court system, defense lawyers and solicitors, juries, the attorney’s office, jails, and parole agencies are all part of criminal justice. |
| Careers | Career in Law Enforcement field includes Police Officer, Deputy Sheriff, State Tropper, and Drug Enforcement Agent. | One can deal with offenders (corrections), apprehend criminals (law enforcement), or give justice inside a court of law if their major in crime control. |
| Other Goals | Law Enforcement has no other goals then maintaining the law in the society. | Whereas, Criminal justice also provides emotional and mental support to the victims. |
What is Law Enforcement?
Law enforcement is just the practice or action of enforcing a jurisdiction’s legislation. This term is most commonly used to describe the motion of security professionals conducting direct monitoring or patrols to deter criminals from committing crimes.
It can also be seen as a structure in which some people in society systematically execute the country’s law. Police officers typically carry out the enforcement (or, more broadly, security forces) and occur when the personnel identify, prevent, retrain, or penalize those who breach the legislation they are enforcing.
Courts, correctional facilities, and prisons are commonly associated with law enforcement. Nevertheless, it is primarily about using physical and specifically trained enforcement organizations to deter and penalize criminal activity.
While law enforcement is primarily responsible for preventing and prosecuting crimes, groups exist to deter a wide range of non-criminal infractions of laws and norms by imposing less severe repercussions such as detention.
What is Criminal Justice?
Giving justice to those who might have committed a crime is referred to as criminal justice. A criminal justice group made up of numerous government ministries and organizations is in charge of the delivery. The purpose of these bodies and agencies is generally to identify and apprehend lawbreakers, followed by the punishment of those who have broken the law.
Other purposes of the criminal justice system include providing moral assistance to victims of illegal activity. This is also in the duty of retraining convicts or violators. It comprises three primary parts: law enforcement, the judicial framework, and imprisonment, all of which help ensure that the rule of law is followed.
The courts serve as a forum for settling conflicts and administering justice. When it comes to criminal justice, there seem to be a lot of key players in any courtroom. The courtroom team at work, which includes professionals and non-professionals, is critical.
Main Differences Between Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
- Whenever a police service is tasked with upholding the rules and preserving personal and government order by the legal use of force, the phrase law enforcement is employed. Criminal justice is a system of governmental legal frameworks aimed at preserving social control, deterring and deterring recidivism, and punishing lawbreakers through criminal penalties and rehabilitation programs.
- The essence of law enforcement is those who find and apprehend criminals on the scene. Criminal justice, but from the other end, encompasses all law enforcement agencies as well as the relevant provisions of justice administration.
- Law enforcement is made up of police officers as well as other law enforcement entities that have been established by the judicial process. Criminal justice includes everything from law enforcement through the court system, defense lawyers and prosecutors, juries, the attorney’s office, imprisonment, and correctional agencies.
- Police Officer, Deputy sheriffs, State troopers, and Drug Enforcement agents are all examples of law enforcement careers. If you have expertise in crime control, you can deal with convicts (adjustments), catch criminals (law enforcement), or administer justice in a courtroom.
- Law enforcement has no other objective except to uphold the rule of law in the community. Criminal justice, on the other hand, offers victims with emotional and psychological assistance.
Conclusion
The areas of law enforcement and criminal justice are both intended to guarantee that civilization is peaceful and cooperative. While they operate together, they are distinct with their objectives and features. Despite their differences, law enforcement plays a role in the criminal justice structure, the more extensive system that includes all agencies and organizations. Most law enforcement forces are restricted to working within a specific jurisdiction.
Organizations’ jurisdictions may intersect; for instance, every region has regional law enforcement agencies in the USA, but the FBI can intervene against certain crimes committed in any area.
References
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1468017316651995
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135917891400038X