criminal justice

American  

noun

1. the system of law enforcement, involving police, lawyers, courts, and corrections, used for all stages of criminal proceedings and punishment.

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Example Sentences

But enforcement of these laws has long occupied an unusual no-man’s-land in this country, scrambling the standard political lines around criminal justice.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

"We are determined to make sure that the criminal justice system works for victims."

From BBC • May 30, 2026

In the criminal justice system, jurors are entitled to acquit defendants by deliberately rejecting evidence or refusing to apply the law, often by substituting their own sense of fairness—a concept known as jury nullification.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Geoffrey P. Alpert is a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and has conducted research on high-risk police activities for more than 30 years.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

In fact, surveys consistently show that African Americans are generally less supportive of harsh criminal justice policies than whites, even though blacks are far more likely to be victims of crime.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander