You are to create an argument for or against law enforcement agencies working together. Some countries have 
national police forces, whereas we do not. Be prepared to defend your position in the class. 
Although agencies may operate differently, the way cases move through the criminal justice system is 
consistent. The first step after getting caught stealing something from a store is involvement with police 
when law enforcement is called. The next step in the process is to proceed through the court system to 
determine guilt or innocence. If you are found guilty then you will receive a sentence that will be carried 
out in the next step. After conviction, you move to the correctional system for formal punishment and/or 
treatments as determined by the courts. An individual may not go through the entire process and criminal 
justice officials decide whether the case should continue on to the next stage. Perhaps the officer decides not 
to cite you and your contact ends there. However, it may be the district attorney (DA) that decides to drop 
your case before it even goes to trial. Regardless, the process is typically cops, courts, and then corrections. 
We will explore each of these in greater detail later on. 
News Box: In 2016, more people were arrested for marijuana possession than for all crimes the FBI 
classifies as violent. 
4 Overall in 2016, roughly 1.5 million people were arrested for drug-related offenses, up 
slightly year-over-year 
5 Marijuana enforcement and criminalization goes to the heart of some of the most 
pressing issues facing the criminal justice system, policymakers, citizens, and the world. Is criminalizing 
drug use effective, especially for marijuana? Is spending money on enforcing drug laws, prosecuting drug 
crimes, and punishing drug offenders effective? The United States has taken a get-tough approach towards 
the War on Drugs, created mandatory minimum sentences, and punished people in large numbers but is it 
effective? 
4. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/topic-pages/tables/table-18 
5. Ingraham, C. (2017). More people were arrested last year over pot than for murder, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery — 
combined. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/09/26/more-people-were-arrested-last-year-
over-pot-than-for-murder-rape-aggravated-assault-and-robbery-combined/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.62735d3474ea 
Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System
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