The Ultimate List of Criminal Justice Links

Fundamental to any well-functioning society is a criminal justice system that protects the rights of the accused, punishes criminal behavior, and, insofar as it is humanly possible, preserves a just social order. Lawyers, courts, law enforcement, forensic scientists, human rights advocacy groups, and more all play an essential role in such justice systems.

The study of the application of law and criminal punishment in society and the analysis of the function, ethics, and purpose of the institutions in the criminal justice system falls under the academic discipline of criminal justice. Criminal justice, in turn, is a subset of the discipline of criminology, which studies the reasons for criminal behavior and how crime may be prevented. Both academic disciplines are popular majors for graduates and undergraduates because of the tremendous amount of job opportunities for persons with a criminal justice/criminology degree. In addition to the possibility of going on to graduate studies in criminal justice, criminal justice majors often go to law school and become lawyers. Police departments, non-profit advocacy groups, and more also desire candidates with a criminal justice background. Collectively, these professions and others in the field represent millions of jobs in the United States. The FBI alone, for example, employs nearly 34,000 people, many of whom have a criminal justice degree. Over 680,000 police officers work in the country, and there are a million plus lawyers. Clearly, then, there is no shortage of career opportunities for criminal justice majors.

The following is a list of the top criminal justice links on the web. Different specializations within criminal justice are included, along with statistical information, professional societies, advocacy groups, educational opportunities, and more. For more information on this exciting field, consult these links.

Criminal Justice

• Bureau of Justice Statistics — Here is the homepage for a U.S. Department of Justice bureau that collects and publishes crime-related statistics for the United States.

• Famous Trials — A unique look at the history of criminal justice and the legal system is available on this page that has information on the most famous trials of history from Socrates to the present.

• National Archive of Criminal Justice Data — Based at the University of Michigan, the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data has summaries of federal criminal justice statistics and other information on criminal justice in the United States.

• National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) — The NCJA is a leading advocacy group advising Congress and other bodies on important criminal justice issues.

• Public Agenda: Crime — Criminal justice majors, researchers, and ordinary citizens will find the information published here about the U.S. public’s views on several different legal issues to be very interesting and informative.

• Restorative Justice Online — Restorative Justice Online is a news source on restorative justice issues and policies for implementation worldwide.

• Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics — This page collects data from over 100 different sources on different aspects of criminal justice in the United States, including information on public opinion, arrest rates, prison conditions, and much more.

• Vera Institute of Justice — A large nonprofit organization dedicated to improving fairness and justice in the U.S. justice system has information on several criminal justice topics, including sentencing, immigration, mental health, and more on this site.

• World Criminal Justice Library Electronic Network — This extensive site from Rutgers University has information on criminal justice worldwide, links to criminal justice publications and resources, library catalogues, and much more.

Criminology

• Crime and Society — Users can find criminology information on all the countries of the world on this page.

• Critcrim.org — Critical criminology is a major paradigm in the field, and this site is a thorough resource on critical criminology with archived papers, suggested links, and much more.

• The American Society of Criminology — This international professional society pursues the scholarly study of the causes and prevention of crime and other related matters.

• Jerry Lee Center of Criminology — On this page, papers on criminology and other resources from the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology are made available to the public.

• Rational Choice and Deterrence Theory — Here is a good overview of one of the most significant theories in criminology from a criminal justice professor.

• Sociology of Deviant Behavior — This page has lecture notes from a sociologist on the deviant theories of criminal behavior.

• Western Criminology Review Archive — This archive contains all issues published of the journal Western Criminology Review.

Law and the Legal System

• Federal Grand Jury — Federal Grand Jury is a comprehensive page that explains the role and function of grand juries in the United States.

• Federal Judicial Center — The Federal Judicial Center is the research arm of the U.S. federal court system, and this page has reports, publications, and more produced by the center.

• The International Court of Justice — The International Court of Justice is the United Nations’ official court system to deal with violations of international law.

• International Law Institute — The International Law Institute is dedicated to advancing the rule of law in societies across the globe.

• Legal Information Institute — The Legal Information Institute from Cornell University Law School has a wealth of information on U.S. laws, founding documents, and much more.

• Legal Research — This is an excellent page of links to websites for assistance in legal research from the Legal and Legislative Resource Center.

• National Center for State Courts — The National Center for State Courts has links to the state courts of the United States, information on state law, and so much more information on this arm of the legal system in the U.S.A.

• THOMAS — THOMAS is the Library of Congress’ site that allows users to search through the U.S. law code for specific legislation.

• United States Sentencing Commission — The United States Sentencing Commission oversees the administration of federal penalties in the federal justice system.

Forensics

• American Academy of Forensic Sciences — The American Academy of Forensic Sciences is dedicated to advancing the application of science in the U.S. legal system.

• DNA Forensics — On this page from the Human Genome Project, users are treated to a good overview of the process of DNA identification in solving crimes.

• Forensic Science Society — This U.K. based professional society of forensic sciences contains links and information on forensic science programs, news from the area of forensic science, and other helpful data.

• Frequently Asked Questions about Forensic Psychiatry — This FAQs site provides the reader with some good information about forensic psychiatry and the intersection between psychiatry and law.

• History of Forensic Medicine — This excellent page from the National Institutes of Health is all about the history of forensic science.

• National Center for Forensic Science — The National Center for Forensic Science is a research center at the University of Central Florida, and its homepage has a wealth of information on the current state of forensic science, the different branches of it, and more.

• National Integrated Ballistics Information Network — This page from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Department and Firearms has good information on the use of ballistics in forensics, convictions and arrests based on ballistics science, and much more.

Juvenile Justice Issues

• Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice — Founded in 1985, the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice is a nonpartisan organization seeking to promote a humane juvenile justice system by giving technical assistance, direct services, and policy analysis.

• Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence — Housed at the University of Colorado, the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence compiles statistics on youth violence and advises schools, governments, and more on prevention.

• Child Welfare League of America Juvenile Justice Division — This is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for youth in the justice system.

• Girls Study Group — Understanding and preventing female juvenile delinquency is the subject of this special study group and its resources.

• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) — The NCJFCJ seeks to help the U.S. create a society wherein juveniles and families receive justice. It does so through providing all criminal justice agencies with knowledge and skills to improve the lot of children and families.

• Youth Violence Statistics — Here is a good summary page with youth violence statistics in the United States.

Current Events

• Center for American Progress — The Center for American Progress provides left-leaning commentary on current legal issues, court cases, and more.

• The Crime Report — This is an independent, nonpartisan online news source for criminal justice headlines and more.

• Department of Defense News — Law enforcement and national security are often intertwined, at least in the United States. This site from the U.S. Department of Defense has information on major current news stories related to national security, defense, and their interplay with criminal justice and the legal system.

• The Heritage Foundation — The Heritage Foundation provides right-leaning commentary on current legal issues, court cases, and more.

• JURIST — Published by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, JURIST tracks important news stories related to law and the legal profession.

• Stateline: Crime and Courts News — This online news source collects headlines on crime and other criminal justice topics that have appeared in the major newspapers and news sources in each of the 50 states of the United States.

Law Enforcement and Policing

• Department of Homeland Security — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stands to protect Americans from large-scale acts that can be considered criminal, such as terrorism. What is Homeland Security?

• International Association of the Chiefs of Police — The world’s biggest police executive organization has information on pending criminal justice legislation, training, technology, and much more.

• National Sheriffs' Association — Information on this page about policing and sheriffs in the United States includes training programs, a free sample magazine, and much more.

• National Center for Community Policing — The National Center for Community Policing has some excellent, older online publications on programs, statistics, and more related to the teamwork between communities and police departments for creating safer neighborhoods.

Prisons, Incarceration, and Detention

• American Jail Association — The American Jail Association is dedicated to serving the men and women who work in the U.S. jail system, and this site has many resources for such individuals and the public.

• Federal Bureau of Prisons — The Federal Bureau of Prisons oversees all of the federal detention facilities in the United States.

• Just Detention International — This organization that advocates for the end of rape in prisons and detention facilities worldwide has some good resources for online visitors.

Victimology and Victim Rights

• Joint Center on Violence and Victim Studies — This center is a partnership of 3 U.S. universities that takes an evidence-based approach to addressing victims and violence at all levels of society.

• Victim Assistance Online — Victim assistance specialists and other professionals will find this informational website filled with articles and resources for their work to be very useful.

• World Society of Victimology — The World Society of Victimology is a non-profit, non-governmental, international association devoted to the study of victims and their care.

Education

• Criminal Justice Institute — Part of the University of Arkansas System, the Criminal Justice Institute, created to fulfill the higher education needs of Arkansas Law Enforcement, can serve as a model for other such systems nationwide.

• Graduate Schools in Criminal Justice — Here is an excellent page from a criminal justice professor that discusses the benefits of a graduate degree in criminal justice and links to all the major criminal justice graduate programs in the United States.

Online Course Materials

• Chris Eskridge's Criminal Justice Classes and More — This page from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln features online materials for a professor’s criminal justice classes, links to other criminal justice sites, and much more.

• Criminological Theory — Lecture notes, suggested readings, and more can be found on this online course page for a criminological theory module from a professor at Florida State University.

• Professor Deflem's Student Pages — A professor at the University of South Carolina posts outlines and required readings for his courses in criminal justice on this page.

• Rights of the Accused — Elementary and secondary school teachers will find this resource of lesson plans related to U.S. constitutional protections of the accused to be very helpful.

Employment

• CIA Careers — The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States frequently employs people with a criminal justice background. Apply for a job with the CIA here.

• FBI Careers — Apply for one of the many jobs available in the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this site.

• United States Secret Service — This page contains job listings for the United States Secret Service.

This article was written by Mike Haldas, co-founder and managing partner of CCTV Camera Pros. If you found it useful, please share it.