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Laws would be ineffective without people in charge of enforcing them. One of the basic necessities of the criminal justice system is the presence of police or other law enforcement officers who make sure that people in society who are not abiding by the law are apprehended so the courts can deal with them appropriately.

Graduates with criminal justice degrees often fill jobs in law enforcement, although many law enforcement positions do not require a specific college education. Criminal investigators on the local, state or federal level work to determine how and why crimes happen and who is responsible for them. They use a variety of detection techniques including forensics and interrogation of witnesses or suspects to uncover the truth about the crime and prepare the prosecution for court. The same detection techniques may also be used to reveal that a suspect is innocent.

A criminal prosecutor usually works in the local District Attorney s Office, the State Attorney General s Office or for the U.S. Department of Justice and are typically elected positions. These experienced lawyers work to build cases against accused criminals and lead the prosecution during court trials.

Prosecuting attorneys are often part of a lead prosecutor's staff. Prosecuting attorneys in large offices may be dedicated to one particular type of case and have a specialization, such as sex crimes or murder cases. Prosecuting attorneys often work in smaller offices where every attorney is expected to handle a variety of cases.

Often the only attorneys selected for these positions are attorneys with considerable experience as trial lawyers.