Ch 5: Criminal Justice Agencies in the U.S.: Help and Review
About This Chapter
Who's it for?
Anyone who needs help understanding introductory criminal justice material will benefit from taking this course. You will be able to grasp the subject matter faster, retain critical knowledge longer and earn better grades. You're in the right place if you:
- Have fallen behind in understanding the roles of the different criminal justice agencies in the U.S.
- Need an efficient way to learn about criminal justice agencies.
- Learn best with engaging auditory and visual tools.
- Struggle with learning disabilities or learning differences, including autism and ADHD.
- Experience difficulty understanding your teachers.
- Missed class time and need to catch up.
- Can't access extra criminal justice resources at school.
How it works:
- Start at the beginning, or identify the topics that you need help with.
- Watch and learn from fun videos, reviewing as needed.
- Refer to the video transcripts to reinforce your learning.
- Test your understanding of each lesson with short quizzes.
- Submit questions to one of our instructors for personalized support if you need extra help.
- Verify you're ready by completing the Criminal Justice Agencies in the U.S. chapter exam.
Why it works:
- Study Efficiently: Skip what you know, review what you don't.
- Retain What You Learn: Engaging animations and real-life examples make topics easy to grasp.
- Be Ready on Test Day: Use the Criminal Justice Agencies in the U.S. chapter exam to be prepared.
- Get Extra Support: Ask our subject-matter experts any relevant question. They're here to help!
- Study With Flexibility: Watch videos on any web-ready device.
Students will review:
In this chapter, you'll learn the answers to questions including:
- What does the U.S. Attorney General do?
- How does the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) work?
- What are the historical roots of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)?
- What goals guide the work of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)?
- How have the responsibilities of the U.S. Marshals Service evolved throughout its history?
- What are the responsibilities of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division?

1. The U.S. Attorney General: History, Role & Purpose
The United States attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government and the head of the Department of Justice. This lesson discusses the history, role and purpose of the U.S. attorney general.

2. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF): History, Role & Purpose
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is known as the 'ATF.' The ATF is a law enforcement agency in charge of criminal organizations, acts of terrorism and many other areas. This lesson explains the roles and history of the ATF.

3. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): History, Role & Purpose
The Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, is the leading law enforcement agency responsible for preventing the distribution of illegal narcotics in the United States. This lesson explains the roles and history of the DEA.

4. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): History, Role & Purpose
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, is a national security organization. Unlike other organizations, the FBI has both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities. This lesson explains the roles and history of the FBI.

5. INTERPOL Washington: History, Role & Purpose
INTERPOL is the International Criminal Police Organization. It links together law enforcement from all corners of the world and houses a bureau in Washington D.C. This lesson explains the roles and history of INTERPOL.

6. Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP): History, Role & Purpose
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, or OJJDP, is a justice program that focuses on preventing juvenile delinquency and victimization. This lesson explains the roles and history of OJJDP.

7. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, & Tracking (SMART): History, Role & Purpose
The Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking is also known as SMART. This lesson explains the history and purpose of SMART, including its connection to the AWA and SORNA.

8. U.S. Marshals Service: History, Role & Purpose
The United States Marshals Service acts as the means of civil authority for all three branches of federal government. This lesson explains the roles and history of the U.S. Marshals Service.

9. National Security Division (NSD): History, Role & Purpose
The National Security Division, or NSD, is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. The NSD works to combat terrorism and other threats to national security. This lesson explains the roles and history of the NSD.

10. The U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division: History, Role & Purpose
The United States Department of Justice Criminal Division develops and enforces all federal criminal laws, except those designated to another division. This lesson explains the roles and history of the Criminal Division.

11. Department of Justice: Definition, Agencies & Responsibilities
In this lesson, the Department of Justice will be defined. There are several agencies that make-up the Department of Justice, and this lesson will highlight some of the important agencies.

12. Espionage: Definition, History, Acts & Techniques
We've all heard the term espionage, but do we really know what it is? This lesson not only defines espionage, but also discusses the history of espionage and looks at some of the many techniques of espionage.

13. FBI Uniform Crime Report: Definition, Pros & Cons
In this lesson, we'll look at the FBI Uniform Crime Report in depth and gain an understanding of what kinds of information are included in the report. You'll also learn the pros and cons of the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

14. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): History & Crime Statistics
In this lesson, we will explore the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). We will also examine crime statistics and famous cases the FBI has investigated. Take a short quiz at the end of the lesson to test your understanding.

15. J. Edgar Hoover: Biography, Death & Secrets
This lesson will focus on the life and death of the former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations J. Edgar Hoover. This lesson will also discuss some of the many secrets revealed regarding Former Director Hoover.

16. What Is the Criminal Justice System? - Definition, Components & Problems
Learn what constitutes the criminal justice system. Explore the definition and the components of the criminal justice system. Review several problems in the criminal justice system today.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the Intro to Criminal Justice: Help and Review course
- Introduction to Crime & Criminology: Help and Review
- Theories of Crime: Help and Review
- Types of Crime: Help and Review
- The Criminal Justice Field: Help and Review
- Law Enforcement in the U.S.: Help and Review
- The Role of the Police Department: Help and Review
- The U.S. Court System: Help and Review
- Constitutional Law in the U.S.: Help and Review
- Criminal Law in the U.S.: Help and Review
- The Criminal Trial in the U.S. Justice System: Help and Review
- The Sentencing Process in Criminal Justice: Help and Review
- Corrections & Correctional Institutions: Help and Review
- The Juvenile Justice System: Help and Review