Study of Federated Criminal Justice Systems: Research Needs

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Abstract
This article is a plea for comparative study of criminal justice systems as systems. After listing the characteristics of federations and defining what is meant by a criminal justice system, it suggests that appreciation of the role that a well-designed and effectively operating criminal justice system can play in bringing stability to a federated governmental structure, and improved quality to the life style of those living within that structure, is worthy of the attention of scholars interested in federalism. The recommended approach is a focus on the decision-making processes in the system with attention being given to the pressures and 'other factors in the decision-making environment that affect outcome. It is suggested that scholars in the United States have a vested interest particularly in the study of the criminal justice systems of federated nations. Without both basic descriptive and issue-oriented scholarship, the literature necessary for development of insight into the mutual impact of governmental structure and criminal justice system configuration will not become available. It is also suggested that the most profitable approach for such studies is concentration on "the decision flow of the criminal process and the interaction of policies and practices among the courts and operational agencies," an approach that "attempts to explain how the system works rather than who runs it." Such studies are judged important to further development of criminal justice systems in the United States and the world community.

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