The criminal justice system, at its fundamental level, includes law enforcement, prosecution, defense counsel, judiciary, probation, institutional corrections and parole. It is necessary to understand the dynamics of these professional perspectives within the system in order to best protect victims’ rights. This chapter describes the basic roles and responsibilities of professionals along the criminal justice system continuum; the interactions among those individuals and agencies and how they can assist victims; and the basic tenets of victims’ rights laws. The chapter examines the need for improved treatment of victims, access to services, training and technical assistance, and core components of victim services. Those components, which can be multi-disciplinary, are orientation to the criminal justice system and process; assistance to victims and witnesses who must testify; crisis intervention; information about individual case status and outcome; assistance with compensation and restitution; facilitating victim participation in the criminal justice system; facilitating property return; information about and referral to community services; and education and training for the public, justice system personnel and other local service providers about the needs and rights of victims in the criminal justice system.