THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM HAS BEEN CRITICIZED BECAUSE ITS MAJOR COMPONENTS -- LAW ENFORCEMENT, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS -- OFTEN ARE POORLY MANAGED AND INEFFICIENT. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THESE SHORTCOMINGS CAN BE ALLEVIATED BY MAKING THE SYSTEM MORE COORDINATED, RATIONAL, AND EFFICIENT VIA THE SYSTEMS APPROACH. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND ITS APPLICATION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE ARE REVIEWED, AND THE PRACTICAL AND THEORETICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN TRANSFORMING THE EXISTING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM INTO A 'TRUE' SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED. A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE POTENTIAL OF THE SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR ERODING THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF SEPARATION OF POWERS AND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SHOULD FUNCTION AS A SYSTEM ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT DOING SO FACILITATES THE WORK AND PROMOTES THE BASIC GOALS OF EACH SEGMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THE SYSTEMS APPROACH IS NOT ADVISABLE WHEN IT RESULTS IN THE ALTERATION OF THE TRADITIONAL DUTIES, VALUES, AND GOALS OF ANY SEGMENT OF THE SYSTEM. A PROPOSAL FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LOCAL TRIAL COURT JUDGES AND COUNTY SHERIFFS' OFFICES IS CITED AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE APPROPRIATE APPLICATION OF SYSTEMS CONCEPTS. A SECOND EXAMPLE, INVOLVING THE USE OF COMPUTERS TO PREDICT COUNTY JAIL POPULATIONS, ILLUSTRATES INAPPROPRIATE SYSTEMS APPLICATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).