THE DATA FOR THIS DISSERTATION WERE OBTAINED FROM AN EXAMINATION OF THE LITERATURE IN THE FIELD, FROM FILES AND RECORDS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND FROM PERSONNEL RECORDS OF INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM CONSISTED OF POLICE, ATTORNEYS, COURTS, JUDGES, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND PAROLE AND PROBATION SERVICES. EACH COMPONENT WAS ANALYZED IN TERMS OF ITS HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, AND FUNCTION OR DUTY. EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON ANALYZING EACH AGENCY AS A SOCIETAL INSTITUTION. A SEPARATE SECTION IS DEVOTED TO DISCUSSING THE HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE GOAL OF THE PAPER IS TO PROVIDE EDUCATORS WITH DATA ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM AS A RESOURCE. THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ARE INCLUDED: INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED BY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES MUST BEGIN TO RELATE TO OTHER AGENTS IN OTHER AGENCIES; ADMINISTRATORS AND SUPERVISORS SHOULD VIEW THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND OPERATIONS AS SYSTEMS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF ACCOMPLISHING A SERIES OF SPECIFIC SERVICE ORIENTED OBJECTIVES; CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT SHOULD BE SOUGHT; AND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SHOULD INSTITUTE BASIC COURSES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE FOR PROSPECTIVE CLASSROOM TEACHERS. A COMPREHENSIVE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY WAS DEVELOPED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE FACTUAL MATERIAL. IT CONSISTS OF FOUR SECTIONS REPRESENTING THE SYSTEM COMPONENTS ANALYZED IN THE TEXT AND CONTAINS SHORT ABSTRACTS. (DAG)