BJS's Flow Chart of the Criminal Justice Coverage

What is the sequence of events in the criminal justice system?

Entry into the system

Sentencing
and sanctions

Adjudication

Prosecution and pretrial services

Corrections

Refusal to indict

Reported
and
observed
crime
Investigation

Released Released Charges
Charges
dropped
without
without
dropped
prosecution prosecution or dismissed or dismissed

Appeal

Trial

Convicted Sentencing

Felonies

Prison
Out of system
(registration,
notification)

Guilty plea
Information

Parole
Reduction
of charge

Arrest

Charges
filed

Habeas Pardon and Capital
corpus clemency punishment

Probation
Revocation

Arraignment
Unsolved
or not
arrested

Acquitted

Charge dismissed

Grand jury

Intermediate
sanctions

Revocation
Out of system

Bail or
Initial
Preliminary detention
appearance
hearing
hearing

Charge
dismissed

Acquitted

Jail

Crime
Information

Arraignment

Misdemeanors
Prosecution
as a
juvenile

Trial

Convicted

Sentencing

Revocation

Out of system

Guilty plea
Probation

Unsuccessful
diversion
Out of system
Diversion by law enforcement, prosecutor, or court

Juvenile
offenders

Police
juvenile
unit

Waived to
criminal
Intake court
hearing

Formal juvenile or youthful
offender court processing

Disposition

Adjudication

Revocation
Residential
placement

Out of system

Informal processing
diversion

Nonpolice referrals
Released or Released or
diverted
diverted
Note: This chart gives a simplified view of caseflow
through the criminal justice system. Procedures vary
among jurisdictions. The weights of the lines are not
intended to show actual size of caseloads.

Probation or other
nonresidential disposition

Released
Source: Adapted from The challenge of crime in a free society.
President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration
of Justice, 1967. This revision, a result of the Symposium on
the 30th Anniversary of the President's Commission, was prepared
by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 1997.

Aftercare
Revocation