Get Your Degree!. Criminal justice is the term used to represent the practices and institutions of governments that maintain social control, deter crime, enforce laws, and penalize those who break them. Basically, our nation's criminal justice system maintains safety for all living within our nation's boundaries. Don't miss the next Criminal Justice degree course given in your area. In local law enforcement, those involved with enforcing laws in local municipalities, cities, towns, and counties are the criminal justice representatives. Positions on the local law enforcement level include local park policy, county policy, juvenile justice center officers and representatives, sheriff departments, and also local municipality justice representatives State law enforcement includes law and justice enforcement representatives on state levels including state crime lab workers and representatives, the state court systems and its workers, attorney general offices, narcotics bureaus, liquor control boards, and state police including highway patrol officers. Those involved with federal law enforcement in the criminal justice field include those working for several federal departments including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Transportation, Federal Trade Commission, Veterans Affairs (VA), Customs Agency, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Office of the Inspector General.