Criminal Justice Resources and Links
These are the federal agencies, professional associations, and scholarship sources criminal justice students and professionals check most often: DOJ, FBI, DEA, and the Secret Service for agency information, ASC and ACJS for research and professional resources, and WIFLE for a law-enforcement-focused scholarship. Bookmark this list instead of rebuilding it every semester.
You don’t need to hunt down these sites one by one. The agency and association links below go to the organization’s own site rather than a third-party summary, so you’re reading directly from the source: official statutes, policies, cases, reports, and agency information from DOJ and its components, and professional standards, ethical guidance, and research resources from ASC and ACJS. A separate Job Resources section further down covers career-search tools, including one third-party job board alongside the official federal jobs site.
Federal Agencies and Government Web Resources
These six sites are federal government resources where DOJ and its components publish official statutes, policies, cases, reports, and agency information. For current vacancies and position-specific qualification requirements, each agency’s own careers page, or USAJOBS in the Job Resources section below, is a better starting point than this list alone.
- Department of Justice
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Secret Service
- United States Postal Inspection Service
Professional Associations and Academic Societies in Criminal Justice
ASC and ACJS are professional and academic organizations that publish ethical guidance, research, and professional resources in criminology and criminal justice. They aren’t regulatory or licensing bodies for the field. IACP is a major professional association for police leaders and law-enforcement professionals. WIFLE administers a scholarship for women preparing for a career in law enforcement. It isn’t a licensing or certification body, and the scholarship doesn’t confer any credential.
- American Society of Criminology
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Scholarship Program
Job Resources
USAJOBS is the federal government’s central site for competitive federal vacancies, including criminal-justice-related positions. The link below it is a third-party job board, separate from USAJOBS and not an official government site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t this list longer?
Because a shorter list you’ll actually use beats a long one you won’t. The agency and association links here go to primary sources, not directory sites or roundups of other roundups.
How do I know these organizations are legitimate?
Every agency and association link points to the organization’s own domain, not a third-party mirror. DOJ, FBI, DEA, Secret Service, USPIS, and the U.S. Marshals Service are .gov sites you can verify against any official government directory. ASC, ACJS, and IACP are established professional and academic organizations in criminology and criminal justice, and WIFLE is a registered nonprofit that administers its own scholarship. The Job Resources section includes one third-party job board alongside the official USAJOBS site, so check each site’s own disclosures before using it.
Where do I find more scholarships, not just the WIFLE program?
The WIFLE scholarship above is aimed at women preparing for a career in law enforcement, not every criminal justice student. If that doesn’t fit your situation, a broader scholarships guide on this site lists additional awards by eligibility, amount, and deadline.
Can I use these agency sites to research a job application?
Yes, for career information and agency-specific position requirements. Qualifications, exams, medical and fitness standards, background investigations, and training differ by agency and position, so DOJ, FBI, DEA, Secret Service, USPIS, and the Marshals Service don’t share one hiring standard. For current competitive federal vacancies, USAJOBS is the central official source. The agency sites above cover the specifics once you’ve identified a role.
Key Takeaways
- Six federal government resources – DOJ and its components publish official statutes, policies, cases, reports, and agency information directly
- Two professional and academic organizations – ASC and ACJS publish research, ethical guidance, and professional resources in criminology and criminal justice, not regulatory standards
- One targeted scholarship – WIFLE funds women preparing for a career in law enforcement, not a licensing or certification credential
- Prefer official sources – agency and association sites, plus USAJOBS for federal vacancies, are the right starting points for current requirements and policies
Need funding beyond the WIFLE award above? The scholarships guide on this site covers additional criminal justice-specific awards, with eligibility and deadlines laid out by program.
Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students