The criminal justice system controls crime through the police department, prosecution, court system, and corrections. The weight of this objective, therefore, requires that its organizational structure is effective and can accommodate the future changes that are destined to occur in this dynamic system. Leadership development and succession planning are some of the key tools needed to address this issue. Leadership development improves the skills of managers and supervisors among other criminal justice leaders. It provides them with modern skills that will help them make the right decisions in future policing, among other things, which is even more critical because the skills acquired through formal leadership training are not sufficient and require regular development. Succession planning focuses on retaining top talent and is beneficial to the organizational structure of a criminal system. This is useful because it avoids the risk of losing undocumented knowledge when the employee who has it leaves. It also protects information critical to the success of the criminal justice system, equipping staff with additional skills. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The criminal justice system is bound to experience changes, and preparation for these changes should be done using strategic planning. Leadership development and succession planning are some of the strategic practices on which criminal justice reforms are based. Leadership development refers to activities aimed at improving the skills, confidence of leadership in an organization while succession planning is the identification and development of new leaders to replace outgoing leaders internally. The purpose of this article is to explore and discuss leadership development and succession planning in criminal justice. Criminal justice is a system composed of various components whose intent is to control, minimize and act on crimes that have been committed. These components consist of the police making initial contact with criminal activities, judicial action, sentences from the justice system, and correction carried out through correctional officers (Schafer, 2007). Many changes have occurred in criminal justice-related public service and are expected to continue to change over time. The changes affect technology as well as all other aspects of criminal justice. Achieving criminal justice goals amid all the changes, therefore, requires leaders who are effective and competent as part of the creative and innovative staff needed for these changes (Berman & Fox, 2016). Leadership development is a necessary tool to ensure that all components of criminal justice function well with changes and are prepared for future changes. The responsibilities of managers and supervisors in law enforcement include citizens, officials, and agencies. Some of these public law enforcement leadership positions are acquired with little or no leadership training up to a certain level. Formal leadership training is insufficient for effective leadership and requires ongoing development of leadership skills, making the use of leadership development critical in all aspects of criminal justice (Schafer, 2007). Therefore,.