The criminal justice system controls crime through policing, prosecution, the court system, and services corrections. The weight of this objective therefore requires that its organizational structure be efficient and able to cope with the future changes that are sure to occur in this dynamic system. Leadership development and succession planning are among the critical tools needed to address this issue. Leadership development improves the skills of managers and supervisors among other leaders in the criminal justice system. It equips them with modern skills that will help them make the right decisions in other areas, among others, in the field of policing in the future, which is all the more crucial since the skills acquired through formal leadership training is not enough and requires regular development. Succession planning aims to retain top talent and is beneficial to the organizational structure of a penal system. It is useful to avoid the risk of losing knowledge that is not documented when the employee with this knowledge leaves. It also protects information critical to the success of the criminal justice system while equipping staff with additional skills. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The criminal justice system is bound to experience change and preparation for these changes must be done through strategic planning. Leadership development and succession planning are among the strategic practices upon which criminal justice reforms are based. Leadership development refers to activities aimed at improving the skills and confidence of leaders in an organization, while succession planning refers to 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 the field of criminal justice. Criminal justice is a system composed of various components whose intention is to control, minimize and take action against crimes that have been committed. These elements include police making first contact with criminal activity, prosecution, sentencing through the court system, and correction through correctional officers (Schafer, 2007). Many variations have occurred in the civil service regarding criminal justice and are expected to continue to evolve over time. The changes affect technology as well as every other aspect of criminal justice. Achieving criminal justice goals in the midst of all the changes therefore requires effective and competent leadership within the creative and innovative workforce necessary for these changes (Berman and 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 affect citizens, officers, and agencies. Some of these leadership positions in public law enforcement are acquired with little or no leadership training to a certain level. Formal leadership training is not enough to provide leadership.