NCJ Number
221649
Date Published
2008
Length
606 pages
Annotation
This overview of criminal justice in the United States focuses on the operation and management of police, courts, and corrections agencies.
Abstract
Chapter 1 compares the fear of crime with threats from other dangerous life events, as it explains the influence of media and politics in stimulating the public's fear of crime. Chapter 2 defines crime and reviews theories of its causes and correlates. This is followed with a discussion of the difference among the various types of violent and property crimes in chapter 3. Chapter 4 focuses on the backgrounds of offenders and victims along with the basis for crime profiling. The next chapter explains the scope of the criminal law, how liability is determined, and the circumstances under which criminal behavior may be excused. Chapter 6 presents an overview of the criminal justice system and criminal procedure, with attention to how an individual case proceeds from arrest through disposition. The next three chapters pertain to the history and organization of law enforcement operations, including how police discretion has been exercised and the legal constraints imposed on police conduct. Chapter 10 describes how courts are organized in the United States as well as how they operate in practice. Attention is given to innovations in dispute resolution. Other chapters on case-processing procedures pertain to the work of prosecutors, the role of defense counsel, and features of the adversarial system for administering justice. Another chapter on the courts explains trials, judges, and sentencing, as well as how the history and philosophy of sentencing has changed over the years. Remaining chapters focus on traditional and innovative corrections philosophies and practices; juvenile crime and justice; and modern manifestations of white-collar crime, computer crime, organized crime, and terrorism. The concluding chapter compares crime and justice in various nations. Chapter critical thinking exercises, appended U.S. Constitution, glossary, name index, and subject index