NCJ Number
92676
Date Published
1983
Length
292 pages
Annotation
This text for students of law enforcement examines both the defects and assets of the American criminal justice system from arrest to sentence, with attention to such problems as bail, appeals, and delays.
Abstract
An overview of the criminal justice system examines the incidence and causes of crime, the evolution of American criminal law, the Supreme Court's role, and the history of the trial system. It also analyzes the three branches of the justice system: police, courts, and corrections. Criminal justice processes are described, including arrests; pretrial procedures; and the roles of the prosecutor, defense lawyer, judge, and court staff. Also explained are pretrial motions, laws governing search and seizure, pretrial interrogations and pretrial identification, and basic elements of the adversary trial system. The section on sentencing and corrections treats sentencing theories and then addresses probation, prison sentences, fines and restitution, presentence reports, and plea bargaining. Other chapters focus on juvenile offenders, jails, the history of the prison system, parole and reform, and the postconviction procedures of appeals and habeas corpus. A discussion of current reform movements emphasizes that the administration of justice is hampered by delay and lack of certainty of punishment. A glossary, an index, over 125 references, and tests for each chapter are supplied.