NCJ Number
192588
Date Published
2001
Length
380 pages
Annotation
This overview of criminal justice systems contains sections on policing, criminal court systems, confinement and corrections, and juvenile justice.
Abstract
Section 1, "Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems," contains two chapters. One chapter provides an overview of criminal justice, as it discusses issues regarding punishment, criminal law, the concept of crime, and the purposes of criminal law. The second chapter covers data on crime as well as victimization, with an emphasis on the interrelationships between the offender and victims. Section 2, "Entry Into Criminal Justice Systems: Policing," contains three chapters. One chapter covers the history of policing, noting some of the problems of policing at the local, State, and Federal levels. The other two chapters explore the structure and function of policing and the major problems and issues of policing. The three chapters in Section 3, "Processing a Criminal Case: Criminal Court Systems," explore the procedures and issues that arise from arrest through sentencing and appeals. Section 4, "Confinement and Corrections," contains three chapters that examine the methods of confining offenders in total institutions or of placing them in the community under supervision. The final section, "Juvenile Justice: A Special Case," contains one chapter on juvenile justice systems. This chapter explains juvenile justice systems, contrasts these systems with adult criminal court systems, and considers the changes in juvenile justice systems that have resulted from decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court as well as lower courts. The legal implications of racial and gender issues are included in this edition. Each chapter contains key terms, a chapter outline, learning objectives, a chapter summary, applications, and notes. A glossary; case, name, and general indexes; and appended selected amendments to the U.S. Constitution as well as guidance on how to read a court citation