Inside Criminal Justice

Inside Criminal Justice: Thinking about Police, Courts, and Corrections provides students with a comprehensive and critical exploration of the U.S. criminal justice system.

Opening chapters introduce criminal justice as a system, a career, and an academic discipline; identify the main types of crimes in American jurisprudence; define crime; and explain how the criminalization process works. Additional chapters describe approaches to justice in American society, criminal injustice, the complexities and realities of police work, and police reform. Students learn about democratic policing, police powers and the rights of citizens, federal and state courts, the roles of prosecutors and judges in the courtroom, defendants’ rights, and the practices of criminal defense attorneys. Sentencing, mass incarceration, institutional corrections, community corrections, the death penalty, and juvenile justice are covered. Learning outcomes, chapter summaries, discussion questions, key terms, and references enrich the student reading and learning experience.

Inside Criminal Justice is designed for introductory courses in criminal justice.