Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction

Front Cover
Prentice-Hall, 1997 - Law - 428 pages
Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction provides concise but thorough coverage of all major components of the American criminal justice system in an especially easy to read format. Chapters on police, courts, corrections, and additional materials on victim's rights form the crux of this exciting second edition. Critical contemporary issues such as "three-strikes" and "get-tough" policies are also addressed, making Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction both comprehensive and up-to-date. Special features which hold and attract student attention include: 1) a strong visual orientation, built around the liberal use of eye-catching photos, charts and graphs; 2) an informative series of contemporary criminal justice careers boxes, describing the many employment opportunities in the field; 3) a thematic focus which asks students to critically examine the tension between the rights of individuals, and the interests of society in protection from crime; and 4) detailed coverage of important issues facing women and minorities as they work within or encounter the justice system. This second edition adds new and expanded materials on community policing, the Oklahoma City bombing, "three-strikes" legislation, "truth in sentencing", innovative defenses such as "black rage" and "urban survival syndrome", the O.J. Simpson trial, Megan's law (the legally mandated registration of sex offenders), the impact of drug-related incarceration on prison overcrowding, and victims rights, victimology, and the emerging concept of "restorative justice".

From inside the book

Contents

PREFACE
1
THE SYSTEM
Copyright

45 other sections not shown

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