This classic best-seller, commonly referred to as the "The Eagle," is an exciting and relevant introduction to the field of criminal justice. The text combines solid research and intellectual vigor with detailed attention to current and compelling events to help students appreciate the many aspects of the discipline. It challenges readers to balance the mechanics and system of criminal justice with the human side of the story. This text examines criminal justice as an interdisciplinary endeavor, sharing elements from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science.
Rule of law has vanished in America’s criminal justice system. Prosecutors decide whom to punish; most accused never face a jury; policing is inconsistent; plea bargaining is rampant; and draconian sentencing fills prisons with mostly minority defendants. A leading criminal law scholar looks to history for the roots of these problems—and solutions.
Criminal Justice in America: The Politics Behind the System provides an introduction to the American system of criminal justice, with politics as its underlying theme. The basic premise is that the criminal justice system in the United States is primarily a function of the political system. The political system creates the laws, agencies, and processes that make up the criminal justice system, thus, the two are inherently related to each other. One cannot truly understand the make-up and workings of the justice system without understanding the role politics plays in creating and altering that system. Marion introduces the basic concepts and components of criminal justice, with the book's underlying theme surrounding politics. Some basic political science concepts are included in the book, such as federalism and power, which are then related to criminal justice in order to explore how the two fields are indeed related to one another. The actions of political actors that affect criminal justice, both elected (president, Congress, the courts) and non-elected (bureaucracies, media, campaigns and elections, interest groups) are described. This is an underlying theme however, and not the primary emphasis of the book. The book covers crime in the United States, the American system of policing, the courts, and corrections system. There is also a chapter on victims of crime and anti-crime initiatives. Intended for introductory courses, this book is informal and easy to read. Each chapter has boxes that provide additional information on a person or topic relevant to the chapter, relevant web sites, discussion questions, a list of important terms to assist students in learning the materials, and an outline to help students organize the material more clearly.
Native Americans are disproportionately represented as offenders in the U.S. criminal justice system. However, until recently there was little investigation into the reasons. Furthermore, there has been little acknowledgment of the positive contributions of Native Americans to the criminal justice system- in rehabilitating offenders, aiding victims, and supporting service providers. This book offers a valuable and contemporary overview of how the American criminal justice system impacts Native Americans on both sides of the law. Contributors- many of whom are Native Americans- rank among the top scholars in their fields. Some of the chapters treat broad subjects, including crime, police, courts, victimization, corrections, and jurisdiction. Others delve into more specific topics, including hate crimes against Native Americans, state-corporate crimes against Native Americans, tribal peacemaking, and cultural stresses of police officers. Separate chapters are devoted to women and juveniles.
Open this book and step into America's court system! With Neubauer and Fradella's best-selling text, you will see for yourself what it is like to be a judge, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and more. This fascinating and well-researched text gives you a realistic sense of being in the courthouse--you will quickly gain an understanding of what it is like to work in and be a part of the American criminal justice system. This concept of the courthouse "players" makes it easy to understand each person's important role in bringing a case through the court process. Throughout the text, the authors highlight not only the pivotal role of the criminal courts but also the court's importance and impact on society as a whole.
Provides a comprehensive, readable overview of how criminal justice actually works in the United States, and what makes US procedures distinctive and important.
In the second edition of this popular book, the author has thoroughly updated his analysis of the history of American criminal justice, exploring the tension between popular passions and the rule of law. Surveying the topic from the colonial era to the present day, Walker examines changing patterns in criminal activity, the institutional development of the system of criminal justice, and the major issues concerning the administration of justice. Comprehensive and concise, this book is the best single volume treatment of American criminal justice.
This book offers a history of crime and the criminal justice system in America, written particularly for students of criminal justice and those interested in the history of crime and punishment. It follows the evolution of the criminal justice system chronologically and, when necessary, offers parallels between related criminal justice issues in different historical eras. From its antecedents in England to revolutionary times, to the American Civil War, right through the twentieth century to the age of terrorism, this book combines a wealth of resources with keen historical judgement to offer a fascinating account of the development of criminal justice in America. A new chapter brings the story up to date, looking at criminal justice through the Obama era and the early days of the Trump administration. Each chapter is broken down into four crucial components related to the American criminal justice system from the historical perspective: lawmakers and the judiciary; law enforcement; corrections; and crime and punishment. A range of pedagogical features, including timelines of key events, learning objectives, critical thinking questions and sources, as well as a full glossary of key terms and a Who’s Who in Criminal Justice History, ensures that readers are well-equipped to navigate the immense body of knowledge related to criminal justice history. Essential reading for Criminal Justice majors and historians alike, this book will be a fascinating text for anyone interested in the development of the American criminal justice system from ancient times to the present day.
Several encyclopedias overview the contemporary system of criminal justice in America, but full understanding of current social problems and contemporary strategies to deal with them can come only with clear appreciation of the historical underpinnings of those problems. Thus, this five-volume work surveys the history and philosophy of crime, punishment, and criminal justice institutions in America from colonial times to the present. It covers the whole of the criminal justice system, from crimes, law enforcement and policing, to courts, corrections and human services. Among other things, this encyclopedia: explicates philosophical foundations underpinning our system of justice; charts changing patterns in criminal activity and subsequent effects on legal responses; identifies major periods in the development of our system of criminal justice; and explores in the first four volumes - supplemented by a fifth volume containing annotated primary documents - evolving debates and conflicts on how best to address issues of crime and punishment. Its signed entries in the first four volumes--supplemented by a fifth volume containing annotated primary documents--provide the historical context for students to better understand contemporary criminological debates and the contemporary shape of the U.S. system of law and justice.
