The Criminal Justice System

This book explains the criminal justice system and how criminal cases are processed via the police, the court, and the correctional system. To give readers a better understanding of how the criminal justice systems works the author follows one case throughout the book to demonstrate how it is processed step-by-step through the justice system. It uses critical thinking exercises and Point/Counterpoint debate sections to explore hot issues from different points of view including parole, prisoners with HIV, crime reporting practices’ impact on minority groups, and inmates with mental illness. Detailed discussions i.e., who gets arrested and why and what role a defendant’s appearance plays are among the many topics addressed, which makes this a compelling text. Covers the steps of the criminal justice system including entry into the system; processing and pretrial procedures; trials, sentencing and appeals; and corrections. Includes information on how we address crime in society. Explores important issues within the system such as victim impact statements, who reports crime?; the investigative process; factors influencing arrest; case processing & the grand jury; the arraignment process; jury trials & sentencing; and the appeals process.