A History of Crime and Criminal Justice in America

This updated second edition provides an overview of the origin and development of the American criminal justice system, from the founding of Jamestown, the first English settlement, and tracing history to the events of September 11, 2001. Each chapter begins with an overview of the social, political, and economic forces that shaped society during a given era in American history. What follows, then, is an overview of the ordinary and extraordinary crimes of each era, and how the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections, and juvenile justice) responded to these crimes, thereby conveying how the system developed over time.