Criminal Justice: A Completely New Reference Devoted to the U.S. Justice System - Hardcover

Criminal Justice is a new, three-volume reference set covering the most important aspects of criminal justice in the United States. It details the commission and frequency of crimes through the investigation, apprehension, prosecution and punishment of wrongdoers. There is also a unique emphasis on the public perception of justice in the media. CONTENTS The core issues of criminal justice are approached through a variety of perspectives, often dubbed the ""Six Cs."" Criminals: Who they are, what motivates them, the impact of their criminal activity on society and the criminals themselves. Criminal Justice has nearly 40 core articles on specific categories of crime - ranging from animal abuse and arson to vandalism and white-collar crime. Codes: The framework of American law and significant individual pieces of legislation. Constitutions: The content of the nation's foundation documents, their interpretation and their impact on modern criminal justice. Criminal Justice has 47 articles on the U.S. Constitution, various types of laws and specific laws. Cops: The varieties of municipal, state and federal law-enforcement agencies and the relationships among them, as well as their investigative work, specific functions and arrests. Courts: The structures of the federal and state court system, the relationships among the courts, attorneys, judges and officers of the courts and trial procedures - subjects covered in about 140 articles. Corrections: Sentencing, capital and other punishments, prison systems, prison conditions and parole and pardons are covered in about 69 articles, including 11 on capital punishment. Other broad subjects covered in Criminal Justice include business and commerce, drugs, juvenile justice, the media, military justice, rights issues, traffic law, victims and aspects of international justice. The last subject area includes articles on the Canadian and Mexican justice systems, deportation and extradition, Interpol and other international law-enforcement organizations and such international tribunals as the World Court. FORMAT A list of cross-references follows every essay and the third volume contains a list of essays by subject categories, a court case index, a law index and a general subject index. The top matter of all articles provides concise definitions, summaries of the subjects' significance and identification of key criminal justice issues. The top matter in articles on individual laws, court cases, events, government agencies, organizations and individual persons also provides dates and places, as relevant.