US Criminal Justice System

Sarah Koon-Magnin is Associate Professor of Political Science and Criminal Justice at University of South Alabama, USA.Ryan J. Williams is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of New England, USA

A perfect fit for libraries as a one-volume introductory reference resource, suitable for students and general readers.

• PrefaceChapter 1: Background and History IntroductionCriminal Law in the United StatesThe United States Criminal Justice System Funnel of Criminal Justice Goals of the Criminal Justice System Weighing Individual Rights vs. Public Order/SecurityCrime Data Policing in the United StatesState and Local Law EnforcementFederal Law Enforcement AgenciesLaw Enforcement CollaborationLaw Enforcement and the LawWarrants Detention, Arrest, and MirandaCourts in the United StatesJurisdiction and Organization of U.S. Courts Federal Court Jurisdiction, Structure, and Organization State Courts Jurisdiction, Structure, and Organization State Judicial SelectionThe Attorneys: Prosecutors and Public Defenders Pre-Trial Activities The Trial Process Sentencing Corrections in the United States The Development of Corrections Early Prison Reform Efforts Correctional Facilities Correctional Officers Juvenile Justice System Conclusion Chapter 2: Problems, Controversies, and SolutionsIntroduction Current Issues in Policing Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice Outcomes Police Accountability Body-Worn Cameras Forensic Science Current Issues in the Criminal Courts Pretrial Issues, Bail Reform, and Grand Jury Reform Money/Cash Bail Grand Juries Prosecutorial Discretion and Plea Bargaining Indigent Defense/Public Defenders' Offices Politics and the Judiciary Current Issues in Corrections Private Prisons Solitary Confinement Reentry Issues, including Felon Disenfranchisement Restorative Justice Issues in the Treatment of Crime Victims Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Trauma-Informed Care Sources Chapter 3: PerspectivesTwo Measures of Crime in the United States by Rachel E. Morgan Racial Bias and the Dual Purpose of Traffic Stops by Alexander Love Case Clearance by Scott M. Walfield and Cassidy Fitz-Randolph Inside a Drug Court by Joyce Morrissette Advocacy by Laury Rowland Chapter 4: ProfilesHistorical Development August Vollmer George Kelling Zebulon Brockway and the Elmira Reformatory Edwin Sutherland Moments of Significant Change The Warren Court and the Due Process Revolution Crime Victims Rights Movement Angela Davis and Ruth Wilson Gilmore Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Department of Homeland Security Organizations Related to the Criminal Justice System National Center for Missing and Exploited Children The Innocence Project. Death Penalty Innocence Project Sentencing-Related OrganizationsSources Chapter 5: Data and DocumentsData Areas in the Criminal Justice System in which Discretion is ExercisedRate of Property Crime from 1985 to 2020Rate of Violent Crime from 1985 to 2020Total Number of Incarcerated persons 1978 through 2019State and Local Expenditures on Criminal Justice Per Capita, 2021Reasons Respondents Chose to Report Violent Victimization to PoliceReasons Respondents Chose to Report Property Victimization to Police Reasons Respondents Chose Not to Report Violent Victimization to PoliceReasons Respondents Chose Not to Report Property Victimization to PoliceRecidivism Rates Following Release from PrisonTreatment Courts in the United States Felon Disenfranchisement Laws by State Public Defender Crisis in the United States Documents The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States The USA PATRIOT ActFirst Step Act of 2018 Mapp v. OhioGideon v. WainwrightMiranda v. ArizonaExcerpt from the Interview Protocol for the NCVS Chapter 6: ResourcesChapter 7: ChronologyGlossaryAbout the AuthorsIndex