Discover the foundations, components and contemporary controversies within the U.S. criminal justice system with the interdisciplinary approach in Cole/Smith/DeJong's best-selling CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, 10E. The authors draw ideas, themes and theories from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology and political science to create an engaging approach that highlights the most recent challenges for today's criminal justice professionals. You examine topics such as controversial police practices, persistent discrimination, efforts to reduce prison populations, consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of new technologies. This edition prompts you to consider what justice means in society and your role, as you review the processes defining the fate of those in the justice system and the impediments to achieving "equal justice under law." MindTap digital resources reinforce concepts and skills with brief audiocast episodes, career decision-making scenarios and riveting examples.

This book examines the criminal justice decisions of the Rehnquist Court era through analyses of individual justices' contributions to the development of law and policy. The Rehnquist Court era (1986-2005) produced a period of opportunity for the U.S. Supreme Court's judicial conservatives to reshape constitutional law concerning rights in the criminal justice process. It was an era in which the Court produced many hotly-debated decisions concerning such issues as capital punishment, search and seizure, police interrogations, and prisoners' rights. The Court's most conservative justice, William H. Rehnquist, ascended to the key leadership position of Chief Justice and he was joined on the Court by two new appointees, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who were equally supportive of both greater authority for police and limited definitions of constitutional rights for suspects, defendants, and criminal offenders. The Rehnquist Court era decisions refined and narrowed many of the rights-expanding decisions of the Warren Court era (1953-1969). However, the Supreme Court did not ultimately eliminate the Warren era's foundational rights concepts in criminal justice, such as the exclusionary rule and Miranda warnings. As the leading liberal voices of the Warren era, William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, retired early in the Rehnquist era, the Court experienced continued advocacy of broad conceptions for many rights through the increased assertiveness of Republican appointees Harry Blackmun, John Paul Stevens, and David Souter as well as the arrival of new Democratic appointees Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer. In many important cases, the justices advocating the preservation of constitutional protections could prevail, even on a generally conservative Court, by persuading one or more of President Ronald Reagan's appointees to support a particular right for suspects and defendants. Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony Kennedy, in particular, shaped outcomes within a divided Court as they determined which of the Court's wings with which they would align in a particular case. The contributors to this volume identify and highlight the unique perspectives and influential decisions of individual justices as the means for understanding the Rehnquist Court's imprint on criminal justice.

Discover the challenge of pursuing justice in our society and learn about the role we as individuals play in the criminal justice system. This classic best seller examines criminal justice across several disciplines, presenting elements from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science. Broad coverage of the facts, an interesting writing style, and compelling examples of current events make THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, now in its 16th Edition, one of the best and most popular texts on the criminal justice system available.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, Ninth Edition, lets you experience the real-world excitement of this dynamic field while helping you to excel in your course with the support of proven, integrated study tools. In this engaging, reader-friendly text, you'll read true stories of offenders and their experiences within the system. You'll also learn about the crucial role that public policy plays in the criminal justice system and explore the hot issues that are changing the face of criminal justice today -- and shaping its future. Through contemporary examples, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, efforts to reform sentencing and reduce prison populations, and the impact of new technologies, this book highlights societal developments that pose new challenges for criminal justice professionals. What's more, the MindTap that accompanies this text helps you practice and master techniques and key concepts while engaging you with video cases, career-based decision-making scenarios, visual summaries, and more.