The discussion of criminal justice policy is a key issue in understanding the functions and operations of the criminal justice system. Scholars, practitioners and politicians debate the value of these policies in their evaluations of the criminal justice system. The nature of this subject involves a host of concerns, including politics, public sentiment, research, and practice.

Freatures and Benefits

1. Criminal Justice Policy containing original chapters written by experts and scholars in the field who highlight the current debates about criminal justice policy and discuss the implications for the system and society at large.

2. The book is divided into three thematic areas: 1) the foundations of criminal justice policy; 2) criminal justice policy in action; and 3) future directions in criminal justice policy. The introductory section of this book highlights the current state of crime and the nature of criminal justice policy in the United States today. The second section provides substantive discussions on criminal justice policies. Each chapter in this section focuses on a particular example of criminal justice policy. This section is designed to expose students to the realities of criminal justice policy and the effects of these examples for the system. The concluding chapter of this text focuses on emerging issues within criminal justice policy. This chapter highlights four prominent themes: (1) criminal justice realignment as a policy response to violations of inmates' constitutional rights, (2) juvenile justice policy modifications in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's changing view of juveniles, (3) a renewed debate about gun control policies in response to high profile incidents and recent 2nd Amendment decisions, and (4) 4th Amendment protections in the new digital age.

3. Each chapter includes "key terms" at the beginning of each chapter to draw attention by the reader to important concepts and ideas "discussion questions" at the conclusion of each reading to encourage critical thinking by the students and conversations on the material presented "suggestions "for additional research

4. Resarch articles related to each chapter topic are found on the companion Student Study Site 5. Instructor-related resources - test-bank, lecture outlines, & PowerPoint slides are also available.