Introduction to Criminal Justice: Structure, Process, Principles and Morality

"The selected readings in Introduction to Criminal Justice: Structure, Process, Principles, and Morality thoughtfully examine the major functions of the criminal justice system and considers some relevant ethical implications. By including ethics, morality, and social justice as foundational concepts, this book serves to provide a sensitive and realistic view of the system to students newly introduced to the criminal justice discipline.

Chapter One reviews the broad scope of the justice system, while Chapter Two provides a succinct overview of major criminological theories. In Chapters Three and Five readers learn the fundamentals of criminal law and the courts and Chapter Four considers the dynamic process of becoming a law enforcement officer and the challenges in policing. Chapters Six and Seven deal with the critical areas of community and institutional corrections. Chapter Eight examines offender reentry and Chapter Nine explores counterproductive governance policies that create criminogenic conditions. The final chapter considers the future of criminal justice and questions the readiness of the system to respond effectively to it.

The contributing academics and researchers are experts in their respective fields and many have practitioner experience. Introduction to Criminal Justice moves beyond the basics of the discipline to consider the real consequences and ethical implications of the criminal justice system, making the anthology an ideal text for introductory courses.

Carolyn Petrosino is a professor of criminal justice at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. She has nearly 18 years of experience as a correctional social worker, correctional unit supervisor, and as a parole hearing officer in the New Jersey correctional and parole systems. She earned her doctorate at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, Newark, NJ. Her current research interests include the political nature of hate crime, its effects on victims and communities, and its national and global persistence. Dr. Petrosino is coauthor of American Corrections in Brief and author of Understanding Hate Crime: Acts, Motives, Offenders, Victims and Justice."