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Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View, Second Edition

Author(s): Steven E. Barkan, PhD, University of Maine
George J. Bryjak, PhD
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763754242
  • ISBN-10:0763754242
  • Paperback    606 pages      © 2011
Price: International Sales $134.95 US List
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Overview

The criminal justice system is a key social institution in the lives of citizens everywhere. Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View, Second Edition provides a unique social context to explore and explain the nature, impact, and significance of the criminal justice system in everyday life. This introductory text analyzes important sociological issues including class, race, and gender inequality. The effectiveness of criminal justice in controlling and reducing crime is critically examined to bring readers to a deeper understanding of the operation of the criminal justice system and the genesis of crime and victimization.

Key Features

  • New to this edition: updated crime and criminal justice data, new Supreme Court decisions, and notable crimes such as the mass murder at the Fort Hood army base.
  • Explores international issues, such as Islamic justice and European sentencing practices, for a comprehensive analysis of critical social topics.
  • Features controversial events, such as police corruption and prison crowding, to engage readers with interesting and timely information.
  • Poses hypothetical situations and review questions to initiate provocative classroom discussions.

 

ShowKey Features

  • International Focus box in each chapter highlights an aspect of the criminal justice system pertinent to another society. This will familiarize students with the structure and working of criminal justice around the world by way of comparative or cross-cultural perspective.
  • Spotlight feature in each chapter addresses a current aspect, issue, or controversy in criminal justice to keep readers engaged and knowledgeable about timely events.
  • Under Investigation highlights material germane to the chapters in which these sections appear.

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ShowTable of Contents

Part  1  Understanding Criminal Justice
  Chapter  1  Crime and Justice in American Society
  Chapter  2  Counting and Explaining Crime
Part  2  Crime and Victimization
  Chapter  3  Crime in the United States
  Chapter  4  Criminal Law
  Chapter  5  Victims and Victimization
Part  3  Law Enforcement
  Chapter  6  The Police: History, Organization, and Composition
  Chapter  7  Becoming a Cop and Doing Police Work
  Chapter  8  Police Misconduct
Part  4  Courts and Sentencing
  Chapter  9  Criminal Courts: History, Organization, and Pretrial Procedures
  Chapter  10  Plea Bargaining and Jury Trials
  Chapter  11  Sentencing
Part  5  Punishment and Corrections
  Chapter  12  Prisons and Punishment: Yesterday and Today
  Chapter  13  Life Behind Bars
  Chapter  14  Community Corrections and Juvenile Justice
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ShowAbout the Author(s)

Steven E. Barkan, PhD-University of Maine

Steven E. Barkan is Professor of Sociology at the University of Maine. He has authored several textbooks in criminology, criminal justice and sociology, and has also published more than thirty journal articles and book chapters in his areas of interest. He is also a former president of the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

Additional Titles by this Author

George J. Bryjak, PhD

George J. Bryjak received his Ph.D from the University of Oklahoma in 1980 and taught sociology at the University of San Diego for 24 years before retiring to the Adirondack Park region of New York state with his wife, Diane. He is the co-author of three sociology books (with Michael P. Soroka) and Myths and Realities of Crime and Justice: What Every American Should Know (with Steven E. Barkan). He was the recipient of a summer Fulbright fellowship to India (1981) and was a visiting professor at a teacher’s college in Zakopane, Poland (1993). His many opinion pieces have appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, and the Los Angeles Daily News among other newspapers in the United States and Canada. Bryjak’s short plays have been produced in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Buffalo. He is the author of a short story collection: The Power of the Dark Goddess and Other Stories.

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ShowAppropriate Courses

This book is ideal as a primary text for undergraduate Introduction to Criminal Justice courses in Sociology, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Justice Studies, and similar departments.

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