ACADEMIC STUDY MATERIAL
[Instructor Manual Criminal Justice
An Introduction 14th Edition By Frank
Schmalleger]
________________________________
Instructor Manual
Academic Study Resource
,
, Table of Contents
PART 1: CRIME IN AMERICA
1. What Is Criminal Justice?
2. The Crime Picture
3. Criminal Law
PART 2: POLICING
4. Policing: Agencies and Structure
5. Policing: Purpose and Organization
6. Policing: Legal Aspects
7. Policing: Issues and Challenges
PART 3: ADJUDICATION
8. The Courts: Structure and Participants
9. Pretrial Activities and the Criminal Trial
10. Sentencing
PART 4: CORRECTIONS
11. Probation, Parole, and Reentry
12. Prisons and Jails
13. Prison Life
PART 5: JUVENILE JUSTICE
14. Justice-Involved Youth
, CHAPTER 1
What Is Criminal Justice?
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
The American experience with crime during the last half century has been especially influential
in shaping the criminal justice system of today. Although crime waves have come and gone,
some events during the past century stand out as especially significant, including a spurt of
widespread organized criminal activity associated with the Prohibition years of the early
twentieth century, the substantial increase in “traditional” crimes during the 1960s and 1970s, the
threat to the American way of life represented by illicit drugs around the same time, the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ongoing threat from radical Islam.
The theme of this book is individual rights versus public order. As this chapter points out, the
personal freedoms guaranteed to law-abiding citizens as well as to criminal suspects by the
Constitution must be closely guarded. At the same time, the urgent social needs of communities
for controlling unacceptable behavior and protecting law-abiding citizens from harm must be
recognized. This theme is represented by two opposing groups: individual rights advocates and
public-order advocates. The fundamental challenge facing the practice of American criminal
justice is in achieving efficient and cost-effective enforcement of the laws while simultaneously
recognizing and supporting the legal rights of suspects and the legitimate personal differences
and prerogatives of individuals.
Even though justice may be an elusive concept, it is important to recognize that criminal justice
is tied closely to notions of social justice, including personal and cultural beliefs about equity and
fairness. As a goal to be achieved, criminal justice refers to those aspects of social justice that
concern violations of the criminal law. Although community interests in the administration of
criminal justice demand the apprehension and punishment of law violators, criminal justice
ideals extend to the protection of the innocent, the fair treatment of offenders, and fair play by
justice administration agencies.
This chapter briefly describes the process of American criminal justice as a system with three
major components—police, courts, and corrections—all of which can be described as working
together toward a common goal. However, a cooperative systems viewpoint is useful primarily
for the simplification that it provides. A more realistic approach to understanding criminal justice
may be the nonsystem approach. As a nonsystem, the criminal justice process is depicted as a
fragmented activity in which individuals and agencies within the process have interests and goals
that at times coincide but often conflict.
1
[Instructor Manual Criminal Justice
An Introduction 14th Edition By Frank
Schmalleger]
________________________________
Instructor Manual
Academic Study Resource
,
, Table of Contents
PART 1: CRIME IN AMERICA
1. What Is Criminal Justice?
2. The Crime Picture
3. Criminal Law
PART 2: POLICING
4. Policing: Agencies and Structure
5. Policing: Purpose and Organization
6. Policing: Legal Aspects
7. Policing: Issues and Challenges
PART 3: ADJUDICATION
8. The Courts: Structure and Participants
9. Pretrial Activities and the Criminal Trial
10. Sentencing
PART 4: CORRECTIONS
11. Probation, Parole, and Reentry
12. Prisons and Jails
13. Prison Life
PART 5: JUVENILE JUSTICE
14. Justice-Involved Youth
, CHAPTER 1
What Is Criminal Justice?
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
The American experience with crime during the last half century has been especially influential
in shaping the criminal justice system of today. Although crime waves have come and gone,
some events during the past century stand out as especially significant, including a spurt of
widespread organized criminal activity associated with the Prohibition years of the early
twentieth century, the substantial increase in “traditional” crimes during the 1960s and 1970s, the
threat to the American way of life represented by illicit drugs around the same time, the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ongoing threat from radical Islam.
The theme of this book is individual rights versus public order. As this chapter points out, the
personal freedoms guaranteed to law-abiding citizens as well as to criminal suspects by the
Constitution must be closely guarded. At the same time, the urgent social needs of communities
for controlling unacceptable behavior and protecting law-abiding citizens from harm must be
recognized. This theme is represented by two opposing groups: individual rights advocates and
public-order advocates. The fundamental challenge facing the practice of American criminal
justice is in achieving efficient and cost-effective enforcement of the laws while simultaneously
recognizing and supporting the legal rights of suspects and the legitimate personal differences
and prerogatives of individuals.
Even though justice may be an elusive concept, it is important to recognize that criminal justice
is tied closely to notions of social justice, including personal and cultural beliefs about equity and
fairness. As a goal to be achieved, criminal justice refers to those aspects of social justice that
concern violations of the criminal law. Although community interests in the administration of
criminal justice demand the apprehension and punishment of law violators, criminal justice
ideals extend to the protection of the innocent, the fair treatment of offenders, and fair play by
justice administration agencies.
This chapter briefly describes the process of American criminal justice as a system with three
major components—police, courts, and corrections—all of which can be described as working
together toward a common goal. However, a cooperative systems viewpoint is useful primarily
for the simplification that it provides. A more realistic approach to understanding criminal justice
may be the nonsystem approach. As a nonsystem, the criminal justice process is depicted as a
fragmented activity in which individuals and agencies within the process have interests and goals
that at times coincide but often conflict.
1
