PREFACE

This book views the criminal justice system as a whole composed of many subsystems-the police, the prosecu­tors, the courts, and corrections, including probation and parole. It describes the subsystems of the criminal jus­tice system as the authors know them to be-not as they should be. This fifth edition incorporates the latest de­velopments while retaining the basic organization of previous editions. Illustrations have been revised to re­flect the latest facts and figures.

 This book is designed to provide students with basic in-formation on the criminal justice system. The first part of the text places the criminal justice system in proper perspective. Students are first introduced to the nature of law and society in general. The methods for assessing the amount of crime are presented, followed by a brief overview of criminal justice agencies and the criminal justice process. The criminal justice agencies are dis­cussed in the order in which they are usually encoun­tered when an individual goes through the criminal justice process. Sections on the police, the prosecution and defense, the courts, corrections, and probation and parole all follow a pattern: within each of these sections the history, present structure, current functions, and contemporary problems of each major area are thor­oughly discussed.

 A number of pedagogical features have been built into the fifth edition to help students master the material. Each chapter begins with an outline, so that students can quickly see what will be covered, and a statement of purpose, to help students understand exactly what they are supposed to master and why. More than 16 illustra­tions have been included to assist in the clarification and further development of topics in the text. At the end of each chapter, a summary and a list of key terms will aid students in reviewing material, and a series of discus­sion questions will help stimulate thought.

 The fifth edition include a complete updating of charts and statistics to reflect the changes and enhancements the Federal Bureau of Investigation has made to the Unified Crime Reports System including the implemen­tation of the National Incident Based Reporting System and the abandonment of the crime index for a more re-liable crime trend measure. The history of law enforce­ment has been expanded. Additional information on homeland security and its effect on the police is now in­cluded. New approaches to policing such as Problem-Oriented Policing (The POP Approach) and Intelligence-Led Policing are discussed. Issues of cybercrime, identity theft, accreditation, and new approaches to crime analysis and the police role in these issues are presented. This edition now includes information on prosecution standards, community prosecution, and prosecution abuse. The examination of historical court systems in Europe in general and Rome in particular has been expanded and we have clarified the dual na­ture of our legal system, both statute- and judge-made law. We have emphasized the concept of jurisdiction, and how it governs what cases courts hear. We have spotlighted the inter-relation between the courts' func­tions and the other branches of the criminal justice sys­tem, the push-and-pull relationship between the theory of lawmaking, and the court practice. In the final chapter we highlighted the dilemma for courts caused by the intersection of politics, funding, media, and technology. A discussion on how radically modern information sys­tems are changing the way courts work, and the court's ambivalence about the changes, is included. The expan­sion of community correctional programs has been noted. Prisoner radicalization and the terrorism threat it poses has been added as well as discussions on accred­itation.

 At the back of the text are four appendixes and a glossary. Appendix A is an extremely handy reference for all students of the justice system: the United States Con­stitution. Appendix B is the glossary which provides def­initions of justice system terms that every student of criminal justice ought to know. Appendix C provides in-formation on websites useful in gaining knowledge of the criminal justice system. We have prepared a com­puterized learning course based on this book. The pro-gram is free and is available by using the order form in Appendix D in the back of the book. You will be charged for shipping and handling

 We would like to thank those who assisted in the devel­opment and refinement of the text over the years. They include:

Paul McCauley, PhD, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Hilary Harper, PhD, Valdosta State University John Altemose, PhD, Lamar University

Robert Frazier, PhD, Lamar University, Retired James Benson, JD, University of Houston - Clear Lake

The opinions expressed in this book are the authors' and are not necessarily those of the institutions that employ them.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ronald Waldron, Ph.D.: Dr. Waldron's background includes Senior Fellow, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Senior Executive Service, U.S. Department of Justice; Chief of Research, Texas Department of Cor­rections; State Trooper, New Jersey State Police; and Law Enforcement and Intelligence positions in the U.S. Air Force. His education and training includes a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Administration, Sam Houston State University; M.P.A., Kennedy School of Govern­ment, Harvard University; M.A. in Criminal Justice Administration, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York; B.A. in Criminology, In­diana University of Pennsylvania; graduate of the New Jersey State Police Academy; and graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air Police School. He is also the author of nu­merous publications on the criminal justice system. 

Chester L. Quarles, Ph.D., C.P.P.: Dr. Quarles' background includes Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Mississippi; Director of the Missis­sippi Bureau of Narcotics; CEO of his own private secu­rity company; Director, Mississippi Crime Lab; Criminal Investigator of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety; Criminal Investigator (Certified) of the United States Army; and Military Policeman, United States Army. His education and training includes a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State Uni­versity; M.A. in Sociology/Criminology from the Univer­sity of Mississippi, B.S. Degree in Criminology from Florida State University; and he is a graduate of the Mississippi Highway Patrol Academy, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Course, and the U.S. Army Mil­itary Police Academy. He has been recognized as a Cer­tified Protection Professional, a Certified International Investigator, and as a Fellow in the Institute of Profes­sional Investigators. He has written six books, coau­thored seven books, and has published more than 70 articles during his career.

David H. McElreath, Ph.D.: Dr. McElreath's back-ground includes Professor and Chair, Department of Legal Studies, University of Mississippi; Professor and Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, Washburn Uni­versity; Associate Professor, Southeast Missouri State University; Colonel, United States Marine Corps; and Law Enforcement and Corrections positions with the Oxford (Mississippi) Police and Forrest County (Missis­sippi) Sheriffs Department. His education and training includes a Ph.D. in Adult Education and Criminal Jus­tice, University of Southern Mississippi; M.S.S., United States Army War College; M.C.J., University of Mississippi; B.P.A., University of Mississippi; and he is a graduate of the United States Army War College. He is also the author of numerous publications on the crimi­nal justice system. He and his wife Bonnie reside in Mississippi.

Michelle E. Waldron, M.S.F.S., F-ABC: Ms. Waldron's background includes Information Technology Specialist and Inmate Systems Officer for the U.S. De­partment of Justice; Private Investigations; and Criminalist, Missouri State Highway Patrol. Her education and training includes an M.S. in Forensic Science with a concentration in Advanced Investigations, University of New Haven; a B.B.A. in Computer Information Sys­tems, James Madison University; and honor graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia.

David Milstein, J.D.: Mr. Milstein is a licensed attor­ney and information technology specialist. He is an of­ficial at a government agency devoted to the functioning of the judiciary. He received his law degree from the George Mason University School of Law, and his B.A. from the College of William and Mary.