The American system of criminal justice - Hardcover

George F. Cole is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Connecticut. He has been recognized for outstanding teaching and research and in 1995 was named a Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. A specialist in the administration of criminal justice, he has published extensively on such topics as prosecution, courts, and corrections. He developed and directed the graduate corrections program at the University of Connecticut and was a Fellow at the National Institute of Justice (1988). Among his other accomplishments, he has been granted two awards under the Fulbright-Hays Program to conduct criminal justice research in England and the former Yugoslavia. He is co-author of several other Cengage Learning/Wadsworth criminal justice titles, including CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, Eighth Edition (with Christopher Smith and Christina DeJong); AMERICAN CORRECTIONS, Eleventh Edition (with Todd Clear and Michael Reisig); AMERICAN CORRECTIONS IN BRIEF, Third Edition (with Todd Clear, Michael Reisig, and Carolyn Petrosino); and THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: POLITICS AND POLICIES, Tenth Edition (with Marc Gertz).

Christopher E. Smith is Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University (MSU). He earned degrees at Harvard University, the University of Bristol (England), the University of Tennessee, and the University of Connecticut. Trained as a lawyer and social scientist, he is the author of 25 books and more than 100 scholarly articles on law, courts, and criminal justice policy. He has been recognized as an outstanding teacher with MSU's "Teacher-Scholar Award" and "Alumni Association Outstanding Teaching Award." His other books with Cengage Learning/Wadsworth include CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, Eighth Edition (with George Cole and Christina DeJong), LAW AND CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: MYTHS AND REALITIES, and CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.

"Students need to hit the ground running - this chapter (Chapter 3) has a positive blend of material that does just that! The coverage is well-balanced! This chapter serves as a "kick-off" to the remaining components of the system."

"This text is a true leader in the industry! It is updated, current, well organized and thought through!"

"...clearly promotes 'critical understanding' with the Close-Ups, New Directions, Doing Your Part, A Question of Ethics, What Americans Think, and landmark Comparative Perspectives!"

"In terms of organization, the text is well thought through! The chapter selection is state-of-the-art from start to finish!"

"The material is clear, accurate, interesting, on the appropriate level and most important, 'on the cutting edge' of the text's three major themes: 1. Criminal justice involves public policies 2. The concept of social system is an essential tool and 3. American values provide the foundation on which criminal justice is based."