Research indicates that the true impact of crime lies in an individual's fear, whether self-imposed or realistic, which can immobilize, affect social interactions, harm commerce, and generally affect the quality of life. A greater understanding of the issues presented in this book may enable the reader to be better able to participate in informed strategies to ameliorate the problems. An overview of crime in the U.S. reveals that citizens' concern about crime is cyclical and that the past 25 years have seen an increase in Americans' law and order attitude. Basic statistics on the crime rate, the components and procedures of the criminal justice system, judicial decisionmaking, and corrections effectiveness are explained in layman's language. Constitutional rights guaranteed by the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th amendments to due process of law, protection against self-discrimination, the right to a lawyer, and protection from cruel and unusual punishment are examined. In addition, several controversial criminal justice issues are described, including the death penalty, plea-bargaining, the adequacy of criminal defense, and police performance. Chapter references.