The founding fathers and mothers of criminal justice brought together a variety of disciplines in the study of criminal justice within a university setting. Nevertheless, they were unable to cover adequately all the academic fields which would tend to influence or be influenced by criminal justice. Within this multidisciplinary context, a variety of trends have held sway depending on time period and the particular institution studied. The author identifies three periods in the modern context: the first was characterized by the popularity of action based on theories of individual personality; the second, which peaked in the early 1970s, emphasized sociological or socioeconomic theories; the third phase developed from the failure of humanitarian treatments to reduce recidivism significantly. The article concludes with a proposed model for criminal justice, reflective of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which treats the field in economic terms. As the "consumer" of the products of the criminal justice system, the general public, through public opinion, can heavily influence "demand" for punishment. If one accepts this approach, the framework for dealing with offenders is transformed from punishment or retribution to management of supply and demand. 3 references.