The textbook is based on the realization that criminal justice professionals need to have the latest information available to them in a concise source and on the importance of balancing individual rights and societal interests. By describing the criminal justice system in detail, the textbook is intended to help students appreciate individual and social rights. Each chapter includes a summary and discussion questions. Initial chapters focus on the criminal justice ideal, crime reporting, fear of crime, female offenders, economic crime costs, drug-related crimes, elderly offenders, modern criminal law, law types (criminal, case, procedural, civil, and administrative), and crime elements (corpus delicti, mens rea, concurrence, harm, causation, legality, and punishment), and defenses. Subsequent chapters examine contemporary policing, police- community relations, abuse of police power, search and seizure, arrest, evidence, State and Federal courts, pretrial procedures, criminal trials, determinate and indeterminate sentencing, presentence investigation reports, Federal sentencing guidelines, traditional and innovative sentencing options, prison overcrowding, the Federal prison system, and prison conditions. The U.S. Constitution is appended. Notes and tables