IT BEGINS WITH A CONSIDERATION OF THE VARIOUS WAYS TO STUDY CRIME AND SOCIETY'S REACTION TO CRIMINAL ACTS. FUNDAMENTAL APPROACHES INCLUDE HISTORICAL, LEGALISTIC, SOCIOBEHAVIORAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, WORLD ORDER, OPERATIONAL REALITY, AND REFORM. AN OVERVIEW OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, OR 'NONSYSTEM,' IS PRESENTED WITH DISCUSSION CENTERING ON THE INTERAGENCY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICE, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS, TOGETHER WITH THE ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE OF SUCH AGENCIES ON LEGISLATIVE BODIES. THE TEXT DESCRIBES THE SOURCES OF CRIME STATISTICS AND THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CRIME IN AMERICA, AND IT IDENTIFIES THE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT WHERE INDIVIDUAL CRIMES ARE DEFINED. OBSTACLES TO COMPILING ACCURATE CRIME STATISTICS ARE DISCUSSED, AND A TYPOLOGY OF CRIME IS OFFERED. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ENCOMPASSING BELIEFS AND APPROACHES TO DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, FUNDAMENTALS OF LAW, AND COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ARE COVERED. SOCIETAL RESPONSES TO ADULT AND JUVENILE CRIME ARE CONSIDERED, AND THEIR REFLECTION IN LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCESSES IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, THE JUDICAL PROCESS, AND THE U.S. CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM ARE EXAMINED. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN AND APPROACHES TO PREVENTION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE PRESENTED. RELATED COMPONENTS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE (SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, PLANNING AND RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT) ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. FINALLY, IMPLICATIONS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE FUTURE ARE HIGHLIGHTED. PROCESSES AND TECHNIQUES FOR PREDICTING THE FUTURE ARE DETAILED, AND THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE 21ST CENTURY IS FORECAST, COVERING SUCH ASPECTS AS CRIME CAUSATION, CRIMINAL LAW, SYSTEMWIDE CHANGES, JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS. TABULAR DATA, DIAGRAMS, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND SELECTED READINGS FOR EACH CHAPTER, APPENDIXES, A GLOSSARY OF TERMS, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (PRG)