The introductory chapter discusses the value of a comparative study of criminal justice systems and various methods that have been used to conduct such studies. This text synthesizes the benefits derived from each of the comparative study methods. The format is the same for each country: an overview of the country's characteristics, followed by descriptions of the government, the police, the judiciary, the law, corrections, and juvenile justice. A summary identifies distinguishing aspects of each country's justice system. English criminal justice is distinguished by the extent to which laypersons are used in the daily work of all aspects of the system, and the French justice model illustrates how the inquisitorial style of the Romano-Germanic law differs from that of the common law. Sweden's most significant contribution to criminal justice is the development of a humane and just sentencing philosophy that has been translated into model with broad support. A distinguishing feature of the Japanese criminal justice system is the high degree of cooperation among the system's various components, while the characteristic of the Soviet system that should appeal to the democratic countries is the extensive use of volunteers in social control efforts. About 156 bibliographic listings and a subject index are provided.