Crime and Criminal Justice in American Society

The problem of crime touches many lives and is the subject of many heated debates. Throughout the past two centuries, society has succumbed to an edifice complex. We build new prisons, new police stations, new courthouses, and new correctional centers--spending billions of dollars. Yet the public continues to fear crime, even though the crime rate has remained relatively stable. The laws that are passed that define what is a crime generally reflect the beliefs and attitudes of people in advantaged positions and maintain the existing order against any perceived threats. This text looks at the components and processes of the criminal justice system and offers an alternative interpretation for the statistics and facts about crime and criminal justice. Facts need context, and the facts of the criminal justice system differ depending on one's perspective and experience. African Americans, Hispanics, whites, the rich, and the poor experience crime and the criminal justice system differently. The authors encourage readers to move beyond labeling individual behaviors and to contemplate how societal attitudes and actions contribute to the problem of crime and to the type of justice that exists in the United States.  more