| Description |
xi, 367 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm |
| Contents |
Chapter one: What no one is telling you about crime and justice; Crime, criminals, and why we all need to know about them; Getting tough? The US criminal justice system in crisis; Who we are and why we wrote this book; references -- Chapter two: The crime problem; Fear and loathing: don't believe everything you see in the newspapers or on television; If you build it, they will come (and then leave): the war on crime and the growth of prisons; Dirty secrets of criminal justice; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter Three: How much crime is there and who commits it?; How crimes are counted; Who commits crime?; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter Four: robbers, rapists, and serial killers: violent crime in America; Homicide; Serial killers; Mass murder; Rape: a crime of power, not sex; Robbery; Street gangs; Guns and violent crime; The churches and sexual abuse; Hate crimes; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter five: hookers, dopers, and corporate crooks: economic, exploitive, and consensual crime; Burglary; Motor vehicle theft; Corporate crime; Identity theft; Illegal drug use; Prostitution; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter six: victims and victimization: will you be next?; Victim characteristics; The cost and consequences of victimization; Victims and offenders; The victims' movement; Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter seven: crime and criminal law: order, liberty, and justice for all?; Order versus liberty in American democracy; Types of crime: felonies and misdemeanors; When is an act a crime and when is it not a crime? The elements of criminal behavior; When is a defendant not responsible for committing a crime? Legal defenses to criminal charges; The rights of suspects and defendants: controversy and the U.S. Constitution; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter eight: Why they break the law; Rational choice and deterrence; Biological and psychological explanations; Sociological explanations; Theory and policy, or how to reduce crime and how not to reduce it; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter nine: taking it to the streets: cops on the job; The organization of law enforcement; Police: White, Black, Hispanic, male, female, straight, and gay; The police and crime rates; Doing police work; Police discretion; The police and profiling; Militarizing the police; Officers killed in the line of duty; Police deviance: when the good guys are bad guys; Sexual predators in blue; Police and the use of force; Policing the police; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter ten: Pretrial procedures and plea bargaining: from arrest to "let's make a deal"; Pretrial procedures; The courtroom as a clubhouse; Plea bargaining; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter eleven: criminal trials and courtroom issues: convicting the innocent, exonerating the guilty; The criminal trial; Jury nullification; Wrongful convictions: factually innocent but legally guilty; Fingerprints: proof positive?; "Is that all the evidence you have?" The CSI effect; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter twelve: prisons and jails: punishment at any cost?; Such an ordeal: today's corrections system; Life behind bars: myth versus reality; Women in prison: sexism in captivity; The death penalty debate; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter thirteen: community corrections and juvenile justice; Probation and parole; Juvenile justice: youths at risk?; Key terms; Suggested readings; References -- Chapter fourteen: conclusion: what every American should know; What do we know about crime?; What should we do about crime?; How can we help crime victims?; How can we improve the justice system?; Keeping your family safe; Keeping your family off the police blotter; References. |
| Note |
Revised edition of the author's Myths and realities of crime and justice published in 2009. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Subject |
Criminal justice, Administration of -- United States.
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Crime -- United States.
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Criminal law -- United States.
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| Added Author |
Bryjak, George J.
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| ISBN |
9781449691080 paperback |
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1449691080 paperback |
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