** All Chapters included
** Lecture Notes
** Chapter Summaries
,Table of Contents are given below
Chapter 1. Criminal Justice Today
Chapter 2. Causes of Crime
Chapter 3. The Crime Picture: Offenders and Victims
Chapter 4. Inside Criminal Law
Chapter 5. Law Enforcement Today
Chapter 6. Problems and Solutions in Modern Policing
Chapter 7. Police and the Institution: The Rules of Law Enforcement
Chapter 8. Courts and the Quest for Justice
Chapter 9. Pretrial Procedures: The Adversary System in Action
Chapter 10. The Criminal Trial
Chapter 11. Punishment and Sentencing
Chapter 12. Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions
Chapter 13. Prisons and Jails
Chapter 14. The Prison Experience and Prisoner Reentry
Chapter 15. The Juvenile Justice System
,Instructor Manual
Larry Gaines, Roger LeRoy Miller, Introduction to Criminal Justice in Action,
12e, ©2027, 9798214130958; Chapter 01: Criminal Justice Today
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter .............................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter ...............................................................................................................2
Chapter Objectives.............................................................................................................................2
Chapter Outline .................................................................................................................................3
Section 1-1: What is Crime? ...................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1-2: The Purpose of the Criminal Justice System ......................................................................... 4
Section 1-3: The Structure of the Criminal Justice System ....................................................................... 5
Section 1-4: Discretion and Ethics............................................................................................................. 7
Section 1-5: Crime in Focus ....................................................................................................................... 8
Standard Rubrics – Writing and Presentation .................................................................................... 10
a
1
, PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive foundation for understanding the American
criminal justice system’s structure, processes, and contemporary challenges. Students will explore
fundamental concepts including crime definition through consensus and conflict models, examine the
three-tiered structure of law enforcement, courts, and corrections operating within a federalist
framework, and analyze the critical role of discretion and ethics in criminal justice decision making. The
chapter addresses significant contemporary issues including gun violence, domestic terrorism,
cybercrime, and white-collar crime, emphasizing how these challenges impact system operations.
Through examination of real-world cases and policy debates, learners will develop critical thinking skills
necessary for understanding the complex balance between maintaining public safety and protecting
individual rights within diverse communities.
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
• New discussions on several important crime issues, including gun crime and gun control, cyber
crime, and white-collar crime
• Updated discussion of the George Floyd case with more recent information
• Updated references and data for currency
• New Figures 1.1 and 1.2 with more recent data and information
[return to top]
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1-1 Define crime.
1-2 Describe the two most common models of how society determines which acts are criminal.
1-3 Explain two main purposes of the criminal justice system.
1-4 Outline the three levels of law enforcement.
1-5 List the essential elements of the corrections system.
1-6 Explain the difference between the formal and informal criminal justice processes.
1-7 Define ethics, and describe the role that it plays in discretionary decision making.
1-8 Explain how background checks, in theory, protect the public from firearm-related violence.
1-9 Outline the three major reasons why the Internet is conducive to the dissemination of child
sexual abuse materials.
a
2
** Lecture Notes
** Chapter Summaries
,Table of Contents are given below
Chapter 1. Criminal Justice Today
Chapter 2. Causes of Crime
Chapter 3. The Crime Picture: Offenders and Victims
Chapter 4. Inside Criminal Law
Chapter 5. Law Enforcement Today
Chapter 6. Problems and Solutions in Modern Policing
Chapter 7. Police and the Institution: The Rules of Law Enforcement
Chapter 8. Courts and the Quest for Justice
Chapter 9. Pretrial Procedures: The Adversary System in Action
Chapter 10. The Criminal Trial
Chapter 11. Punishment and Sentencing
Chapter 12. Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions
Chapter 13. Prisons and Jails
Chapter 14. The Prison Experience and Prisoner Reentry
Chapter 15. The Juvenile Justice System
,Instructor Manual
Larry Gaines, Roger LeRoy Miller, Introduction to Criminal Justice in Action,
12e, ©2027, 9798214130958; Chapter 01: Criminal Justice Today
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter .............................................................................................2
What’s New in This Chapter ...............................................................................................................2
Chapter Objectives.............................................................................................................................2
Chapter Outline .................................................................................................................................3
Section 1-1: What is Crime? ...................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1-2: The Purpose of the Criminal Justice System ......................................................................... 4
Section 1-3: The Structure of the Criminal Justice System ....................................................................... 5
Section 1-4: Discretion and Ethics............................................................................................................. 7
Section 1-5: Crime in Focus ....................................................................................................................... 8
Standard Rubrics – Writing and Presentation .................................................................................... 10
a
1
, PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE CHAPTER
The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive foundation for understanding the American
criminal justice system’s structure, processes, and contemporary challenges. Students will explore
fundamental concepts including crime definition through consensus and conflict models, examine the
three-tiered structure of law enforcement, courts, and corrections operating within a federalist
framework, and analyze the critical role of discretion and ethics in criminal justice decision making. The
chapter addresses significant contemporary issues including gun violence, domestic terrorism,
cybercrime, and white-collar crime, emphasizing how these challenges impact system operations.
Through examination of real-world cases and policy debates, learners will develop critical thinking skills
necessary for understanding the complex balance between maintaining public safety and protecting
individual rights within diverse communities.
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
• New discussions on several important crime issues, including gun crime and gun control, cyber
crime, and white-collar crime
• Updated discussion of the George Floyd case with more recent information
• Updated references and data for currency
• New Figures 1.1 and 1.2 with more recent data and information
[return to top]
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1-1 Define crime.
1-2 Describe the two most common models of how society determines which acts are criminal.
1-3 Explain two main purposes of the criminal justice system.
1-4 Outline the three levels of law enforcement.
1-5 List the essential elements of the corrections system.
1-6 Explain the difference between the formal and informal criminal justice processes.
1-7 Define ethics, and describe the role that it plays in discretionary decision making.
1-8 Explain how background checks, in theory, protect the public from firearm-related violence.
1-9 Outline the three major reasons why the Internet is conducive to the dissemination of child
sexual abuse materials.
a
2
