Criminal Justice in America

Discover the foundations, components and contemporary controversies within the U.S. criminal justice system with the interdisciplinary approach in Cole/Smith/DeJong's best-selling CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, 10E. The authors draw ideas, themes and theories from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology and political science to create an engaging approach that highlights the most recent challenges for today's criminal justice professionals. You examine topics such as controversial police practices, persistent discrimination, efforts to reduce prison populations, consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of new technologies. This edition prompts you to consider what justice means in society and your role, as you review the processes defining the fate of those in the justice system and the impediments to achieving "equal justice under law." MindTap digital resources reinforce concepts and skills with brief audiocast episodes, career decision-making scenarios and riveting examples.


About the Author
Smith, Christopher E.: - Christopher E. Smith is Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University (MSU). He earned degrees at Harvard University, the University of Bristol (England), the University of Tennessee, and the University of Connecticut. Trained as a lawyer and social scientist, he is the author of 25 books and more than 120 scholarly articles on law, courts, and criminal justice policy. He has been recognized as an outstanding teacher with MSU's "Teacher-Scholar Award" and "Social Science Alumni Association Outstanding Teaching Award." His other books with Cengage Learning include CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, 9th Edition, LAW AND CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: MYTHS AND REALITIES, and CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.Cole, George F.: - The late George F. Cole was professor emeritus of political science at the University of Connecticut. He was recognized for outstanding teaching and research and in 1995 was named a fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. A specialist in the administration of criminal justice, Dr. Cole published extensively on such topics as prosecution, courts and corrections. He also developed and directed the graduate corrections program at the University of Connecticut and was a fellow at the National Institute of Justice (1988). Among his other accomplishments, Dr. Cole was granted two awards under the Fulbright-Hays Program to conduct criminal justice research in England and the former Yugoslavia.Dejong, Christina: - Christina DeJong is an associate professor of criminal justice at Michigan State University. She earned her Ph.D. in criminal justice and criminology at the University of Maryland and her B.A. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. Her scholarly research on topics such as genocide, recidivism, domestic violence and police-community interactions has been published in numerous journals, including Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Feminist Criminology and The Journal of Family Violence. Dr. DeJong's current research focuses on gender and sexuality issues in criminology and criminal justice as well as violence against women in conflict and genocide. A member of the Michigan State University faculty since 1994, she has taught courses on research methods, statistical analysis, genocide and women and criminal justice. She is also a co-author of Cengage Learning�s THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.