The Criminal Justice System: Theory, Research, and Practice
Edition: 3
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 304
Edition: 3
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 304
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The Criminal Justice System: Theory, Research, and Practice exposes students to the whole gamut of the business of administering justice in society. This book intends to serve as a comprehensive introduction to criminal justice. The objective is simply to provide an awareness of the issues of crime and justice without overwhelming a novice learner. To accomplish these tasks, the book acts as a survey of a typical criminal justice curriculum to give the readers exposure to the variety of courses that they might encounter throughout their academic careers.
The third edition features a major reorganization of the chapter structure and writing while expanding its pedagogical and applied-learning features. It provides updated coverage of contemporary criminal justice issues, including digital and cybercrime, evolving policing practices, bail and pretrial justice, restorative justice, reentry, evidence-based corrections, trauma-informed responses, and the continuing influence of inequality, power, and community participation. The edition also emphasizes greater consistency throughout the book, with chapters following a more uniform structure and teaching approach to help students better connect criminal justice concepts to current issues and real-world applications.
Preface to the Third Edition
New to This Edition
About the Authors
SECTION 1: CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY
Chapter 1: The Dynamics of Criminal Justice
Chapter 2: Crime and the Law
Chapter 3: Criminology
Chapter 4: Victimology
Chapter 5: Crime Measurement Tools and Databases
SECTION 2: THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Chapter 6: The US Police System
Chapter 7: The Police Process
Chapter 8: The Judicial System
Chapter 9: The Adjudication Process
Chapter 10: The Corrections System
Chapter 11: The Corrections Process
SECTION 3: SPECIAL TOPICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Chapter 12: Juvenile Justice
Chapter 13: Contemporary Crime Challenges
Chapter 14: The Community Justice System
Glossary
Melchor C. de Guzman received his Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. His professional career has traversed both the academe and professional practice. He is a full professor at Georgia Gwinnett College. He was also a former managing editor for Police Practice & Research: An International Journal and a book editor for the International Police Executive Symposium. He is currently the immediate past president of the Criminal Justice Association of Georgia (CJAG) after serving as the association’s president for two years. He has published over 20 journal articles and book chapters and authored and co-edited 4 books.
Maryann S. White received her Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from Old Dominion University. She is currently an assistant professor at Georgia Gwinnett College. Prior to teaching in higher education, she worked as a freelance editor, subject matter expert, and as an independent research consultant. She has presented her research at several national conferences as well as authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles. Her current research focuses on serial murderers, violent crime, victimology and victimization, and psychological aspects of criminal behavior.