A RUSA Outstanding Reference Source 2025

This wide-ranging resource provides an authoritative overview of the criminal justice system in America, including its history, legal and philosophical foundations, dimensions of racial and economic inequality, and insights into daily life inside America's complex court and correctional systems.

Explore the origins and evolution of America's criminal justice system, the moral values and legal doctrines that shaped the nation's laws and prisons, and current problems, controversies, and reforms related to criminal justice. Profiles of leading figures in the field of criminal justice and social activism, related primary documents, suggestions for further reading and a detailed chronology are also included.

Sarah Koon-Magnin is Associate Professor of Political Science and Criminal Justice at University of South Alabama, USA.

Ryan J. Williams is Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of New England, USA