Criminal Justice: The Essentials - Softcover

Lab, Steven P.; Williams, Marian R.; Holcomb, Jefferson E.; Burek, Melissa W.; King, William R.; Buerger, Michael E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195332490 ISBN 13: 9780195332490

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Criminal Justice: The Essentials is an innovative alternative to large, overwhelming texts that attempt to cover every conceivable issue, a goal that cannot realistically be accomplished in a single academic term. Ideal for introductory courses in criminal justice, this volume covers all the fundamental issues faced by law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and juvenile justice, but leaves detailed specifics and tangential topics to the discretion of instructors to cover in class. This approach provides instructors with a great deal of flexibility in orienting their courses, as they can use whatever supplementary materials they feel are most suitable. Each chapter covers the background, current issues and problems, and operational challenges of the subject area. All important materials are incorporated into the normal flow of the text, with abundant examples, but a minimum of sidebars and "highlights." Therefore, students are not forced to sift through encyclopedic amounts of material in order to determine what is the most significant, since only the essentials are presented. Timely data and current examples sustain student interest. The text is also supplemented by a Companion Website and an Instructor's Manual.

About this title

About the Author

All authors are in the Department of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University.

Review

"This is clearly the best introductory textbook I have ever read. It is brief and inexpensive, yet comprehensive. Oftentimes, students become overwhelmed by all the 'extras' and scientific jargon. While those things have their place and purpose, the purpose of an introductory class is to teach introductory concepts. The writing style used is perfect for an introductory text, presenting information in an almost conversational tone that makes it very accessible to introductory students."--Chad Loes, Mount Mercy College

"I like the premise that a readable, succinct text may be more useful to students than an encyclopedia. The approach of reviewing general concepts and then providing specific examples works well. This text is written in a straightforward style and will be comfortable for student readers."--Lynn Monahan, University of New Haven

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0195332490
• ISBN 13: 9780195332490
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320