The American System of Criminal Justice

This classic best-seller, commonly referred to as the "The Eagle," is an exciting and relevant introduction to the field of criminal justice. The text combines solid research and intellectual vigor with detailed attention to current and compelling events to help students appreciate the many aspects of the discipline. It challenges readers to balance the mechanics and system of criminal justice with the human side of the story. This text examines criminal justice as an interdisciplinary endeavor, sharing elements from criminology, sociology, law, history, psychology, and political science.

George F. Cole is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Connecticut. He has been 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, he has published extensively on such topics as prosecution, courts, and corrections. He 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, he has been granted two awards under the Fulbright-Hays Program to conduct criminal justice research in England and the former Yugoslavia. He is co-author of several other Cengage Learning/Wadsworth criminal justice titles, including CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, Eighth Edition (with Christopher Smith and Christina DeJong); AMERICAN CORRECTIONS, Eleventh Edition (with Todd Clear and Michael Reisig); AMERICAN CORRECTIONS IN BRIEF, Third Edition (with Todd Clear, Michael Reisig, and Carolyn Petrosino); and THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: POLITICS AND POLICIES, Tenth Edition (with Marc Gertz).

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 100 scholarly articles on law, courts, and criminal justice policy. He has been recognized as an outstanding teacher with MSU's "Teacher-Scholar Award" and "Alumni Association Outstanding Teaching Award." His other books with Cengage Learning/Wadsworth include CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN AMERICA, Eighth Edition (with George Cole and Christina DeJong), LAW AND CONTEMPORARY CORRECTIONS, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: MYTHS AND REALITIES, and CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.