Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Balanced Approach

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Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Balanced Approach provides students with engaging, comprehensive, and up-to-date coverage of all aspects of the criminal justice system. Esteemed authors Brian K. Payne, Willard M. Oliver, and Nancy E. Marion explore criminal justice from a student-cantered perspective by presenting research-driven material in an accessible, clear, and succinct writing style.

Two unique chapters on Perspectives on Crime and Criminal Justice Research and Crime Typologies provide students with the foundational knowledge that they need to be critical thinkers and active participants within their chosen field. Students are encouraged to imagine themselves in specific criminal justice situations and decide how they would respond to the situation with a balanced and effective solution. By exploring criminal justice from a balanced perspective with an issues-oriented approach, students will understand how decision-making is critical to the criminal justice process. In particular, students will come to appreciate how their own future careers will be shaped by the decisions they make.

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SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of free tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. Learn more at edge.sagepub.com/payne.

Brian K. Payne received his doctorate in criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1993. He is currently the vice provost for academic affairs at Old Dominion University, where he is tenured in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and the chair of the Hampton Roads Cybersecurity Education, Workforce, and Economic Development Alliance. He is a former editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice, past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and past president of the Southern Criminal Justice Association. Payne is the author or coauthor of more than 160 journal articles and seven books including White-Collar Crime: The Essentials (Sage), Family Violence and Criminal Justice (Elsevier, with Randy Gainey), and Crime and Elder Abuse: An Integrated Perspective (Charles C Thomas). He won the local Pinewood Derby when he was in the fourth grade.

Willard M. Oliver is a professor of criminal justice at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He holds a doctorate and a master of arts degree in political science from West Virginia University and master of science and bachelor of science degrees from Radford University. He has taught criminal justice for over 20 years, primarily in the area of policing, crime policy, and criminal justice history. He is the author of numerous textbooks, including Community-Oriented Policing, Homeland Security, Homeland Security for Policing, and A History of Crime and Criminal Justice in America. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous articles for professional publications. He is a retired military police officer with the U.S. Army Reserves and a former police officer. Oliver is an avid runner and has completed 14 marathons. He is married,  has three children, and resides in Huntsville, TX.

Nancy Marion is currently a professor and chair of the Political Science Department at the University of Akron. Her teaching and research interests revolve around the interplay of politics and criminal justice.  She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 30 books that examine how politics affects criminal justice, and in turn, how criminal justice issues can affect political events, particularly elections. She holds a BA from The Pennsylvania State University in Administration of Justice; an MA in Justice from American University; and MA and PhD in Political Science from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She recently earned a JD from The University of Akron.