What you should remember:
- This book builds upon the theme of individual rights versus public order--or the need to balance the constitutional rights of those facing criminal prosecution against the interests of society in preventing crime and controlling offenders.
- Justice is a broad term that refers to the principle of moral rightness. This book distinguishes between criminal justice and civil justice--both of which are aspects of what we have called social justice.
- The criminal justice system consists of the police, courts, and corrections.
- The criminal justice system can be described either in terms of a consensus model or a conflict model.
- The typical stages of the criminal justice process include: arrest, booking, first appearance, preliminary or grand jury hearing, arraignment, trial, sentencing, and corrections.
- The U.S. Constitution requires that the criminal justice system operate according to the principle of due process of law, which mandates the recognition of individual rights in the processing of criminal defendants.
- While the academic discipline of criminal justice is largely concerned with the administration of justice agencies, criminology is the interdisciplinary study of the causes of crime and criminal motivation. Victimology is the scientific study of crime victims and the victimization process.
- Multiculturalism, as represented by the diverse values, perspectives, and behaviors characteristic of various groups within our society, significantly impacts the justice system in many ways and holds numerous and far-reaching consequences for the day-to-day practice of criminal justice in America.
