Overview
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 at www.oup.com/us/labessentials and an Instructor's Manual.About the Author:
Steven P. Lab, Chair, Director, and Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of Criminal Justice
About the Author:
Marian R. Williams, Associate Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of Criminal Justice
About the Author:
Jefferson E. Holcomb, Assistant Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of CriminalJustice
About the Author:
Melissa W. Burek, Assistant Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of Criminal Justice
About the Author:
William R. King, Associate Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of Criminal Justice
About the Author:
Michael E. Buerger, Associate Professor in Bowling Green State University's Department of Criminal Justice
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Criminal Justice: The Essentials has the strong advantages of being concise, clearly written, and AFFORDABLE."--Alissa Pollitz Worden, University at Albany, State University of New York
"This book is far superior to other texts in terms of its readability for the novice undergraduate. . . . The field has waited a long time for an affordable book like this. . . . I would say to colleagues 'Adopt this book because you'd be doing a favor for yourself and your students.' It contains the distilled essence of cultural literacy in the field."--Thomas O'Connor, Austin Peay State University
"I very much like the concise, straightforward approach to both the content and writing style. There is no wasted cost or content directed to meaningless photos, drop-ins, or the like. . . . It is unique in its precision and disciplined approach and stands alone from the big and expensive hardback textbooks that try to over complicate and over stimulate students, who neither benefit financially or intellectually from all their trappings."--Dean Dabney, Georgia State University