Voices From Criminal Justice

Voices from Criminal Justice, Second Edition, gives students rich insight into the criminal justice system from the point of view of practitioners, as well as outsiders—citizens, clients, jurors, probationers, or inmates. These qualitative and teachable articles cover all three components of the criminal justice system, ensuring students will be better informed about the daily realities of criminal justice professionals in law enforcement, courts, and corrections. At the same time, the juxtaposition of insider and outsider views allows students to look beyond the actual content of the articles and develop their own views about the functions and flaws of the criminal justice system on a societal level. This innovative reader, now with seven new articles designed to stimulate discussions and promote critical thought, is perfect for undergraduate criminal justice courses in the United States, and has proven to be an effective companion or alternative to traditional introductory textbooks. Voices from Criminal Justice, Second Edition, also offers a framework for more advanced students in special issues or capstone courses to synthesize information from earlier courses and develop their own view of American justice.

This innovative text/reader for undergraduate criminal justice courses in the United States provides a companion or alternative to traditional texts. Instead of providing a "catalog of information" this book gives students rich insights into what it is like to work within the system (as practitioners) as well as from those who experience criminal justice as outsiders (as citizens, clients, jurors, probationers, or inmates). By providing qualitative and teachable articles from the perspective of those who experience the three components of the criminal justice system, students will be better informed about the realities of the day-to-day job of criminal justice professionals. A second, but equally important, part of the readings asks that students look beyond the actual content of the articles and use a "critical thinking" perspective to develop their own thoughts about the functions of the criminal justice system on a broader societal level. The Editors have used these articles and this approach very successfully in their large undergraduate criminal justice classes, assigning the readings together with an "essentials" paperback text.

This reader, organized by type of methodology -- experimental, survey and field research, analysis of records, and secondary data analysis -- offers case studies and commentary about research design, varying research approaches, the process of measurement, and the concepts of reliability and validity. The book includes 20 articles drawn from major scholarly journals, each accompanied by a Commentaries section written by the original author. The commentaries provide a behind-the-scenes perspective, discussions of why a particular methodology was chosen, problems that occurred, and how the research results differed from expectations. Each article also has an original introduction and conclusion section, meant to help readers understand the nature, issues and conduct of the study.

This first comprehensive study of Chicanas encountering the U.S. criminal justice system is set within the context of the international war on drugs as witnessed at street level in Chicana/o barrios. Chicana Lives and Criminal Justice uses oral history to chronicle the lives of twenty-four Chicana pintas (prisoners/former prisoners) repeatedly arrested and incarcerated for non-violent, low-level economic and drug-related crimes. It also provides the first documentation of the thirty-four-year history of Sybil Brand Institute, Los Angeles' former women's jail. In a time and place where drug war policies target people of color and their communities, drug-addicted Chicanas are caught up in an endless cycle of police abuse, arrest, and incarceration. They feel the impact of mandatory sentencing laws, failing social services and endemic poverty, violence, racism, and gender discrimination. The women in this book frankly discuss not only their jail experiences, but also their family histories, involvement with gangs, addiction to drugs, encounters with the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems, and their successful and unsuccessful attempts to recover from addiction and reconstitute fractured families. The Chicanas' stories underscore the amazing resilience and determination that have allowed many of the women to break the cycle of abuse. Díaz-Cotto also makes policy recommendations for those who come in contact with Chicanas/Latinas caught in the criminal justice system.

Each semester, thousands of students choose introductory courses in criminology, criminal justice, and sociology. Many are motivated to do so by a strong desire to help others and to make a positive contribution to society. But turning these feelings into postgraduate careers remains a challenge. Some students choose law school, while others become police officers, but there are many other options. This book offers guidance to students interested in working in the broad field of criminal justice, but who are unclear as to what direction to take. Further, it posits that understanding differences between people—race/ethnicity, gender, social class, sexual orientation—is a critical component of any fulfilling career in criminal justice. Essays by leading scholars, practitioners, and advocates delineate the latest feminist and methodological approaches in criminological research and offer a hands-on look at how lawyers, public sociologists, academics, and federal researchers grapple with issues of race, class, and gender in their work. This book exposes students to a greater understanding of the range of career opportunities available in criminal justice and criminology: as researchers, professionals, activists, teachers, and practitioners. Examining diversity across these three dimensions, this anthology will become a standard text for introductory criminal justice, criminology, and sociology courses, as well as an invaluable guide for students and ordinary people interested in a career in the criminal justice field.

Building on her leading research in creative methodology, in this book Wendy Fitzgibbon explores and illustrates how Photovoice, a participatory, active research tool, can enable new insights and engagement with both marginalised people and those working with them in the criminal justice system. Including research examples from criminal justice settings around Europe, the book explains how one could undertake such research and the ethical and practical challenges presented. Engaging, accessible and illustrated with original photographs, this book not only presents the theoretical and practical information necessary for researchers, students and practitioners to be able to utilise Photovoice – it demonstrates these with original empirical findings from an international range of projects, including work with the probation service, with female offenders and with an open prison. It is essential reading for those engaged with criminological research methods, and Visual Criminology.

Voices from Criminal Justice, Second Edition, gives students rich insight into the criminal justice system from the point of view of practitioners, as well as outsiders—citizens, clients, jurors, probationers, or inmates. These qualitative and teachable articles cover all three components of the criminal justice system, ensuring students will be better informed about the daily realities of criminal justice professionals in law enforcement, courts, and corrections. At the same time, the juxtaposition of insider and outsider views allows students to look beyond the actual content of the articles and develop their own views about the functions and flaws of the criminal justice system on a societal level. This innovative reader, now with seven new articles designed to stimulate discussions and promote critical thought, is perfect for undergraduate criminal justice courses in the United States, and has proven to be an effective companion or alternative to traditional introductory textbooks. Voices from Criminal Justice, Second Edition, also offers a framework for more advanced students in special issues or capstone courses to synthesize information from earlier courses and develop their own view of American justice.