Written by Lab, Williams, Holcomb, King, and Buerger, Explaining Criminal Justice is the first brief survey text designed for students entering the field of criminal justice who lack a criminal justice background. This primer's helpful shorthand presentation will be useful to students in a variety of ways: * Defines key terminology and issues in an easily understood format. * Offers a basic understanding of the component parts of the criminal justice system and how they interrelate. * Provides coverage of all major issues--plus a realistic overview of the criminal justice system. Each chapter features a list of key terms, brief discussions of the important issues under each topic, discussions of emerging issues and concerns in the field, references for all key topics, a brief bibliography, and appropriate website listings.