Designed to realistically fit in a one-semester course, this new Sixth Edition of Samaha's CRIMINAL JUSTICE does an outstanding job of covering the basics of the criminal justice system while challenging students to think critically about the important social issues in criminal justice. This text thoroughly prepares students for more advanced criminal justice courses, covering topics such as public police, courts, corrections, and private security and corrections. From a critical thinking point of view, Samaha introduces students to those professionals who work within the criminal justice system, covering subjects such as entrance requirements, education and training, promotions, and the discipline and removal of criminal justice personnel. This text also includes coverage of victims and offenders and addresses the questions: Who are the victims? Why are they victimized? What role do they play in criminal justice? Who are the offenders? And, why do they commit crimes? With a clear theme of decision making throughout the text, Samaha presents criminal justice as a decision making process - the Decision Making Paradigm - that is impacted by the decisions made by offenders, victims, police, prosecutors, courts, and corrections agencies. Leaner by nearly 40 percent from the previous edition, Samaha's conversational writing style keeps students engaged as he addresses serious, current topics from all sides, using clear examples and the latest available information and research.
Joel Samaha is Professor of History and Sociology at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, The Supreme Court and the Constitution, and a special joint Sociology/History Department topics course titled "Is there a Wartime Exception to the Bill of Rights?" He received his B.A., J.D., and Ph.D. from Northwestern University and studied under the late Sir Geoffrey Elton at Cambridge University, England. Professor Samaha was admitted to the Illinois Bar, briefly practiced law in Chicago, and then taught at UCLA before coming in 1971 to the University of Minnesota, where he served as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice Studies for four years, taught both television and radio courses in criminal justice, and co-taught a National Endowment for the Humanities seminar in legal and constitutional history. He was named Distinguished Teacher at the University of Minnesota in 1974. Professor Samaha's numerous publications include articles on the history of criminal justice published in professional history journals and law reviews, a book on LAW AND ORDER IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, and the highly successful CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, now in its Seventh Edition (Wadsworth).
