The American Court System

Depending on whom one talks to, today's criminal courts are either the savior or the demon of our social order. While everyone seems to have an answer about what needs to be done, the solutions are neither simple, nor within our current allocation of resources. Media hype and political posturing emotionally dilute the reality of what motivates crime and what constitutes effective punishment. The essays and research in this anthology give the reader a realistic view of complex problems affecting