1st Edition

Dictionary of American Criminal Justice Key Terms and Major Supreme Court Cases

By Dean J. Champion Copyright 1999

    First Published in 1999. The Dictionary of American Criminal Justice is divided into two extensive sections: Part One is a dictionary that applies an interdisciplinary approach to enhance its effectiveness as a one-stop resource in explaining the American criminal justice system. Terms are drawn from such disciplines as criminology, criminal justice, corrections, probation/parole, juvenile justice, and policing. Many definitions are accompanied by examples from the research literature, illustrating how the terms apply in particular contexts. Also included are listings of leading theorists of criminology, a synopsis of their major theoretical contributions, and extracts from their written works. Part Two, providing examples that demonstrate the concepts of the dictionary in action, includes the most recent and significant U.S. Supreme Court cases--an easy-to-read account of the events leading to each case, how the Supreme Court decided the case, and the rationale used in each decision. Students, researchers, and librarians can quickly and easily identify key cases across a broad spectrum of topics by using indexes that list by name and by category.  For any researcher wishing to understand the American criminal justice system, the Dictionary of American Criminal Justice is a crucial reference text.

    Part 1 Preface Part 2 About the Author Part 3 Dictionary of Terms Part 4 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Chapter 5 Reading Citations in Cases Chapter 6 Cases Chapter 7 Summary of Case Index Topics Chapter 8 Case Index by Topic Chapter 9 References Part 10 Appendixes Chapter 11 Ph.D. Programs in Criminal Justice Chapter 12 Internet Connections Chapter 13 Federal and State Probation and Parole Agencies Chapter 14 Regional Departments of Corrections Telephone, Fax, and Internet Contacts

    Biography

    Dean John Champion is professor of criminal justice at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, TX. Dr. Champion has taught at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, California State University-Long Beach, and Minot State University. He has written more than 30 texts and edited works and maintains memberships in 11 professional organizations. He is a lifetime member of the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Sociological Association. He is former editor of the ACJS/Anderson series on Issues in Crime and Justice (1993-1996) and the Journal of Crime and Justice (1995-1998). He is a contributing author for the Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 for Microsoft. He was the visiting scholar for the National Center for Juvenile Justice in 1992 and is president of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association.

    "This title is highly recommended for public and university and college libraries." -- American Reference Books Annual
    "An excellent work, important for reference collections in all libraries." -- Choice