CJ 2012 provides a brief and affordable look at the criminal justice system. Taking a contemporary approach, it supports true understanding by focusing on the core concepts that matter most. Each chapter features a unified presentation that links learning objectives, text segments, media explorations and end-of-chapter summaries together. Moving beyond rote memorization, the book encourages active participation by providing conversation-starting pedagogy that involves students with the research findings and current events shaping the field.