Criminal Justice: The Essentials, Second Edition, is the most straightforward and affordable introductory text on the market. It covers all the fundamental issues faced by law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and juvenile justice, leaving detailed specifics and tangential topics to the discretion of instructors to cover in class. This approach provides instructors with a great deal of flexibility in orienting their courses, as they can use whatever supplementary materials they feel are most suitable. FEATURES * Covers the background, current issues and problems, and operational challenges of each chapter's subject area * Incorporates all important material into the normal flow of the text * Provides abundant examples and just the right amount of sidebars and "highlights," helping students to determine the most important issues * Offers timely data and current examples that sustain student interest NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION * More tables and figures to help illustrate key points * Each chapter begins with a helpful "Chapter Outline" summary * Includes a new concluding chapter on important policy issues * Incorporates new "Critical Thinking" boxes throughout * Key terms now appear at the end of each chapter, helping to reinforce chapter themes * Completely updated Instructor's CD featuring new PowerPoint-based lecture slides * All statistics, references, and citations are up to date * Updated Companion Website An innovative and cost-effective alternative to large, overwhelming texts, Criminal Justice: The Essentials, Second Edition, is ideal for introductory courses in criminal justice.

Steven P. Lab is Chair, Director, and Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University.
Marian R. Williams is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University.
Jefferson E. Holcomb is Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Justice Studies at Appalachian State University.
Melissa W. Burek is Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University.
William R. King is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University.
Michael E. Buerger is Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University.