The American System of Criminal Justice

The criminal justice system in the United States is best described as a system of related, but not necessarily co-ordinated, agencies. Accountable to different branches of government and having different goals, they may even work to the detriment of each other. Alpert looks at the links between the parts of the system and analyzes their relationships. He warns that criminal justice in America will slow down or stop if the various components do not work in relative harmony.