The criminal justice system is diverse and complex and raises questions about the use of imprisonment, the effects of capital punishment, the purposes of sentencing, and the role of the victim.



In this Very Short Introduction, Julian V. Roberts discusses all stages of the criminal justice system, from crime to courthouse and from prison to parole. He focuses on the adversarial model of justice and provides a critical examination of our modern justice system and its status and function in society. The book also includes important developments such as the evolution of AI, the widespread recognition of the differential impact of criminal justice on visible and ethnic minorities, and international legal disputes.