Written in a clear and direct style that requires no prior knowledge of how or why the justice system operates. This text details the basic elements of criminal procedures in a generic format that can be presented within the context of either a national or a specific state's procedural framework. After an examination of significant procedural concepts and terms, it offers a detailed presentation of criminal procedures in sequential steps—from the point of an individual's first contact with police, through the law enforcement process, the courts, the correctional system, and back into the community on probation or parole.