Updated in a new 3rd edition, this book is rganized around a “planned change” approach and provides a critical assessment of how well the American criminal justice system achieves its goals. Unlike most other criminal justice books—which cover the traditional topics from the perspective of how “things are supposed to be,” this book compares these ideals with the realities of criminal justice today and provides a critical interpretation of the role of race, ethnicity, and gender in criminal justice.