Assuming no prior knowledge, this text provides a clear and user-friendly introduction to the key definitions and issues of crime. With an unrivalled combination of scope plus introductory pitch, this is a one-stop shop for undergraduates taking their first modules in criminology and criminal justice.

CHRIS CROWTHER is Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, UK.

Introduction
PART I: DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTIONS OF CRIME
Defining Crime and Studying Criminology and Criminal Justice
Key Issues in Criminology and Criminal Justice
PART II: UNDERSTANDING CRIME DATA
Understanding Crime Data I: Sources of Information
Understanding Crime Data II: Methods of Interpretation
PART III: THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN CONTEXT
The Criminal Justice System and its Processes
The Police: Gatekeepers to the Criminal Justice Process
The Prosecution Process: the Courts and Sentencing
The Prison
Probation: Community-based Punishment and Community Justice 
Multi-Agency and 'Joined-up' Approaches to Criminal Justice Policy
PART IV: THEORIES OF CRIME
Theories of Crime I: The Individual and Crime
Theories of Crime II: Society and Crime
Theories of Crime III: Critical and Deconstructive Perspectives
Summary.