Now in a modernized Third Edition, the best-selling Exploring Criminal Justice: The Essentials continues to engage students in an exploration of the American criminal justice system. This classic text covers the foundational concepts of criminal law and the justice system, including the people and processes that make up the system and how they interact. It features updated statistics and data, contemporary court cases and case studies, and updated references for all topics. With Exploring Criminal Justice: The Essentials students will understand the relationship between law enforcement, corrections, law, policy making and administration, the juvenile justice system, and the courts. This well-organized and comprehensive text is the clear choice for introductory criminal justice courses.