Popular Justice: A History of American Criminal Justice

I purchased this book for a university History course. It is somewhat dated (1998) but it is a good overview of the history of the U.S. criminal justice system. The author has well researched the history and presents his views like any other historian. I found the book to be very enlightening as I knew very little of the history of the evolution of criminal justice, the various attempts at reform, and the ongoing problems it continues to face. I think the book was a very good introduction to the course I was taking (History of violent crime in America). I particularly found interesting the chapters pertaining to the Colonial era of criminal justice. Other books of interest:  Penitentiaries, Reformatories, and Chain Gangs: Social Theory and the History of Punishment in Nineteenth Century America  and.  The FBI & American Democracy: A Brief Critical History  These books were all required reading for the course.

Well-researched and written. No leftist agenda. Just educational, factual, and historical. Thanks!

This book really just goes over everything else every other history of criminal justice book has done. Good if you are just getting your feet wet because it offers the historical facts and the "why"

i needed this book for my class at college it was great thanks i loved it the book was great thanks

I donated the book to kids.

Looks New.