Welcome to Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System. We are glad you are here! This book was written with you in mind and developed with an intentional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In this chapter, we will focus on the definition of crime and the American criminal justice system. We will discuss what crime is, explore how laws are made, and break down the different models within the system. We will also learn about the various parts that make up the whole Criminal Justice (CJ) system. Finally, we will touch on the role of victims in the criminal justice process. After each chapter, you’ll find some questions to consider. Take your time with them; they are meant to help you reflect and deepen your understanding of the material.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the differences between deviance, rule violations, and criminality.
2. Explain the differences between the interactionist, consensus, and conflict views in the creation of laws.
3. Identify the three components of the criminal justice system: Police, Courts, and Corrections.
4. Briefly identify the unique role of victims in the criminal justice process.

Key Terms

Below are some of the most important key terms and phrases used in this chapter. You should review and become familiar with these terms before reading this chapter:

• Consensus view
• Crime control model
• Crimes against the person
• Criminal justice system
• Criminalized act
• Deviance
• Folkways
• Misdemeanor
• Victim-impact statements

Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives

Open Content, Shared Previously

“Chapter Overview” is adapted from “1: Crime, Criminal Justice, and Criminology” by Alison S. Burke, David Carter, Brian Fedorek, Tiffany Morey, Lore Rutz-Burri, and Shanell Sanchez in SOU-CCJ230 Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System, Open Oregon Educational Resources, which is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Modifications by Sam Arungwa, revisions by Roxie Supplee, licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 include editing for style, consistency, recency, and brevity.