Justice Blind? Ideals and Realities of American Criminal Justice

A critical examination of criminal justice in the United States written to serve as a textbook for an introductory undergraduate course. Robinson (Appalachian State U.) argues that over the course of the past decades, criminal justice has moved away from a due process model towards a theory of crime control and punishment. He contends that the American legal system is inherently biased against the poor and people of color and that injustice is endemic and deeply rooted at all levels of criminal justice institutions. He looks at the harm that the drug war has caused American society and critiques the use of capital punishment. Finally he discusses alternatives to current practices. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)