Study Questions

  1. How does a civil case differ from a criminal case?
  2. What are the origins of the criminal justice system in the United States? What is the role of common law in the U.S. criminal justice system?
  3. Why do incarceration rates tend to vary by state? What groups have been affected disproportionately by the sharp rise in incarceration rates?
  4. What policies affect judicial discretion over sentencing guidelines?
  5. How do the community policing model and the professional policing model differ? Who were the primary actors in fueling a return to the community policing model? Which approach advocates broken-windows policing?
  6. What are some recent trends in crime policy in the United States? How have states attempted to reduce the costs of law enforcement?