The book unravels the mysteries of the criminal justice system, explaining how and why we sentence offenders; the reasons behind the system's technicalities, which can benefit the guilty; and why the system is miserly on victims' rights. It points out where we err, particularly with the parole system. Each chapter starts with a murder docudrama.

"Designed for those who are planning careers in the Canadian justice system or who will be working with people impacted by various aspects of the system, this text provides the foundational knowledge needed to understand the way the various facets of the Canadian justice system work."--

The Canadian Criminal Justice System, 2nd Edition, offers a comprehensive, clear and compelling overview of the criminal justice system in Canada today. This text contains strong pedagogical features, such as boxes on policing information and discussion topics, and also includes unique coverage of the theories of crime causation and law and social control, all written in a lively and engaging style.

Written by a team of experts from across the country, this original collection begins with an introduction to the Canadian criminal justice system followed by two parts: the first focusing on specific areas of the criminal justice system in light of the policy surrounding it and the secondexamining crime policy as it relates to a range of policy areas such as immigration, welfare, and technology. Current and comprehensive, this innovative volume uncovers the process and participants involved in shaping criminal justice policy, while linking crime policy and democratic governance inCanada to broader institutional, cultural, and global criminal justice trends.

This volume examines racism within the process of criminal justice. In every society criminal justice plays a key role establishing social control and maintaining the hegemony of the dominant economic classes. The contributors to this anthology argue that the differential treatment of people of colour and First Nations peoples is due to systemic racism within all levels of the criminal justice system, which serves these dominant classes. Ideological and cultural changes are preconditions for the success of anti-racist policies and practices within the criminal justice system and within other state institutions. Recommendations for transformations in justice policy and practice are provided.

"The fifth edition had to be substantially revised to reflect the impact of recent Supreme Court of Canada bellweather decisions in Grant and the companion decisions in Harrison and Suberu. These decisions require a new approach to the meaning of detention for Charter purposes and to the remedy of exclusion of evidence under section 24(2) of the Charter. Much of the voluminous prior jurisprudence on section 24(2) over the past 27 years relating to the meaning and consequences of conscripting the accused in violation of the Charter is now of little moment. New clarifications and new questions are identified."--Pub. desc.