Examines the agencies involved in the administration of criminal justice in the U.S. with an emphasis on understanding how the three components (police, courts and corrections) operate as part of a system and as individual agencies.

Covers the historical perspectives, sentencing, alternatives to incarceration, types of correctional facilities, prison life subculture, correctional professionals and the various legal/social issues involved with corrections.

Examines social components of crime and deviance, including law-making, law-breaking, and societal reactions to crime. Explores the causes and impacts of crime, classifications and theoretical interpretations of crime, and the criminal justice system.

Covers crime scene processing, physical evidence, evidence collection, chain of custody, current scientific analysis of evidence and the presentation of conclusions in court.