This current collection of essays on contemporary U.S. criminal justice policy is a timely response To The significant recent growth of policy-oriented research in the fields of criminology and criminal justice. U.S. Criminal Justice Policy: A Contemporary Reader addresses how criminal justice policy issues are framed, identifies participants in the policy process, discusses how policy is made, and considers the constraints and opportunities found in the policy process. Findings are linked to broader institutional, cultural and global criminal justice trends, and are used to determine what recent research reveals about crime policy and democratic governance. The main goal of this book is to encourage readers to engage in a dialogue about criminal justice policy, and to think about the potential for criminal justice reform.Key Features:bull; Brings a policy focus to a wide range of pressing issues in policing, courts, corrections and juvenile justice.bull; Explores topical policy issues including immigration, technology, financial regulation, human trafficking, and public health.bull; Provides a unique examination of "policy" (e.g., As an expression of general purpose or desired state of affairs; as specific proposals; as decisions and/or non-decisions of government; as formal authorizations; as programs; as legislation; as outputs; as outcomes; as theory, etc.).