The Origins of the Criminal Justice System

The Origins of the Criminal Justice System provides an introduction to the historical roots of modern-day Western systems of justice. The text addresses different aspects of criminal justice, including chapters on police, courts, corrections, and trends in crime and punishment, as well as chapters that examine the relationship between justice practices and select communities, defined by gender, age, class, and race. Each chapter begins in Ancient Antiquity before progressing to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment, and concluding in the Modern Era. Readers are introduced to the social and political factors evident at the time, the structure and function of each era-specific system, and the execution and consequences of early policies and procedures. The book provides an important and detailed examination of the evolution of justice practices, tying these temporal threads to modern systems, and offers the readership the opportunity to observe institutions across the millennia. Whether it is jury trials in Ancient Greece or ordeals in the Dark Ages, the reader is invited to traverse the world of criminal justice practices, replete with eras of inspiration as well as intolerance and cruelty.