The proposed core textbook will present an overview of the major subject areas in juvenile justice, with some of the latest research available from other books, journal articles, and government documents. The book will include special features that engage the reader in thinking critically about the subjects, with practical examples of justice in action, laws, policies, and programs in juvenile justice. This core textbook will be shorter than a comprehensive text, less expensive, and will allow the Instructor to use it either as the primary textbook in a course, or as one of two or more supplementary textbooks.