Fundamentals of Criminal Justice focuses on three concepts central to the success or failure of the criminal justice system, the controversies it raises, and its potential for addressing the nation's crime problem. First, how the criminal justice system is structured and how it works in reality (as opposed to how it functions ideally). Second, the role played by race and ethnicity in the operation of the criminal justice system. Finally, the capacity of the criminal justice system to control criminal behavior and reduce crime.