Book excerpt: Many students learn about criminal justice from introductory texts that are crowded with descriptions of criminal justice systems across the country in an attempt to reach a national market. Examples of police departments, court structures, and corrections agencies are drawn from major urban areas that bear little resemblance to the majority of jurisdictions within North Carolina. These texts contain current events of major media interest but not those most relevant to North Carolina. The majority of graduates from colleges and universities in North Carolina with criminal justice degrees will work in North Carolina's criminal justice system, yet the typical curriculum provides very little information about that particular system. North Carolina's Criminal Justice System surveys criminal justice in the state, including crime patterns and trends, the state constitution, state and local lawmaking, prosecution and defense, police agencies, court structure and criminal procedure, corrections, juvenile justice, and victim services. The book also covers the presence of federal law enforcement in North Carolina. Knepper explains how each aspect of North Carolina's system developed as it did, and how North Carolina's system developed as it did, and how North Carolina's institutions and practices compare with the rest of the nation. It also charts African-American firsts, from the first black correctional administrator to the first black justice on the state supreme court. North Carolina's Criminal Justice System provides essential information for anyone planning a career in the state's criminal justice system, and for professionals currently working within an agency who could benefit from an understanding of related agencies and services. It is specifically designed to provide NC criminal justice students with essential knowledge of the state's system. The book can be used as a main text or as a supplement. A teacher's manual is also available.