Abstract
Just how changing cultural patterns and the particularistic politics of groups or 'communities' influence the operation of the criminal justice system are key questions confronting policy makers and criminologists as well as those directly involved in the administration of criminal justice. These challenges constitute the central theme of this special collection of essays on criminal justice. This volume addresses a range of questions posed by these themes and changes in a variety of criminal justice settings: policing; crime prevention; prosecution; courts; law, and restorative justice.