New York's Criminal Justice System provides a comprehensive, holistic picture of the criminal justice system of New York State. Readers will explore each component of the system independently and learn how it relates to the interconnected whole. Because of New York's national standing as a bellwether for law enforcement and criminal justice, and the state's unique demographic and density make-up, an understanding of the criminal justice system of New York will help readers to better grasp the role of criminal justice nationwide.

The book is broken into thirteen chapters, with each chapter exploring a specific area of the New York criminal justice system. Each chapter includes a list of learning objectives and key terms to help readers better understand the topics covered, as well as a discussion of the current operation of the state's justice system.