​This casebook introduces the first-year student to the U.S. criminal justice system. It raises the question of why and how we punish, and it enables instructors to discuss with students the thorny problem of the relationship between the state and the individual. As with most substantive criminal law courses, the book covers a range of topics including rationales for punishment, elements of key crimes, inchoate offenses, and defenses. Problems have been developed to analyze these topics, and many modern issues and cases have been emphasized to stimulate student interest in the course. The book also now includes a discussion of the Supreme Court's Eighth Amendment limitations on punishment.