Many people use the terms “criminal justice” and “criminology” interchangeably, although as an academic discipline and area of study, the two terms are distinctive. Criminal justice is the study of our system of justice, including the police, courts, and corrections; whereas criminology is the study of criminal behavior. As such, this course provides a comprehensive analysis of crime in the United States, emphasizing the causes and consequences of criminal activity. Consideration is also given to theories of crime and societal responses to criminal behavior.