LawandOrder:AnHonestCitizen'sGuidetoCrimeandControl

Lawandorderhasbecomeakeyissuethroughouttheworld.Crimestoriessaturatethemassmediaandpoliticiansshrillycompetewitheachotherinaracetobethetoughestoncrime.Prisonsarecrammedtoburstingpoint,andpolicepowersandresourcesextendedrepeatedly.Afterdecadesofexplosiveincreaseincrimerates,thesehaveplummetedthroughouttheWesternworldinthe1990s.Yetfearofcrimeandviolence,andthesecurityindustriescateringfortheseanxieties,growrelentlessly.Thisbookoffersanup-to-dateanalysisofthesecontemporarytrendsbyprovidingallhonestandconcernedcitizenswithaconciseyetcomprehensivesurveyofthesourcesofcurrentproblemsandanxietiesaboutcrime.Itshowsthatthedominanttoughlawandorderapproachtocrimeisbasedonfallaciesaboutitsnature,sources,andwhatworksintermsofcrimecontrol.Insteaditarguesthatthegrowthofcrimehasdeep-seatedcauses,sothatpolicingandpenalpolicyatbestcanonlytemporarilyholdaliddownonoffending.Thebookisintendedtoinformpublicdebateaboutthesevitalissuesthroughacriticaldeconstructionofprevailingorthodoxy.Withitsfocusoncurrentpolicies,problemsanddebatesthisbookisalsoanexcellentintroductiontocriminologyforthegrowingnumbersofstudentsofthesubjectatalllevels.