Criminal Justice in America

Criminal Justice in America PDF Author: Nancy E. Marion
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 516

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Book Description
Criminal Justice in America: The Politics Behind the System provides an introduction to the American system of criminal justice, with politics as its underlying theme. The basic premise is that the criminal justice system in the United States is primarily a function of the political system. The political system creates the laws, agencies, and processes that make up the criminal justice system, thus, the two are inherently related to each other. One cannot truly understand the make-up and workings of the justice system without understanding the role politics plays in creating and altering that system. Marion introduces the basic concepts and components of criminal justice, with the book's underlying theme surrounding politics. Some basic political science concepts are included in the book, such as federalism and power, which are then related to criminal justice in order to explore how the two fields are indeed related to one another. The actions of political actors that affect criminal justice, both elected (president, Congress, the courts) and non-elected (bureaucracies, media, campaigns and elections, interest groups) are described. This is an underlying theme however, and not the primary emphasis of the book. The book covers crime in the United States, the American system of policing, the courts, and corrections system. There is also a chapter on victims of crime and anti-crime initiatives. Intended for introductory courses, this book is informal and easy to read. Each chapter has boxes that provide additional information on a person or topic relevant to the chapter, relevant web sites, discussion questions, a list of important terms to assist students in learning the materials, and an outline to help students organize the material more clearly.

When Crime Pays

When Crime Pays PDF Author: Milan Vaishnav
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300216203
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
The first thorough study of the co-existence of crime and democratic processes in Indian politics In India, the world's largest democracy, the symbiotic relationship between crime and politics raises complex questions. For instance, how can free and fair democratic processes exist alongside rampant criminality? Why do political parties recruit candidates with reputations for wrongdoing? Why are one-third of state and national legislators elected--and often re-elected--in spite of criminal charges pending against them? In this eye-opening study, political scientist Milan Vaishnav mines a rich array of sources, including fieldwork on political campaigns and interviews with candidates, party workers, and voters, large surveys, and an original database on politicians' backgrounds to offer the first comprehensive study of an issue that has implications for the study of democracy both within and beyond India's borders.

Criminal Justice in America

Criminal Justice in America PDF Author: Nancy E. Marion
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 516

Get Book Here

Book Description
Criminal Justice in America: The Politics Behind the System provides an introduction to the American system of criminal justice, with politics as its underlying theme. The basic premise is that the criminal justice system in the United States is primarily a function of the political system. The political system creates the laws, agencies, and processes that make up the criminal justice system, thus, the two are inherently related to each other. One cannot truly understand the make-up and workings of the justice system without understanding the role politics plays in creating and altering that system. Marion introduces the basic concepts and components of criminal justice, with the book's underlying theme surrounding politics. Some basic political science concepts are included in the book, such as federalism and power, which are then related to criminal justice in order to explore how the two fields are indeed related to one another. The actions of political actors that affect criminal justice, both elected (president, Congress, the courts) and non-elected (bureaucracies, media, campaigns and elections, interest groups) are described. This is an underlying theme however, and not the primary emphasis of the book. The book covers crime in the United States, the American system of policing, the courts, and corrections system. There is also a chapter on victims of crime and anti-crime initiatives. Intended for introductory courses, this book is informal and easy to read. Each chapter has boxes that provide additional information on a person or topic relevant to the chapter, relevant web sites, discussion questions, a list of important terms to assist students in learning the materials, and an outline to help students organize the material more clearly.

Prisoners of Politics

Prisoners of Politics PDF Author: Rachel Elise Barkow
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674919238
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
America’s criminal justice system reflects irrational fears stoked by politicians seeking to win election. Pointing to specific policies that are morally problematic and have failed to end the cycle of recidivism, Rachel Barkow argues that reform guided by evidence, not politics and emotions, will reduce crime and reverse mass incarceration.

The Politics of Injustice

The Politics of Injustice PDF Author: Katherine Beckett
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 9780761929949
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
Examines the US crime problem and the resulting policies as a political and cultural issue.

The Money and Politics of Criminal Justice Policy

The Money and Politics of Criminal Justice Policy PDF Author: O. Hayden Griffin (III)
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781611635171
Category : Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The criminal justice system is framed predominantly by notions of justice, as well as the creation of policies that will most effectively prevent and/or punish crime. The pedagogy of criminal justice often overlooks the expenditures that are necessary to enact these policies or how people actually benefit from the creation of these policies. While there is certainly a relationship between fiscal concerns and criminal justice policy, this relationship is oftentimes mediated by a political process that is dictated by stereotypical views of crime, as well as outright mythology concerning the nature of criminality. Thus, the purpose of this book is to address these issues, by concentrating on the different sectors of the criminal justice system and what effect money and politics have on these sectors. The topics covered in the textbook include determining the costs of crime, the fear of crime and crime myths, how theory affects paradigms of criminal justice regarding money and politics, federalism and the criminal justice system, interests groups that affect criminal justice policy, policing, corrections, and courts. In the concluding chapter, we pose the question of what should the relationship be between criminal justice policy, politics, and money. PowerPoint slides are available upon adoption. Sample slides from the full 206-slide presentation are available to view here. Email [email protected] for more information. "A sound introduction and discussion of criminal justice policy matters, as it relates to American political practices and financial considerations." -- Philip D. McCormack, Criminal Justice Review "...the authors present a many-layered review of the components of this system and the myriad factors influencing criminal justice policy...with extensive scholarly annotation and study aids--such as chapter outlines, learning objectives, lists of key terms/people and sample discussion questions--this book is a ready-made resource for academic use in college courses related to criminal justice, political science, sociology or law. It is also thought-provoking for criminal justice leaders and legislative policymakers at local, state, and federal levels, as well as anyone involved in criminal justice who desires a broad contextual view of their profession in contemporary times." -- David Bornus, Corrections Today Vol. 79, No. 2

Crime & Politics

Crime & Politics PDF Author: Ted Gest
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190290137
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Why has America experienced an explosion in crime rates since 1960? Why has the crime rate dropped in recent years? Though politicians are always ready both to take the credit for crime reduction and to exploit grisly headlines for short-term political gain, these questions remain among the most important-and most difficult to answer-in America today. In Crime & Politics, award-winning journalist Ted Gest gives readers the inside story of how crime policy is formulated inside the Washington beltway and state capitols, why we've had cycle after cycle of ineffective federal legislation, and where promising reforms might lead us in the future. Gest examines how politicians first made crime a national rather than a local issue, beginning with Lyndon Johnson's crime commission and the landmark anti-crime law of 1968 and continuing right up to such present-day measures as "three strikes" laws, mandatory sentencing, and community policing. Gest exposes a lack of consistent leadership, backroom partisan politics, and the rush to embrace simplistic solutions as the main causes for why Federal and state crime programs have failed to make our streets safe. But he also explores how the media aid and abet this trend by featuring lurid crimes that simultaneously frighten the public and encourage candidates to offer another round of quick-fix solutions. Drawing on extensive research and including interviews with Edwin Meese, Janet Reno, Joseph Biden, Ted Kennedy, and William Webster, Crime & Politics uncovers the real reasons why America continues to struggle with the crime problem and shows how we do a better job in the future.

Trading Democracy for Justice

Trading Democracy for Justice PDF Author: Traci Burch
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022606509X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
The United States imprisons far more people, total and per capita, and at a higher rate than any other country in the world. Among the more than 1.5 million Americans currently incarcerated, minorities and the poor are disproportionately represented. What’s more, they tend to come from just a few of the most disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country. While the political costs of this phenomenon remain poorly understood, it’s become increasingly clear that the effects of this mass incarceration are much more pervasive than previously thought, extending beyond those imprisoned to the neighbors, family, and friends left behind. For Trading Democracy for Justice, Traci Burch has drawn on data from neighborhoods with imprisonment rates up to fourteen times the national average to chart demographic features that include information about imprisonment, probation, and parole, as well as voter turnout and volunteerism. She presents powerful evidence that living in a high-imprisonment neighborhood significantly decreases political participation. Similarly, people living in these neighborhoods are less likely to engage with their communities through volunteer work. What results is the demobilization of entire neighborhoods and the creation of vast inequalities—even among those not directly affected by the criminal justice system. The first book to demonstrate the ways in which the institutional effects of imprisonment undermine already disadvantaged communities, Trading Democracy for Justice speaks to issues at the heart of democracy.

The Politics of International Criminal Law

The Politics of International Criminal Law PDF Author: Holly Cullen
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004372490
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 407

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Book Description
The Politics of International Criminal Law is an interdisciplinary collection of original research that examines the often noted but understudied political dimensions of International Criminal Law, and the challenges this nascent legal regime faces to its legitimacy in world affairs.

Votes, Drugs, and Violence

Votes, Drugs, and Violence PDF Author: Guillermo Trejo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108899900
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 379

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Book Description
One of the most surprising developments in Mexico's transition to democracy is the outbreak of criminal wars and large-scale criminal violence. Why did Mexican drug cartels go to war as the country transitioned away from one-party rule? And why have criminal wars proliferated as democracy has consolidated and elections have become more competitive subnationally? In Votes, Drugs, and Violence, Guillermo Trejo and Sandra Ley develop a political theory of criminal violence in weak democracies that elucidates how democratic politics and the fragmentation of power fundamentally shape cartels' incentives for war and peace. Drawing on in-depth case studies and statistical analysis spanning more than two decades and multiple levels of government, Trejo and Ley show that electoral competition and partisan conflict were key drivers of the outbreak of Mexico's crime wars, the intensification of violence, and the expansion of war and violence to the spheres of local politics and civil society.

Power, Politics And Crime

Power, Politics And Crime PDF Author: William J Chambliss
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429977719
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 173

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Book Description
In the United States today, we are on the verge of fulfilling a nightmare scenario. Parents are fearful of letting their children play in their own yards and elderly people are afraid to leave their homes. The bogeyman in this rampant panic about crime is the young black male, who, in the media and public image, is a ?superpredator? lurking on every street corner ready to attack any prey that is vulnerable. But is crime in America really as bad as the public has been made to believe?Power, Politics, and Crime argues that the current panic over crime has been manufactured by the media, law enforcement bureaucracies, and the private prison industry. It shows how the definition of criminal behavior systematically singles out the inner-city African American. But urban minorities aren't the only victims. Although crime rates have been declining for 25 years, vast amounts of money pour into the criminal justice-industrial complex, diverting scarce resources from other social services such as education, social welfare, and health care. While in recent years downsizing has affected almost every segment of the public sector, the criminal justice bureaucracies have seen an unprecedented expansion.Through ethnographic observations, analysis of census data, and historical research, William Chambliss describes what is happening, why it has come about, and what can be done about it. He explores the genesis of crime as a political issue, and the effect that crime policies have had on different segments of the population. The book is more than a statement about the politics of crime and punishment?it's a powerful indictment of contemporary law enforcement practices in the United States.In addition to updating the data the author has added a discussion of the "declining crime rate." Contrary to presentations in the media and by law enforcement agencies, the rate has been declining for over 25 years and therefore cannot be attributed to any "get tough on crime" policies so dear to the hearts of prosecutors and politicians. Chapter Seven, "Crime Myths and Smokescreens" has been completely revised and updated. Updates include a discussion of the recent scandal in the Los Angeles Police Department which has resulted in criminal charges against police officers and the release of numerous convicted felons because of falsified evidence and testimony on the part of police officers. The attack on Louima in the police station in New York as well as the shooting of Diallo are discussed in some detail as well as other recent exposures of police brutality and corruption. The sections on white collar, corporate, and state crimes have been updated and recent examples added to the text.