Crimes And Criminals

This book focuses on the importance of incorporating both sociological and psychological viewpoints in the understanding of criminal behavior. It identifies and explains emerging criminal offenders within the criminal justice system, examining the individual differences that make different types of offenders unique.

A good introduction to crime types and criminology to provide students with a grounding to the start of their studies.

Criminals and Victims presents an economic analysis of decisions made by criminals and victims of crime before, during, and after a crime or victimization occurs. Its main purpose is to illustrate how the application of analytical tools from economics can help us to understand the causes and consequences of criminal and victim choices, aiding efforts to deter or reduce the consequences of crime. By examining these decisions along a logical timeline over which crimes take place, we can begin to think more clearly about how policy effects change when it is targeted at specific decisions within the body of a crime. This book differs from others by recognizing the timeline of a crime, paying particular attention to victim decisions, and examining each step in the crime cycle at the micro-level. It demonstrates that criminals plan their crimes in systematic, economically logical ways; that deterring the destruction of criminal evidence may deter crime in general; and that white-collar criminals exhibit recidivism patterns not unlike those of street criminals. It further shows that the degree of criminality in a society motivates a variety of self-protection behaviors by potential victims; that not all victim resistance makes matters worse (and some may help); and that victims who report their crimes do not receive high returns for going to the police, helping to explain why some crimes ultimately go unreported.

Investigate 100 of the world's most notorious crimes, including the Great Train Robbery, the Lindbergh kidnapping, and the murders of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Were the perpetrators delusional, opportunist, or truly evil? Find out what really happened and how the cases were solved. Discover conmen with sheer verve, such as Victor Lustig who "sold" the Eiffel Tower to scrap dealers in 1925, adrenaline-fuelled escapes, and mind-bending exploits of pirates, kidnappers, and drug cartels. The Crime Book demystifies malware, cybercrimes, and Ponzi schemes and sets out the terrifying ploys of mass murderers from 16th-century Elizabeth Báthory who drained young girls' blood to the more recent exploits of Rosemary and Fred West. Like a virus, crime mutates and adapts. The Crime Book explains how pivotal moments in history opened up new opportunities for criminals, such as the smuggling of alcohol during the American Prohibition era. It also charts developments in justice and forensics including the Innocence Project, which used DNA testing to exonerate wrongly convicted convicts. It examines how the forces of law and order have fought back against crime, explaining ingenious sting operations such as tracking down the jewel thief Bill Mason and the final capture of murderer Ted Bundy. With a foreword from bestselling crime author Cathy Scott, The Crime Book is an enthralling introduction to humanity's darker side. Series Overview: Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics, along with straightforward and engaging writing, to make complex subjects easier to understand. These award-winning books provide just the information needed for students, families, or anyone interested in concise, thought-provoking refreshers on a single subject.

A vibrant collection of readings designed to provide a comprehensive—and accessible—introduction to criminology, Crime and Criminals: Contemporary and Classic Readings, Second Edition, brings together selections from diverse and dynamic sources, including sociologists, criminologists, and scholars from other related disciplines. Featuring twenty-four new readings, this incisive text addresses the broad range of subjects typically covered in a criminology course, including society's attempts to control crime and criminal behavior. To help students understand the relevance and real-world applications of criminology, new coeditor J. Mitchell Miller has shaped this edition with new selections that address how criminological research directly influences practical responses to crime. Building on the work of coeditors Frank R. Scarpitti and Amie L. Nielsen, these cutting-edge readings reflect exciting developments in contemporary criminology while also preserving the text's original purpose: to compile a set of readings that represent both the breadth and variety of research on the causes of crime, its control, and related social policy issues. In addition, this engaging text integrates many helpful pedagogical resources, which draw students into the core concepts and fundamental theories of the field: * An introductory chapter begins each section, providing a survey of the major issues in each area and a helpful context for the readings that follow * An introduction precedes each selection, offering an overview of the article and a discussion of its relevance to students * Lively discussion questions follow each reading An essential resource for criminology courses, the new edition Crime and Criminals explores the dynamic, challenging, and ever-changing realities of crime.

For decades, scholars have disagreed about what kinds of behavior count as crime. Is it simply a violation of the criminal law? Is it behavior that causes serious harm? Is the seriousness affected by how many people are harmed and does it make a difference who those people are? Are crimes less criminal if the victims are black, lower class, or foreigners? When corporations victimize workers is that a crime? What about when governments violate basic human rights of their citizens, and who then polices governments? In What Is Crime? the first book-length treatment of the topic, contributors debate the content of crime from diverse perspectives: consensus/moral, cultural/relative, conflict/power, anarchist/critical, feminist, racial/ethnic, postmodernist, and integrational. Henry and Lanier synthesize these perspectives and explore what each means for crime control policy.

This collection of essays reflects on the processes of defining crime, and considers the varied and complex implications of our decisions to criminalize certain unwanted behaviour. Employing various case studies, the contributors reflect on the social processes that inform definitions of crime, criminal law, and its enforcement, while illuminating the subjective nature of crime and questioning the role of law in dealing with complex social issues.