This book casts a critical eye on scholarship in the field of criminal justice, and offers some new orientations to help develop explanations for twenty-first century criminology and criminal justice studies.

An anthology of 24 essays on major developments in contemporary criminological theory

A collection of original essays addressing theories of criminal behavior that is written at a level appropriate for undergraduate students. This book offers section introductions that provide a historical background for each theory, key issues that the theory addresses, and a discussion of any controversies generated by the theory.

Reflecting a diversity of thought and intellectual power, this unique volume provides undergraduate students with an important historical context and demonstrates the continuity of many issues in the fields of criminology and criminal justice. Commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the American Society of Criminology, this volume contains previously published articles by the society's president-many of whom are the leading thinkers in the field. Articles examine the philosophy of punishment, policing, the politics of crime and crime control, criminological theory, drug use, white-collar crime, female crime, the study of deviance, parole, prediction studies, and criminal justice policy.

Criminal Justice Theory examines the theoretical foundations of criminal justice in the modern era, whilst also considering legal philosophy and ethics, explaining criminal behaviour, and discussing policing, the court process, and penology in the context of contemporary socio-economic debates. Throughout the book, a realist theoretical thread acts as a guide interlinking concepts of social progress, conflict, and cerebral models of criminal justice, whilst also recognizing our collusion in the creation of an increasingly pervasive culture of socio-control which now characterizes contemporary society. The complex theoretical issues tackled in this book are addressed in an accessible style, making this a relevant and comprehensive introduction to criminal justice theory for students on a wide range of undergraduate criminal justice modules. It is also a helpful guide for those commencing postgraduate studies in the disciplines of criminal justice, criminology, and law.

"I think this book does an absolutely fantastic job at capturing the balance between ‘quality versus quantity’ of coverage." —Adam Trahan, University of North Texas Criminological Theory: The Essentials, Third Edition offers students a brief yet comprehensive overview of classic and contemporary criminologists and their theories. Putting criminological theory in context, acclaimed author Stephen G. Tibbetts examines policy implications brought about by theoretical perspectives to demonstrate to students the practical application of theories to contemporary social problems. New to the Third Edition: A new chapter dedicated entirely to feminist perspectives (Chapter 10) introduces students to feminist models of crime while underscoring the importance of examining the related research. Case studies that examine offender motives are now included to help students apply the theories discussed to interesting and memorable examples. Policy is now integrated into each section to allow students to see the practical policy implications of each theory. Coverage of critical topics has been expanded throughout to introduce students to important issues, such as the influence of employment on criminal behavior, the success of school programs in reducing delinquent behavior, and federal sentencing guidelines in regard to crack versus powder cocaine. Statistics, graphs, and tables have all been updated to demonstrate the most recent trends in criminology. Instructors, sign in at study.sagepub.com/tibbetts3e for a Microsoft Word test bank, Microsoft PowerPoint slides, Lecture notes, and more!