The social construction of crime is often out of proportion to the threat posed. The media and advocacy groups shine a spotlight on some crimes and ignore others. Street crime is highlighted as putting everyone at risk of victimization, while the greater social harms from corporate malfeasance receive far less attention. Social arrangements dictate what is defined as crime and the punishments for those who engage in the proscribed behavior. Interest groups promote their agendas by appealing to public fears. Justifications often have no basis in fact, but the public accepts the exaggerations and blames the targeted offenders. The net-widening effect of more laws and more punishment catches those least able to defend themselves. This innovative alternative to traditional textbooks provides insightful observations of myths and trends in criminal justice. Fourteen chapters challenge misconceptions about specific crimes or aspects of the criminal justice system. Kappeler and Potter dissect popular images of crimes and criminals in a cogent, compelling, and engaging manner. They trace the social construction of each issue and identify the misleading statistics and fears that form the basis of myths—and the collateral damage of basing policies on mythical beliefs. The authors encourage skepticism about commonly accepted beliefs, offer readers a fresh perspective, and urge them to analyze important issues from novel vantage points.

An insightful look at the realities of crime & justice that challenges basic assumptions & misconceptions about specific crimes or parts of the criminal justice system.

Over the past forty years, the criminal justice system in the United States has engaged in a very expensive policy failure, attempting to punish its way to public safety, with dismal results. So-called "tough on crime" policies have not only failed to effectively reduce crime, recidivism, and victimization but also created an incredibly inefficient system that routinely fails the public, taxpayers, crime victims, criminal offenders, their families, and their communities. Strategies that focus on behavior change are much more productive and cost effective for reducing crime than punishment, and in this book, William R. Kelly discusses the policy, process, and funding innovations and priorities that the United States needs to effectively reduce crime, recidivism, victimization, and cost. He recommends proactive, evidence-based interventions to address criminogenic behavior; collaborative decision making from a variety of professions and disciplines; and a focus on innovative alternatives to incarceration, such as problem-solving courts and probation. Students, professionals, and policy makers alike will find in this comprehensive text a bracing discussion of how our criminal justice system became broken and the best strategies by which to fix it.

The Mythology of Modern Law is a radical reappraisal of the role of myth in modern society. Peter Fitzpatrick uses the example of law, as an integral category of modern social thought, to challenge the claims of modernity which deny the relevance of myth to modern society.

This is a cogent, although admittedly not unbiased, analysis of misconceptions about crime and the criminal justice system. The main theme of the book is that the `myths' on which efforts to deal with this crime `anxiety' are based stem from two common beliefs--that there is an unprecedented crime wave, and that government should and can do something to recognize the source and purpose they serve, and also to know how and why Americans react to crime. Choice Wright offers a challenging new analysis of the misconceptions surrounding crime and an evaluation of the role of the criminal-justice system and the social context of crime. He notes that a comparatively high rate of violence has been characteristic of this nation from its earliest days and that crime waves and attempts at suppression have occurred at frequent intervals. He examines modern crime statistics and the distortions and confusion accompanying their use and looks at the effects of the pervasive fear of crime, demonstrating how law enforcement agencies and the press benefit from exaggerating its incidence and seriousness. The author makes a convincing case for the view that even with enlightened policies and higher levels of support, no criminal-justice system can, by itself, effect a significant reduction in crime. Since most crime is socially determined, he argues, we need to look at the conditions and attitudes within our society that create an atmosphere congenial to crime.