Criminology: A Very Short Introduction
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| Anteprima |
Crime
is big news. From murder to theft to drug gangs, crime and criminal
justice affect the lives of millions of people worldwide. Hardly
surprisingly, crime has been pushed high up the public policy agenda
across the world. But how can we measure crime, or evaluate the
effectiveness of preventative measures? Does the threat of prison reduce
someone's likelihood of reoffending, or would rehabilitation be more
constructive?
In this Very Short Introduction Tim Newburn considers
how we can study trends in crime and use them to inform preventative
policy and criminal justice. Analyzing the history of the subject, he
reflects on our understanding of crime and responses to crime in earlier
historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world,
Newburn discusses its causes, exploring the relationship between drugs
and crime, analyzing what we know about why people stop offending, and
looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. Newburn
concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be
anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits
are.
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