This book offers an up-to-date analysis of these contemporary
trends by providing all honest and concerned citizens with a
concise yet comprehensive survey of the sources of current problems
and anxieties about crime. It shows that the dominant tough law and
order approach to crime is based on fallacies about its nature,
sources, and what works in terms of crime control. Instead it
argues that the growth of crime has deep-seated causes, so that
policing and penal policy at best can only temporarily hold a lid
down on offending.
The book is intended to inform public debate about these vital issues through a critical deconstruction of prevailing orthodoxy. With its focus on current policies, problems and debates this book is also an excellent introduction to criminology for the growing numbers of students of the subject at all levels.
* Exam copies only available to lecturers for whom the book may be suitable as a course text.
Please note: Sales representation and distribution for Polity titles is provided by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
"In this strong and deeply felt book, Robert Reiner makes the
case that both rising crime and the increasingly punitive response
to it in many countries are reflections of the larger thrust toward
neoliberal economic and social policies around the world. It's a
convincing argument, and though Reiner's examples are drawn mainly
from the British experience, it is an argument that is very
relevant for other countries as well."
New Criminal Law Review
"Reiner reviews a very large body of criminological literature,
and his detailed arguments, along with the bibliography he offers,
constitute an important source for students and researchers.
"
Times Higher Education Supplement
"An unusual but insightful book from an author who's been around
long enough to critically comment with authority on the recent
evolution of modern crime and crime control."
Surveillance and Society
"An illuminating discussion ... some new thinking is desperately
needed, and this book is a good place to start."
Times Literary Supplement
"Reiner is an able guide, and concisely navigates theory,
policy, empirical research findings, official records and media
reporting to deliver a tightly argued thesis."
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology
"Citizens wanting to separate fact from fiction on the subject
of crime control now have the reliable guide that they so badly
need. Robert Reiner is Britain's most informed and insightful
commentator on law and order and this fact-packed book presents his
critical wisdom in prose that is concise, direct, and always
entertaining."
David Garland, New York University
"This is a timely, well-organized and coherent treatment of an
important topic. It is characterized throughout by the author's
trademark ability to distill a large of amount of factual material
and criminological theory and research into a lively,
thought-provoking and accessible narrative."
Ian Loader, University of Oxford
2. An Inspector Calls: Putting Crime in its Place.
3. A Mephistophelean Calculus: Measuring Crime Trends.
4. Permissiveness v. Political Economy: Explaining Crime Trends.
5. A New Leviathan?: Law and Order Politics and Tough Crime Control.
6. Conclusion: Law and Order – A 2020 Vision.
References
