"What do criminals do when they become victims? Surprisingly, criminologists have never systematically addressed this simple but important question - until now. Drawing on a sample of active street criminals, male and female, Jacobs and Wright reveal the powerful attractions of aggressive retaliation for those to whom law is effectively unavailable. What the legal system records as a ?homicide,? an ?assault,? an ?arson?or a ?theft? is often, on the ground, an act of justice exacted by an indignant victim of wrongdoing. Yet for all its appeal, retaliation poses taxing challenges and is never automatic, resulting, rather, in a complex and varied set of street-level behaviors. Impressively researched, elegantly written, and filled with striking cases and arresting quotes, this book provides a vivid portrait of the myriad and ingenious ways that people embroiled in illegal activity get even. Scholars and students alike will benefit from the light that Jacobs and Wright shine on this long- neglected corner of criminal reality." -Mark Cooney, University of Georgia