Crime in the United States has fluctuated considerably over the past thirty years, as have the policy approaches
to deal with it. During this time criminologists and other scholars have helped to shed light on the role of incarceration,
prevention, drugs, guns, policing, and numerous other aspects to crime control. Yet the latest research is rarely
heard in public discussions and is often missing from the desks of policymakers. This book accessibly summarizes
the latest scientific information on the causes of crime and evidence about what does and does not work to control
it.
Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition of Crime and Public Policy will include twenty chapters and five
new substantial entries. As with previous editions, each essay reviews the existing literature, discusses the methodological
rigor of the studies, identifies what policies and programs the studies suggest, and then points to policies now
implemented that fail to reflect the evidence. The chapters cover the principle institutions of the criminal justice
system (juvenile justice, police, prisons, probation and parole, sentencing), how broader aspects of social life
inhibit or encourage crime (biology, schools, families, communities), and topics currently generating a great deal
of attention (criminal activities of gangs, sex offenders, prisoner reentry, changing crime rates).
With contributions from trusted, leading scholars, Crime and Public Policy offers the most comprehensive and balanced
guide to how the latest and best social science research informs the understanding of crime and its control for
policymakers, community leaders, and students of crime and criminal justice.