Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice

by Bohm, Robert M.; Walker, Jeffery T.

• ISBN13: 9780195330724
• ISBN10: 0195330722
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice addresses many of the American public's misconceptions about crime and criminal justice. Many of these understandings are inaccurate and based on myths. Each of the anthology's 27 articles demystifies or debunks one of these current myths, setting the record straight. Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice is organized to follow a logical progression through the criminal justice process. Part One addresses myths about crime; Part Two examines myths about law enforcement; Part Three investigates myths about the administration of justice; and Part Four focuses on myths about punishment and corrections. A unique feature of the book is that every chapter follows the same format. Each chapter opens with a brief section introducing a myth or a set of myths about a particular topic. Next follows the "The Kernel of Truth" section, in which accurate aspects of the myth or myths are identified because for myths to be believable and accepted, they generally must contain at least a kernel of truth. In the third section, "The Truth or Facts," the authors debunk the myth or myths by providing evidence, followed by "Interests Served by the Myth," which illuminates how the interests of specific individuals or groups are promoted by the creation and perpetuation of the myths. Finally, "Policy Implications of Belief in the Myth" highlights some of the practical and often undesirable consequences of belief in the myth or myths. Written in clear, accessible language, Demystifying Crime and Criminal Justice engages readers with straightforward analysis and cutting-edge information and research. Designed to stimulate critical thinking and class discussions, this mindset-challenging anthology will give students a depth of understanding about crime and criminal justice that few other books offer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. v
About the Editors	p. vi
About the Contributors	p. vii
Introduction	p. xvii
Crime	p. 1
The Myth That Crime and Criminality Can Be Measured	p. 3
The Myth That Mental Illness Causes Crime	p. 12
The Myth That White-Collar Crime Is Only About Financial Loss	p. 20
The Myth of Race and Crime	p. 29
The Myth That Serial Murderers Are Disproportionately White Males	p. 37
The Myth of Drug Users as Violent Offenders	p. 45
The Myth of Drug Decriminalization	p. 54
Demystifying Terrorism: "Crazy Islamic Terrorists Who Hate Us Because We're Free?"	p. 63
Law Enforcement	p. 71
The Myth That the Role of the Police Is to Fight Crime	p. 73
The Myth of a Monolithic Police Culture	p. 81
The Myth of Policewomen on Patrol	p. 89
The Myth of Racial Profiling	p. 97
The Myth That Science Solves Crimes	p. 104
The Myth That COMPSTAT Reduces Crime and Transforms Police Organizations	p. 111
Administration of Justice	p. 121
The Myth of Positive Differentiation in the Classification of Dangerous Offenders	p. 123
The Myth That the Exclusionary Rule Allows Many Criminals to Escape Justice	p. 132
The Myth That Harsh Punishments Reduce Juvenile Crime	p. 140
The Myth That Public Attitudes Are Punitive	p. 149
The Myth That the Death Penalty Is Administered Fairly	p. 158
The Myth of Closure and Capital Punishment	p. 167
Corrections	p. 177
The Myth That Punishment Reduces Crime	p. 179
The Myth That Imprisonment is the Most Severe Form of Punishment	p. 192
The Myth of Prisons As Country Clubs	p. 201
The Myth That Prisons Can Be Self-Supporting	p. 209
Correctional Privatization and the Myth of Inherent Efficiency	p. 214
The Myth That the Focus of Community Corrections Is Rehabilitation	p. 221
The Myth That Correctional Rehabilitation Does Not Work	p. 227
Index	p. 239
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