Table of Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 What No One Is Telling You About Crime and Justice 1
Crime, Criminals, and Why We All Need to Know About Them 2
Getting Tough? The U.S. Criminal Justice System in Crisis 3
Who We Are and Why We Wrote This Book 4
References 5
Chapter 2 The Crime Problem 7
Fear and Loathing; Don't Believe Everything You See in the Newspapers or on Television 8
If You Build It, They Will Come (and Then Leave): The War on Crime and the Growth of Prisons 12
Dirty Secrets of Criminal Justice 15
Key Terms 19
Suggested Readings 19
References 20
Chapter 3 How Much Crime Is There and Who Commits It? 23
How Crimes Are Counted 24
Who Commits Crime? 29
Key Terms 37
Suggested Readings 37
References 37
Chapter 4 Robbers, Rapists, and Serial Killers: Violent Crime in America 41
Homicide 42
Serial Killers 45
Mass Murder 50
Rape: A Crime of Power, Not Sex 57
Robbery 62
Street Gangs 67
Guns and Violent Crime 68
The Churches and Sexual Abuse 70
Hate Crimes 76
Key Terms 77
Suggested Readings 77
References 77
Chapter 5 Hookers, Dopers, and Corporate Crooks: Economic, Exploitive, and Consensual Crime 83
Burglary 84
Motor Vehicle Theft 86
Corporate Crime 89
Identity Theft 92
Illegal Drug Use 97
Prostitution 113
Key Terms 120
Suggested Readings 121
References 121
Chapter 6 Victims and Victimization: Will You Be Next? 129
Victim Characteristics 130
The Cost and Consequences of Victimization 154
Victims and Offenders 135
The Victims' Movement 145
Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004 151
Key Terms 153
Suggested Readings 154
References 154
Chapter 7 Crime and Criminal Law: Order, Liberty, and Justice for All? 159
Order Versus Liberty in American Democracy 159
Types of Crime: Felonies and Misdemeanors 160
When Is an Act a Crime and When Is It Not a Crime? The Elements of Criminal Behavior 160
When Is a Defendant Not Responsible for Committing a Crime? Legal Defenses to Criminal Charges 162
The Rights of Suspects and Defendants: Controversy and the U.S. Constitution 166
Key Terms 175
Suggested Readings 176
References 176
Chapter 8 Why They Break the Law 179
Rational Choice and Deterrence 180
Biological and Psychological Explanations 182
Sociological Explanations 185
Theory and Policy, or How to Reduce Crime and How Not to Reduce It 193
Key Terms 195
Suggested Readings 195
References 196
Chapter 9 Taking It to the Streets: Cops on the Job 199
The Organization of Law Enforcement 200
Police: White, Black, Hispanic, Male, Female, Straight, and Gay 201
The Police and Crime Rates 204
Doing Police Work 205
Police Discretion 211
The Police and Profiling 212
Militarizing the Police 214
Officers Killed in the Line of Duty 216
Police Deviance: When the Good Guys Are Bad Guys 217
Sexual Predators m Blue 220
Police and the Use of Force 222
Policing the Polite 229
Key Terms 231
Suggested Readings 231
References 232
Chapter 10 Pretrial Procedures and Plea Bargaining: From Arrest to "Let's Make a Deal" 239
Pretrial Procedures 240
The Courtroom as a Clubhouse 248
Plea Bargaining 249
Key Terms 258
Suggested Readings 259
References 259
Chapter 11 Criminal Trials and Courtroom Issues: Convicting the Innocent, Exonerating the Guilty 263
The Criminal Trial 264
Jury Nullification 276
Wrongful Convictions: Factually Innocent but Legally Guilty 279
Fingerprints: Proof Positive? 290"Is That All the Evidence You Have?" The CSI Effect 291
Key Terms 293
Suggested Readings 293
References 294
Chapter 12 Prisons and Jails: Punishment at Any Cost? 299
Such An Ordeal: Today's Corrections System 300
Life Behind Bars: Myth Versus Reality 304
Women in Prison: Sexism in Captivity 309
The Death Penalty Debate 312
Key Terms 314
Suggested Readings 315
References 315
Chapter 13 Community Corrections and Juvenile Justice 319
Probation and Parole 319
Juvenile Justice: Youths at Risk? 325
Key Terms 331
Suggested Readings 331
References 331
Chapter 14 Conclusion: What Every American Should Know 335
What Do We Know About Crime? 335
What Should We Do About Crime? 338
How Can We Help Crime Victims? 338
How Can We Improve the Justice System? 339
Keeping Your Family Safe 340
Keeping Your Family Off the Police Blotter 341
References 342
Index 345