While most researchers see the urban setting as being the only laboratory for studying crime problems throughout the United States, Crime and Policing in Rural and Small-Town America directly challenges this notion with an authoritative look at crime and the criminal justice system in rural America today. The assumption that rural crime is rare and comparable across various communities has led to incompatible theories and irrelevant practices. In order to transform this misconstruction, the Third Edition offers a clear outline of the definition of rural and provides a vital argument for why rural and small-town crime should be studied more than it is. The book also explores the individual nature of issues that emerge in these communities, including illegal drug production, domestic violence, agricultural crimes, rural poverty, and gangs, in addition to the training needs of rural police, probation in rural areas, and rural jails and prisons. Responding to rural crime requires an awareness of its context and how justice is carried out, as well as an appreciation of how features vary across rural areas. Understanding the relationships among crime, geography, and culture in the rural setting can reveal useful ideas and implications for crime and justice in communities across the United States.

In 1996, Garland published the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Police Science, edited by the late William G. Bailey. The work covered all the major sectors of policing in the US. Since then much research has been done on policing issues, and there have been significant changes in techniques and in the American police system. Technological advances have refined and generated methods of investigation. Political events, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, have created new policing needs while affecting public opinion about law enforcement. These developments appear in the third, expanded edition of the Encyclopedia of Police Science. 380 entries examine the theoretical and practical aspects of law enforcement, discussing past and present practices. The added coverage makes the Encyclopedia more comprehensive with a greater focus on today's policing issues. Also added are themes such as accountability, the culture of police, and the legal framework that affects police decision. New topics discuss recent issues, such as Internet and crime, international terrorism, airport safety, or racial profiling. Entries are contributed by scholars as well as experts working in police departments, crime labs, and various fields of policing.

Although criminal justice systems in developed Western countries are much alike in form, structure, and function, the American system is unique. While it is structurally similar to those of other Western countries, the punishments it imposes are often vastly harsher. No other Western country retains capital punishment or regularly employs life-without-parole, three-strikes, or lengthy mandatory minimum sentencing laws. As a result, the U.S. imprisonment rate of nearly 800 per 100,000 residents dwarfs rates elsewhere. The Oxford Handbook of Crime and Criminal Justice is an essential guide to the development and operation of the American criminal justice system. A leading scholar in the field and an experienced editor, Michael Tonry has brought together a team of first-rate scholars to provide an authoritative and comprehensive overview and introduction to this crucial institution. Expertly organized, the various sections of the Handbook explore the American criminal justice system from a variety of perspectives-including its purposes, functions, problems, and priorities-and present analyses of police and policing, juvenile justice, prosecution and sentencing, and community and institutional corrections, making it a complete and unrivaled portrait of how America approaches crime and criminal justice, and giving persuasive answers as to why and how it has developed to what it is today. Accessibly written for a wide audience, the Handbook serves as a definitive reference for scholars and a broad survey for students in criminology and criminal justice.

With an engaging and balanced approach, former police officer and policing scholar Willard M. Oliver encourages students to think critically about the role of the police and the practice of policing in American society today. Policing in America builds a basic understanding of contemporary police practices upon a foundation of essential theory and research. In a readable style, the author offers a contextual understanding of concepts in policing, supported by the academic research and balanced with the voice of the American police officer. New to the Second Edition: Updated with new statistics and research Carefully streamlined and edited to ensure teachability and accuracy New, more realistic photos, added Current policing journal articles findings included and cited Professors and students will benefit from: Succinct yet thorough treatment of all policing topics, with a balanced approach that emphasizes contemporary policing. Discussion of best policing practices and research Real-world issues highlighted in text boxes Hypotheticals that exemplify theory in practice in every chapter A design for learning that includes charts, graphics, and summaries of key points Encourages students to think critically about the role of policing in today’s society.

The relationship between police and the communities and citizens they serve has long been a topic of study and controversy. Sung provides a place-oriented theory of policing to guide strategies for crime control and problem-oriented policing. He contends that community policing is a product of power relations among communities. Sung also explores: •how police and citizens interact with each other in stratified and residentially segregated communities •how services are delivered by police •how citizens respond to those charged with protecting them and enforcing the law Illuminating the police-neighborhood and advancing a clear hypothesis for explaining and predicting changes in police behavior, this both provides a conceptual platform for public policy debate, planning, and evaluation of police, public safety, and democratic governance. According to Sung, place has everything to do with the success of community policing, and the attitudes of both police and citizens contribute to the success or failure of police initiatives as well as the level of crime inherent in a community. By focusing on the social and political forces that shape the residential patterns of American cities and the organization of police work, Sung provides a theoretical framework for considering the relations between police and citizens in different neighborhoods. He concludes that current modes of police-community relations and crime prevention will improve only if the policies adopted encourage the transformation of marginal communities into communities where citizens feel a shared responsibility for maintaining and peace and order. This unique contribution to a growing field of study provides an ecological theory of police-citizen relations that begins with the inequality and segregation inherent in many American cities.