Open Textbook Library
Selected Books
Almost Innocent by
Shanti Brien was a practicing lawyer and a recovering NFL wife when the Department of Justice began a criminal investigation of her husband's company. This collision of her personal and professional lives altered her view of the system she'd dedicated her life to and frames Almost Innocent, an insightful examination of the broader criminal justice system.Detailing the stories of nine of Brien's clients, from the obviously guilty to the surprisingly innocent, Almost Innocent candidly describes how each of Brien's clients journeyed through the messy and tragic criminal system and touched Brien's life, saving her from stupid mistakes, strengthening a football-ravaged marriage, and teaching her about humility, redemption, and humanity.
Call Number: KF9050 .B75 2021 (Camden)ISBN: 9781645432036Publication Date: 2021-03-02
Mandatory Minimum Sentences by
Is it fair to remove judicial discretion when sentencing criminals for certain crimes? This volume presents a wide diversity of opinions from an array of experts on the impact of mandatory minimum sentencing on crime, including the "three strikes" law. Readers are asked to examine the inherent fairness of mandatory sentences. Are they discriminatory? Do they usurp judicial power and result in overcrowded prisons? Or do they protect children and deter repeat offenders? Experts also weigh in on alternatives to mandatory sentences.
Call Number: KF9685 .M33 2019 (Waycross)ISBN: 9781534502956Publication Date: 2018-07-30
Profit and Punishment by
In Profit and Punishment, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist exposes the tragedy of modern-day debtors prisons, and how they destroy the lives of poor Americans swept up in a system designed to penalize the most impoverished. "Intimate, raw, and utterly scathing" -- Heather Ann Thompson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Blood in the Water "Crucial evidence that the justice system is broken and has to be fixed. Please read this book." --James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author As a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tony Messenger has spent years in county and municipal courthouses documenting how poor Americans are convicted of minor crimes and then saddled with exorbitant fines and fees. If they are unable to pay, they are often sent to prison, where they are then charged a pay-to-stay bill, in a cycle that soon creates a mountain of debt that can take years to pay off. These insidious penalties are used to raise money for broken local and state budgets, often overseen by for-profit companies, and it is one of the central issues of the criminal justice reform movement. In the tradition of Evicted and The New Jim Crow, Messenger has written a call to arms, shining a light on a two-tiered system invisible to most Americans. He introduces readers to three single mothers caught up in this system: living in poverty in Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, whose lives are upended when minor offenses become monumental financial and personal catastrophes. As these women struggle to clear their debt and move on with their lives, readers meet the dogged civil rights advocates and lawmakers fighting by their side to create a more equitable and fair court of justice. In this remarkable feat of reporting, Tony Messenger exposes injustice that is agonizing and infuriating in its mundane cruelty, as he champions the rights and dignity of some of the most vulnerable Americans.
Call Number: HV95 .M38 2021 McNaughton (Golden Isles)ISBN: 9781250274649Publication Date: 2021-12-07
Sentence by
A memoir of a decade in prison by a well-educated young addict known as the "Apologetic Bandit" In 2003 Daniel Genis, the son of a famous Soviet emigre writer, broadcaster, and culture critic, was fresh out of NYU when he faced a serious heroin addiction that led him into debt and ultimately crime. After he was arrested for robbing people at knifepoint, he was nicknamed the "Apologetic Bandit" in the press, given his habit of expressing regret to his victims as he took their cash. He was sentenced to twelve years-ten with good behavior, a decade he survived by reading 1,046 books, taking up weightlifting, having philosophical discussions with his fellow inmates, working at a series of prison jobs, and in general observing an existence for which nothing in his life had prepared him. Genis describes in unsparing and vivid detail the realities of daily life in the New York penal system. In his journey from Rikers Island and through a series of upstate institutions, he encounters violence on an almost daily basis, while learning about the social strata of gangs, the "court" system that sets geographic boundaries in prison yards, how sex was obtained, the workings of the black market in drugs and more practical goods, the inventiveness required for everyday tasks such as cooking, and how debilitating solitary confinement actually is-all while trying to preserve his relationship with his wife, whom he recently married. Written with empathy and wit, Sentence is a strikingly powerful memoir of the brutalities of prison and how one man survived them, leaving its walls with this book inside him, "one made of pain and fear and laughter and lots of other books."
Call Number: HV9468.G46 McNaughton (Golden Isles)ISBN: 9780525429555Publication Date: 2022-02-22
Shadows of Doubt by
Shadows of Doubt reveals how deeply stereotypes distort our interactions, shape crime, and deform the criminal justice system. If you're a robber, how do you choose your victims? As a police officer, how afraid are you of the young man you're about to arrest? As a judge, do you think the suspect in front of you will show up in court if released from pretrial detention? As a juror, does the defendant seem guilty to you? Your answers may depend on the stereotypes you hold, and the stereotypes you believe others hold. In this provocative, pioneering book, economists Brendan O'Flaherty and Rajiv Sethi explore how stereotypes can shape the ways crimes unfold and how they contaminate the justice system through far more insidious, pervasive, and surprising paths than we have previously imagined. Crime and punishment occur under extreme uncertainty. Offenders, victims, police officers, judges, and jurors make high-stakes decisions with limited information, under severe time pressure. With compelling stories and extensive data on how people act as they try to commit, prevent, or punish crimes, O'Flaherty and Sethi reveal the extent to which we rely on stereotypes as shortcuts in our decision making. Sometimes it's simple: Robbers tend to target those they stereotype as being more compliant. Other interactions display a complex and sometimes tragic interplay of assumptions: "If he thinks I'm dangerous, he might shoot. I'll shoot first." Shadows of Doubt shows how deeply stereotypes are implicated in the most controversial criminal justice issues of our time, and how a clearer understanding of their effects can guide us toward a more just society.
Call Number: HV9950 .O25 2019 (Waycross)ISBN: 9780674976597Publication Date: 2019-04-15
Selected eBooks
Collision Course by
This book is about the convergence of trends in two American institutions - the economy and the criminal justice system. The American economy has radically transformed in the past half-century, led by advances in automation technology that have permanently altered labor market dynamics. Over the same period, the U.S. criminal justice system experienced an unprecedented expansion at great cost. These costs include not only the $80 billion annually in direct expenditures on criminal justice, but also the devastating impacts experienced by justice-involved individuals, families, and communities. Recently, a widespread consensus has emerged that the era of "mass incarceration" is at an end, reflected in a declining prison population. Criminal justice reforms such as diversion and problem-solving courts, a renewed focus on reentry, and drug policy reform have as their goal keeping more individuals with justice system involvement out of prisons, in the community and subsequently in the labor force, which lacks the capacity to accommodate these additional would-be workers. This poses significant problems for criminal justice practice, which relies heavily on employment as a signal of offenders' intentions to live a law-abiding lifestyle. The diminished capacity of the economy to utilize the labor of all who have historically been expected to work presents significant challenges for American society. Work, in the American ethos is the marker of success, masculinity and how one "contributes to society." What are the consequences of ignoring these converging structural trends? This book examines these potential consequences, the meaning of work in American society, and suggests alternative redistributive and policy solutions to avert the collision course of these economic and criminal justice policy trends.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781978817975Publication Date: 2022-01-14
Criminal Justice Technology in the 21st Century by
This third edition, arriving nearly 12 years after the previous one, is not only timely but overdue. This text offers a welcome and appropriate mixture of knowledge or information about specific types of technology along with empirical studies of certain technology used in various subcomponents of the criminal justice system. This text consists of 12 chapters, with eight completely new and four substantially revised and updated. The text is arranged into two parts: law enforcement technology and public safety technology. Major topics include: technology infrastructure: what it is and how it's changing; current overview of law enforcement technology; body-worn cameras: the new normal; avoiding the technological panacea of the body-worn camera; examining perceptions of technology-enabled crimes; digital forensics; technological advancements in keeping victims safe; the evolution of offender electronic monitoring: from radio signals to satellite technology; technoprisons: technology and prisons; inside the Darknet: techno-crime and criminal opportunity; securing cyberspace in the 21st century; and assessing the deployment of automated license place recognition technology and strategies to improve public safety. Numerous illustrations and tables highlight the chapter contents. Students, educators, and practitioners will find this new edition most useful as it provides practical knowledge about different technology advances and projections on many levels. This third edition has developed into an excellent resource that allows both neophyte and expert to learn state-of-the-art information.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780398091514Publication Date: 2017-01-05
The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice by
***Selected as a 2015 Outstanding Reference Source by Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association*** "An excellent introduction to topics under the criminology umbrella for those unschooled in the field and a state-of-the-art refresher for those who are." --Choice Offers wide-ranging and comprehensive coverage spanning 15 substantive areas within criminology and criminal justice, including criminal law, juvenile justice, education and professionalism, history of crime, and victimization Combines state-of-the-art coverage of developments in areas such as homeland security and forensic science, with the core topics within criminology and criminal justice Edited by one of criminology's leading authorities, and peer reviewed by a team of 14 associate editors, all of whom are renowned in their fields Brings together an international team of contributors from ten countries to offer a uniquely global perspective on topics such as transnational crime 5 Volumes www.encyclopediaofcriminology.com
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781118517383Publication Date: 2014-01-22
Suicide and Its Impact on the Criminal Justice System by
For far too long, speaking about suicide was a taboo subject. Today, it is a topic we cannot avoid, and we are finally coming to terms with its pervasiveness across all races, ethnicities, religions, and professions. Yet despite this growing awareness, we have yet to acknowledge and address the arc of suicide in the criminal justice system. In this seminal work, the authors enlist the insights of academic specialists, professionals within the criminal justice system, and individuals who have served time to bring voice to the subject of suicide within the criminal justice system. This unique book provides insights that have yet to be broadly examined. Whether you are a defendant, family member, criminal defense attorney, prosecutor, judge, law enforcement officer, academic, or mental health professional, this book provides much-needed information about a pervasive phenomenon--suicide in the criminal justice system.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781641059862Publication Date: 2022-05-02
Understanding Policing and Professional Practice by
An essential introductory text on modern-day policing, suitable for all pre-join policing students as well as those on criminology courses. It matches the requirements of the new qualifications and standards and examines the challenges of policing an increasingly global, technical and diverse world.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781914171963Publication Date: 2022
Expert Recommendations
Abetting Batterers by
Whatever the number, domestic violence victims remain far too many for a preventable crime. More and more victims of intimate partner violence are reaching out to police, prosecutors and judges only to be sorely disappointed, even betrayed. While laws and programs have multiplied over the last few decades to address domestic violence, the country is getting safer for almost everyone except for women who have, or have had, abusive male intimate partners. Andrew R. Klein and Jessica L. Klein look at the criminal justice response to domestic violence across America today, ranging from police to prosecutors and courtrooms across the nation. Abetting Batterers reveals the troubling pattern of inattention and incompetence that compromises the safety of women and encourages their male abusers to continue their abuse and violence. Although criminal justice system agencies vary among cities, towns and counties within the same state they all too often relegate domestic violence to the backburners of the system, dismissing victims and ignoring even the most serious and chronic abusers. The variation reveals the real problem in preventing intimate partner violence lies in these agencies' commitment and will, rather than their ability to do the job. The authors unveil what is working in regard to protecting victims of domestic violence and holding their abusers accountable, and they suggest strategies for ensuring that what is being done right can be replicated and become the law and practice across the nation. The wide variation in how intimate partner violence is handled by similar jurisdictions demonstrates the real problem in preventing it lies in these agencies' commitment, rather than ability to do the job. This book proves to be invaluable in understanding what is and is not being done in the reality of domestic violence in America.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781442248274Publication Date: 2016-07-08
A Country Called Prison by
The United States is the world leader in incarcerating citizens. 707 people out of every 100,000 are imprisoned. If those currently incarcerated in the US prison system were a country, it would be the 102nd most populated nation in the world. Aside from looking at the numbers, if we could look at prison from a new viewpoint, as its own country rather than an institution made up of walls and wires, policies and procedures, and legal statutes, what might we be able to learn? In A Country Called Prison, Mary Looman and John Carl propose a paradigm shift in the way that American society views mass incarceration. Weaving together sociological and psychological principles, theories of political reform, and real-life stories from experiences working in prison and with at-risk families, Looman and Carl form a foundation of understanding to demonstrate that prison is more than an institution built of fences and policies - it is a culture. Prison continues well after incarceration, as ex-felons leave correctional facilities (and often return to impoverished neighborhoods) without money or legal identification of American citizenship. Trapped in the isolation of poverty, these legal aliens turn to illegal ways of providing for themselves and are often reimprisoned. This situation is unsustainable and America is clearly facing an incarceration epidemic that requires a new perspective to eradicate it. A Country Called Prison offers concrete, feasible, economical suggestions to reform the prison system and help prisoners return to a healthier life after incarceration.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780190211035Publication Date: 2015-07-01
Crisis Negotiation for Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Emergency Services by
This text focuses on operational theory and practice for negotiators by following a crisis intervention model for crisis negotiations. Its intent is to provide some depth and breadth of understanding for instructors, students, and line negotiators seeking excellence in the professional role of hostage crisis negotiator. The book is written principally to enhance negotiator confidence and competence, well-grounded in deliberate and effective use of self as an intervener and negotiator in critical incidents. The text seeks to provide a structure and framework for conducting negotiations. Major topics include: Rapidly establishing rapport and a collaborative relationship; conducting crisis, biopsychosocial, and lethality assessments; identifying the major problems or crisis precipitants; exploring feelings and emotions; generating and exploring alternatives; developing and implementing an action plan, with follow-up; hostage situations as crisis negotiations; suicide and assault with danger to self and others; and barricaded subject situations. The real amalgam of the art and science of the field of crisis negotiation is knowledge in depth and its skillful, practical application in the aid of others. This book is for those who want to be much more than just good enough. The text provides a valuable resource to all police and correction agencies, emergency rescue personnel, as well as medical and behavioral science professionals.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9780398090654Publication Date: 2015-05-07
Understanding Mass Incarceration by
A brilliant overview of America's defining human rights crisis and a "much-needed introduction to the racial, political, and economic dimensions of mass incarceration" (Michelle Alexander) Understanding Mass Incarceration offers the first comprehensive overview of the incarceration apparatus put in place by the world's largest jailer: the United States. Drawing on a growing body of academic and professional work, Understanding Mass Incarceration describes in plain English the many competing theories of criminal justice--from rehabilitation to retribution, from restorative justice to justice reinvestment. In a lively and accessible style, author James Kilgore illuminates the difference between prisons and jails, probation and parole, laying out key concepts and policies such as the War on Drugs, broken windows policing, three-strikes sentencing, the school-to-prison pipeline, recidivism, and prison privatization. Informed by the crucial lenses of race and gender, he addresses issues typically omitted from the discussion: the rapidly increasing incarceration of women, Latinos, and transgender people; the growing imprisonment of immigrants; and the devastating impact of mass incarceration on communities. Both field guide and primer, Understanding Mass Incarceration is an essential resource for those engaged in criminal justice activism as well as those new to the subject.
Call Number: OnlineISBN: 9781620970676Publication Date: 2015-09-01
