Criminal Justice Theory, Second Edition is the first and only text, edited by U.S. criminal justice educators, on the theoretical foundations of criminal justice, not criminological theory. This new edition includes entirely new chapters as well as revisions to all others, with an eye to accessibility and coherence for upper division undergraduate and beginning graduate students in the field.

Criminal Justice Theory examines the theoretical foundations of criminal justice in the modern era, whilst also considering legal philosophy and ethics, explaining criminal behaviour, and discussing policing, the court process, and penology in the context of contemporary socio-economic debates. Throughout the book, a realist theoretical thread acts as a guide interlinking concepts of social progress, conflict, and cerebral models of criminal justice, whilst also recognizing our collusion in the creation of an increasingly pervasive culture of socio-control which now characterizes contemporary society. The complex theoretical issues tackled in this book are addressed in an accessible style, making this a relevant and comprehensive introduction to criminal justice theory for students on a wide range of undergraduate criminal justice modules. It is also a helpful guide for those commencing postgraduate studies in the disciplines of criminal justice, criminology, and law.

This book casts a critical eye on scholarship in the field of criminal justice, and offers some new orientations to help develop explanations for twenty-first century criminology and criminal justice studies.

Criminal Justice Theory: Explanations and Effects undertakes a systematic study of theories of the criminal justice system, which historically have received very little attention from scholars. This is a glaring omission given the risk of mass imprisonment, the increasing presence of police in inner-city communities, and the emergence of new policy initiatives aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of the administration of justice. Fortunately, however, a number of disparate theoretical works have appeared that seek to provide insight into the nature and impact of criminal justice. Based on 13 original essays by influential scholars, this volume pulls together the most significant of these perspectives, thus creating a state-of-the-art assessment of contemporary criminal justice theory. Criminal justice theory can be divided into two main categories. The first includes works that seek to explain the operation of the criminal justice system. Most of these contributions have grappled with the core reality of American criminal justice: its rising embrace of punitiveness and the growth of mass imprisonment. The second category focuses on works that identify theories that have often guided efforts to reduce crime. The issue here focuses mainly on the effects of certain theoretically guided criminal justice interventions. The current volume is thus organized into these two categories: explanations and effects. The result is an innovative and comprehensive book that not only serves researchers by advancing scholarship but also is appropriate for advanced undergraduate or graduate classroom use.

Criminological Theories is an anthology of previously published articles and book focuses on the major theories, past and present, that inform criminology today.

In dem Band wird erörtert, ob die Strafrechtstheorie (bzw. die allgemeine Rechtstheorie) als ein Zweig der Wissenschaft angesehen werden kann. Dabei werden folgende Fragen behandelt: In welchem Sinne ist die Strafrechtslehre eine Form der Wissenschaft? Kann es systemische Entwicklungen in der Strafrechtstheorie geben? Die Frage nach dem Wesen der strafrechtlichen Erkenntnis ist eng verknüpft mit der Frage, was Rechtswissenschaft im Allgemeinen ausmacht. Eine Diskussion im Bereich des Strafrechts kann einen Beitrag zur allgemeinen Diskussion in der Rechtstheorie leisten und deutlich machen, wo die Strafrechtstheorie steht, wenn die juristische Forschung mit den Herausforderungen der Interdisziplinarität konfrontiert wird. Mit Beiträgen von Petter Asp, Thomas Elholm, Liang Genlin, Luís Greco, Eric Hilgendorf, Jørn Jacobsen, Heike Jung, Massimiliano Lanzi, Shin Matsuzawa, Kimmo Nuotio und Michael Pawlik.