American legal scholars have debated for some time the need for a cultural defense in criminal proceedings where minority cultural information seems perti nent to a finding of criminal responsibility in situations where a minority cultural defendant has violated a valid criminal statute. This work presents a systematic analysis of this issue. Drawing from sociological, anthropological, and philosophical materials, as well as traditional legal discussions, the authors develop a scheme that indicates when cultural factors can be used as the basis for such a defense and when they are irrelevant to a finding of criminal responsibility. The argument moves from general concerns of social justice that apply under conditions of social and cultural pluralism to practical policy recommendations for the operation of American criminal justice. It thus connects more theoretical materials with the practical concerns of jurisprudence. The justification for legal recognition of a cultural defense in American criminal law is anchored firmly in American constitutional law.

Readings in Cultural Diversity and Criminal Justice presents students with a collection of scholarly, interdisciplinary articles and invites them to critically examine the importance of cultural diversity within the criminal justice system. The book is divided into five parts. Part I consists of introductory articles that discuss colorism, the origins of racism, and how the media perpetuates racial stereotypes. In Part II, students read articles devoted to theory that ad

Resource added for the Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement 105046 and Professional Studies 105045 programs.

The idea of a cultural defense in criminal law is often ridiculed as "multiculturalism run amok ". To allow someone charged with a crime to say "this is my culture " as an excuse for their action seems to open the door to cultural relativism, to jeopardize the protection of fundamental rights, and to undermine norms of individual responsibility. Many scholars, however, insist that cultural evidence is appropriate, indeed essential, for the fair operation of the criminal law. The criminal law is society's most powerful tool for regulating behaviour, and just for that reason we apply strong safeguards to ensure that criminal sanctions are applied in a fair way. When it comes to individuals, we want our rules for judging responsibility and punishment to track the actual blameworthiness of the specific individual being prosecuted for a specific action in the past. Cultural evidence may help improve our judgements of individual blameworthiness and desert; indeed, cultural evidence might even be necessary if the practice of punishing individuals is to be legitimate and equitable. According to its proponents, the use of cultural evidence when judging individual blameworthiness is a natural extension of the logic of existing criminal law doctrines regarding defences, and of the logic of current philosophical theories of responsibility and agency. This volume brings together scholars of both criminal law and philosophy to rigorously assess these ideas. Each of the chapters addresses a different dimension of the issue, from a range of perspectives, with varying degrees of sympathy or scepticism regarding cultural defences. The result is an important and original contribution to the literature. It explores why cultural diversity raises distinctive challenges in the criminal law context, not found in other domains of the multiculturalism debate, while also exploring how this particular context raises fundamental issues of agency and responsibility that are at the heart of broader debates in legal, social and political philosophy.

"Multiculturalism, Crime, and Criminal Justice provides a clear overview of the most controversial issues facing African Americans, Hispanics, women, and the LGBTQ community among others as offenders, victims, and practitioners within the context of the criminal justice system"--

What place, if any, ought cultural considerations have when we blame and punish in the criminal law? Bringing together political and legal theorists Criminal Law and Cultural Diversity offers original and diverse discussions that go to the heart of both legal and political debates about multiculturalism, human agency, and responsibility.

This third edition has been slimmed down from previous editions. Chapters have been combined and subjects updated throughout. In keeping with the theme of previous editions, this third edition addresses cultural diversity, criminal justice, and criminology. As an edited anthology, this book represents the work of national scholars who have expertise in criminal justice issues in a multicultural context. The book includes original work addressing such diversity issues as gender, race, ethnicity, and sexuality in criminal justice and criminology. In addition, types of crime, juvenile justice issues, training, and college curricula are also discussed.